Queer Takeover Day

"A quiet, caring and creative form of welcome and community building - thank you!"

"This was an amazing workshop. If there is another one tomorrow... count me in! Thanks for this queer and creative/safe space!"

"This was SO much fun! Really affirming, empowering and creative, and felt like SUCH a safe space. I loved it so much and would really love to do it again!"

"Such a creative and inclusive way to generate vital conversations around being seen, belonging and not just fitting in to exhibitions, museums and galleries. Questioning the lens and the narrative is real co-creation, challenging the cultural status quo is a powerful was to ensure change. This session was a real representation of the community voice!"

"I was able to explore, to look at what is shown, but also what isn't shown."

"Today felt like a tapestry of joy, different perspectives and experiences weaving together in a creative safe space. A really interesting way of reimagining our story."

"Seeing queer people take up space in the museum, interpreting objects freely in their own ways was very powerful."

"History is the making of myths."

"Socially introspective."

"Really fun and cuddlesome! 10/10 would recommend."

"Time to breath, think and recharge. Queer joy."

Melton Carnegie Museum was host for a Queer Takeover. An afternoon of inclusivity, relevance, representation and queering museum artefacts in a different way.

Led by Creative Practitioner, Aaran Sian, and Munroop Panesar of Queer Coffee Linkups, participants were invited to explore what it is to look at an object through a queer lens and look around the Museum to find objects that sparked curiosity, anger, joy or other feelings. They spent time thinking about their objects and discussing them with the group discovering the stories that hadn’t been told, voices that hadn’t been heard and connections that hadn’t been made.

Participants then engaged in poem writing inspired by their chosen objects and feelings evoked from them. Participants then used a range of art materials to express their poems in a creative collage, telling the untold story of their object.

The session concluded with a reflective discussion about the day.

Check out the participants collages in this Zine!