This blog post explores the initial stages of my IPS project including my project proposal, initial research, and planning.
Project Brief
Project Title: Curating Queer
Project Proposal:
During my summer project, Identity in Mind, I investigated the needs, wants, and desires of seventeen LGBTIQ+ individuals through a publication interviewing 17 UK-based LGBTIQ+ folk. Throughout this project many of my interviewees expressed concerns for a lack of safe and inclusive queer space, many felt excluded from mainstream LGBTIQ+ scenes in heavily commercialised gay villages and bars which centred white, cis, able-bodied, gay men, as opposed to diverse LGBTIQ+ individuals. This inspired a piece which would exemplify the need for inclusive space, and inform audiences of specific inclusive spaces throughout London.
I propose for this project to follow a similar structure to Identity in Mind, interviewing several queer space creators in London, to explore how their space welcomes diverse audiences, prioritises safety and celebrates divergent queer identities. I want to develop my disciplines in portraiture photography, graphic design, and print publishing, to create a final piece which illustrates London's alternative queer scene and the individuals behind the scene.
Outcome Brief:
1. A magazine combining interview, photography, and graphic design, which illustrates:
Narratives of queer space, who is creating them, who they are for, why they are created.
Design of inclusive queer space, what makes them inclusive, what do these spaces look like, who are those being represented in these spaces.
What are the needs and wants of our community, what changes we need to bring to make all queer space inclusive, and who in our community do we need to work to provide sanctuary for.
2. An extensive body of work focusing on portraiture photography, graphic design for published print, and print publishing in terms of audience.
Enquiry Aims:
Secondary research into Queer Spaces I'm representing, identifying features of Queer Space creation in London.
Primary research into Queer Space through fieldwork interviews of space creators, and photography.
Secondary research into portraiture photography discipline, examining how this can be adapted through the COVID pandemic and national lockdown.
Secondary research into published print graphic design to create visual concept.
Secondary research into published print for audience and communication consideration.
Primary Research of Queer Space, visiting and documenting events exploring visual concepts.
Knowledge and Experimentation Aims:
Development of graphic design and print publishing skills, exploring different professional design/format creation techniques.
Developed knowledge of print publishing through investigation into different formats, layouts, and distributions.
Development of portrait photography skill through portraiture research and experimentation.
Communication Aims:
Audience: LGBTIQ+ Londoners
Aim to communicate the importance of safe and inclusive LGBTIQ+ space, to raise awareness of intersectional issues within London's LGBTIQ+ community.
Aim to increase awareness of grassroots and independent LGBTIQ+ spaces away from London's mainstream queer nightlife scene.
Research List:
Digital research exploring Queer spaces and collecting imagery, history, news articles.
Visiting of Duckie Archives, Bishops Gate Library Archives (History of Queer Space).
Visiting of Rose's Repartee Archive, Bishops Gate Library Archives (History and Design of Queer Publication).
Site visits to Queer Space; RVT's Bar Woteva, Queer Bruk (cont).
Fieldwork interviewing queer space creators/organisers; RVT's Bar Woteva, Queer Culture Club, Muscle Mary's
Photography of interviewees, and queer spaces visits.
Journal entries analysing personal experiences of research.
Academic Reading. (Thesis, context).
Summer Project
My summer project aimed to gain knowledge of the needs of LGBTIQ+ individuals to explore how I could create an outcome which illustrates individual identities within a broad and diverse community. Identity in Mind was a magazine speaking with 17 LGBTIQ+ individuals across the UK surrounding their experiences with mental health, facing discrimination in society, and what they envisioned for the future of LGBTIQ+ communities.
This project aided me in finding a subject which was integral to contemporary LGBTIQ+ communities, and helped me develop my portraiture and graphic design skills. Full analysis of concept, skills, and distribution can be found here.
Key Findings:
Communication: this project allowed me to consider the importance of social media when generating audience, investigating the use of professional practice methods such as advertisement and sales. This also allowed me to identify characteristics of audiences, and collect feedback to reflect on success.
Enquiry: Using primary fieldwork interviews and photography allowed for strong enquiry, I was able to learn more about my subject, understand participants when creation visuals which represented them. Enquiry into professional practice when using advertisement, audience feedback on distribution, and sales forecasting.
Process: this project allowed me to identify a new discipline in portraiture photography, which I was able to develop in skill and professionalism throughout the project. I want to push this further in my IPS project. This project also allowed for strong development in graphic design, which I would like to develop further through visual and conceptual research.
Experimentation: There is strong experimentation within this project in terms of the visual concepts, graphic layouts, and portraiture composition. However, I could push this further when it comes to communication, by considering alternate ways of publishing.
Action Plan Based on Summer Project:
Improve knowledge of digital creation. Including: strengthening of graphic design in terms of layout, skills knowledge and concepts and improved knowledge of digital creation in terms of programme skills.
Develop print publishing through consideration of different publishing methods in terms of format, distribution, audience, and materials.
Develop portraiture photography skill, researching different portraiture photographers, experimentation of visuals, layouts, and set building, and development of digital photography formatting.
Strengthen visual concepts. This project focused heavily on text and lost a lot of visual communication, this needs to be developed with a focus on narrating my stories through visuals.
Research; Queer Spaces
The key research aims to understand the differentiating curation of London's Queer Spaces, looking at physical and digital space. To do this I used Instagram to reach out to Queer Spaces to request interviews and conducted background research on each space beforehand. Ethics was considered throughout this process, talking through the project with participants, requiring the completion of consent forms, and informing participants of their right to withdraw.
Royal Vauxhall Tavern's Bar Wotever
South London's Royal Vauxhall Tavern is perhaps one of the most iconic queer venues in London, the birthplace of artists such as David Hoyle, Rhys Pieces, Prince Chiyo, Charlie Hides, and Paul O' Grady's Lily Savage.
Bar Wotever is the RVT's Tuesday night queer cabaret, which aims to platform diverse performers and represent a broad and divergent LGBTIQ+ community. I met with Bar Wotever's bar manager, Lysander Dove, to talk all things Wotever and find out more about those behind RVT's award winning cabaret night.
Bar Wotever forefront trans and POC individuals creating a space which allows for everyone to get the opportunity to see themselves onstage. Through interview I identified key methods of space creation which allowed Bar Wotver's space to be safe and inclusive:
Stringent policies to address instances of prejudice, including a 2 strike policy before patrons are asked to leave, and taking an educational incentive to encourage awareness of intersectional issues.
Providing non-gendered toilets.
Having staff members in clear outfits - bear ears - to provide patrons with a safe person to speak to in the event of feeling uncomfortable, anxious, or alone.
Encouraging opportunities for newer performers, through resident performer scheme and the acceptance of new acts and radical performances.
Bar Wotver is visualised through their iconic gold and red stage curtains, red columns, and haphazard tables, this is something to consider through the visual representation of the space. Their identity as a space is focused on diversity in terms of race, ability, and gender, this is something to consider when visualising their space.
Muscle Marys
Muscle Marys are a LGBTIQ+ inclusive fitness group, aiming to build community through fitness classes. Throughout the coronavirus pandemic the Marys have transformed into an online community, hosting zoom fitness groups for all identities and abilities. I met with Muscle Marys' founder, Mark to discuss how they create an inclusive space. Their main aims are to diversify the fitness world and remove intimidation from fitness space.
As Marys is a transient space, their spatial visualisation is defined by their community - a collective of diverse LGBTIQ+ individuals. They also have a pride visual theme, thinking of the colours of the pride flags in their logo, and the sets of their classes. Their queer space is defined by a desire for diversity and acceptance, their drive for creating a queer community, and their support for the wider community through fundraising campaigns.
Knock Out London
Knock Out are a LGBTIQ+ inclusive boxing club, located in an existing sports centre and defining their space as queer inclusive. They aim to create a non-gendered environment to create a sport-centred environment which allows individuals to exceed their goals irrespective of their LGBTIQ+ identities. I met with Knock Out's boxing coach, Pierre, to discuss the work they do at Knock Out.
Knock Out's visual aesthetic is build around boxing, and centred in a sports environment, it could be good to consider human form when boxing when visualising their space. Like Marys, Knock Out adopt a pride theme, which forefronts their inclusion with the use of pride flags in their social media presence, photos, and presence at public pride events.
Muslim LGBT Network
The Muslim LGBT Network is a virtual space which acts as a platform to aid LGBTIQ+ Muslims in finding support and communities throughout the world, and encourage awareness of LGBTIQ+ Muslim issues for non-Muslims. They encourage allies, other faiths, and non-LGBTIQ+ folk to join their community in an aim to spread greater social acceptance for LGBTIQ+ Muslim individuals. I met with the Muslim LGBT Network's Ejel to talk more about what they do as a space, and how their community aims for greater awareness of queer people of faith.
Ejel aims to create a virtual community support network which stretches beyond the realms of physical space, this is interesting as it means the space is a lot more metaphysical when visualising it. For this reason I feel the space is represented by Ejel, the founder, as he is the passion and drive behind the space's concept.
Queer Culture Club
Like the Muslim LGBT Network, QCC is primarily a virtual space, this is as they were formed during the 2020 coronavirus lockdown aiming to provide a community for queer women, non-binary, and gender non-conforming folk when they needed it the most. Their space runs a range of activities including art workshops, discussion groups, film nights, and they aim to create a physical space which creates a central hub for a community. I met with QCC's founders, Ellie and Jess, to find out more.
QCC take a simplistic visual style in presenting their space, using kitsch fonts, simple illustration and pastel pride colours. This creates a fun, soft, and bright virtual space. They also build their community by platforming queer artists in their community.
I think QCC are interesting as they narrate how queer space has evolved to online communities through global strife, and exemplify the need for such space in times in hardship. Their space is also women centred in response to the existent male dominated LGBTIQ+ space in London, this is key to their identity as a space.
Research Findings
Due to current situations with coronavirus, I have been unable to visit space as planned, however I feel this has proved useful, as it allows for a more focused theme on why these spaces are so important with limited social interactions within our community. I can also begin to consider a new kind of queer space - virtual space. This can allow for a focused study on how in contemporary society, queer spaces have evolved through online platforms, and what this means for creators, performers, and patrons alike.
The spaces in my fieldwork are visually very different, although there are key themes throughout. Most of the spaces I've studied focus on representing their community as an integral aspect of their space creation, the diversity of individuals is integral to their spatial identity. Most spaces also incorporate pride themes and colours. This is something I don't personally find visually appealing, but I need to consider how I can incorporate this aspect into my design and portrayal of the space.
Illustration Problems
How will I document space in light of recent national restrictions? This limits my ability to photograph individuals and spaces.
How to create a consistent theme whilst accurately representing the different spatial design of each respective space? Key themes throughout are community and pride.