London's queer history on display
Immerse yourself in an East London flat-share at the Museum of the Home.
One of the features of London's Museum of the Home is its gallery installations that showcase Rooms Through Time.
The galleries have been overhauled and relaunched, exploring new ways to represent the various communities within which the museum exists.
One of the new installations that has been constructed showcase a queer flat-share from 2005.
The flat-share is set within an ex-council building in Hackney and presents the story of Nadia and Ashley - a couple - who are looking for a flatmate to move into their spare room. On a night out at The George & Dragon, they meet Alex and invite her to move in. The three women work together to redecorate their shared home to create a space to call their own.
The result is a really effective snapshot of an aspect of queer life at that time. I can say that with some authority, because I was living in Hackney in 2005. The installation feels almost like an exact replica of the flat in Bethnal Green that my friends Matt and Mikey shared.
For our podcast, How To Date Men, we caught up with Aurelien Enjalbert to talk about the project. Aurelien is the Participation Officer with London’s Museum of the Home.
In the conversation, we talk about the power of representation, the challenge of illustrating diversity, and why it's important to have a point of view when showcasing the experience of LGBTQ people.
Means Happy
