Today marks the 21st anniversary of the repeal of Section 28 in England and Wales and a North West Arts Company IAP:MCR launches their latest project: PROTEST! – Documenting Dissent – a two-year long research and creative engagement programme
In 1988 coinciding with the height of the AIDS crisis; less than 10% of British adults thought that same-sex relations were ‘acceptable’. Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government subsequently introduced Section 28 of the Local Government Act which prohibited the ‘promotion of homosexuality’ by schools and local authorities.
In direct response to this, and as an act of protest and defiance, over 20,000 people took to Manchester’s streets to express their anger… making it the biggest single LGBTQ+ demonstration in British history.
IAP:MCR want to meet anyone affected by Section 28: the stifled students, the silenced teachers, the organisers, and the tireless activists who fought right up until its repeal in 2003. They are particularly looking for the queer voices and untold stories that will enrich and refine the history of LGBTQ+ protest. These stories will be recorded and find a permanent home in Manchester’s public archives.
As part of this project, IAP:MCR will also recruit volunteers to conduct these brand-new interviews with LGBTQ+ people in the Northwest who were at the demonstration, or who have engaged in dissent, or who were affected by social attitudes and prejudice over the past 25 years.
Working alongside Manchester City Council’s curatorial teams at Archives+ and Manchester Art Gallery, as well as the library services in Trafford, PROTEST! will also be delving into the public record to find ways in which dissent has already been documented.
The project is being supported by Manchester Art Gallery and Manchester Libraries and Archives who between them will be assisting with the research, oral history and archival exploration elements of the projects and an exploration of the city’s art collection.
The timely creation and launch of PROTEST! – is both a celebration of Section 28’s revocation and a call to arms to never forget the torment and trauma it created for so many. The aim of launching around this anniversary is to keep a spotlight on this huge turning point in LGBTQ+ history and life and to invite anybody affected to come forwards for their stories to be recorded and documented for prosperity.
IAP:MCR believes that members of the LGBTQ+ communities gain confidence and agency and can put their lived experience into the wider context of society when they have a better understanding of their heritage and their history. Its mission through all of its work is to explore the heritage of LGBTQ+ people through the development and dissemination of the arts – primarily in the Northwest of England.
Jez Dolan, Artistic Director of IAP:MCR comments:
“We are passionate as artists to reveal and explore the untold histories of LGBTQ+ people and the ways in which protest and dissent have shaped our lives and promoted our human rights. Section 28 was an appalling and hugely misjudged piece of legislation, and one which had the unexpected outcome of bringing our communities together in protest, in unity and in collective action for the first time. We know as a community we have so much to say about this and so PROTEST! will be our largest project to date in terms of scale and ambition – and we cannot wait to launch this next month.”
Councillor Garry Bridges, Deputy Leader Manchester City Council says:
“LGBTQ+ histories are central to the Manchester story and it’s this history of protest and resistance that has helped our city to be recognised as a place that is welcoming for LGBTQ+ people and become the progressive city it is today.This project recognises not only the harmful ways that LGBTQ+ people have been treated, but also the ways that communities here in Manchester rose up to reject that, including the largest LGBTQ+ demonstration in our country’s history. It’s important we shine a light on this history and document the experiences of those in our city who fought for their rights and the rights of others. We’re proud to support this work.”
