Card game from Candy Bar Candy Bar was a lesbian bar that ran from 2000-2004 and was situated in St James Street, Brighton. Cards include instructions and game on one side, the other detailing regular events happening in Candy Bar in Brighton as well as its sister location in Soho London (1996-2014).

The following items have been donated to the archive by Carl Boardman. 1. This image is a digital reproduction of a white badge from Florida in 1990, it reads 'THE GAY 90'S are back!' in pink yellow and green. 2. This photograph depicts Miss Martinie L'More pouring cups of tea at the LLGC Tea Dance in 1989.

The following items have been donated to the archive by Carl Boardman. 1. This is a digital reproduction of a flyer for a cabaret and choral performance at The Old Market as part of a collaboration between The Rainbow Chorus and The Accidental Theatre company. The performance was held on the 4th December 1999 in aid of The Sussex Beacon, who specialise in the care and support of those living with HIV. 2. This is a digital reproduction of a flyer for 'A Requiem for Those Who Die Young', a collaboration between Joshua Mills-O'Connor and The Accidental Theatre Company. The performance was held on the evening of the 5th December 1998 at The Brighthelm Centre in aid of the World Aids Day Fund in Brighton.

A3 poster for Xmas & NYE parties at Transister, The Beachcomber 24–31 December 1995. For gay boys & girls, trannies, inbetweenies and friends.

Christine Burns MBE, campaigner and writer, takes us on a journey through the history of trans activism. Rich with anecdotes and stories from her personal journey as an early trans activist, this talk is inspiring, uplifting, and just what we need to end this strange 2020. A reminder that change is always possible. This event was recorded as part of Brighton LGBTIQ+ History Club, and is supported by Brighton Museums and National Lottery Heritage Fund.

This shows the cover of City Limits magazine, with the listings showing Siren presenting the play ‘Curfew’ at The Oval House theatre in London. It also shows a review of ‘Curfew’ by Carole Woddis in the centre of the first column. Siren shows were regularly reviewed very positively by City Limits (a rival to Time Out magazine and far more alternative at the time).

Digital reproduction of the cover of City Limits magazine, with a review of Siren's play ‘From the Divine', which was performed at Hoxton Hall and Jackson’s Lane theatres, London.

This shows a review of the play ‘ Hotel Destiny’ which was performed at The Oval House Theatre. The review is generally positive, with some negative remarks, but states that the performance "is an evening of lesbian affirmation with mixed pleasures - ingenious, gently laconic without being fully satisfying, subversive without truly detonating."

The review was written after a performance at the Drill Hall in London. Bardsley writes that "Siren have always been mesmerised by the idea of time travel, they move their performances through both past and future and around a central theme of DANGER: the danger of lesbian sexuality (and of any kind of 'otherness') to straight society."

22 August 2021 Thirty years ago today my best friend the artist Clifford Haseldine died (21/12/56 - 22/08/91). We were friends for 23 years. He lived in Hackney, studied at St.Martins School of Art, moved to Stoke Newington in the seventies as a student, then Brighton in the eighties where he met his beloved partner Andrew Copus. They moved to Leicester where Clifford died. He was honest, funny, bright and far braver than he ever realised. He changed my life and I think about him every day. Words by Robert Hamberger Extract from the book ‘A Length of Road: Finding Myself in the Footsteps of John Clare’ by Robert Hamberger. One summer we took our mothers to one of his few exhibitions, in a small gallery along Brighton seafront. Mysterious underwater landscapes were displayed alongside pictures full of penises and men taking part in wanking contests. My mother laughed and hooted at the rude ones until tears ran down her face. Clifford’s mother noted in the visitors’ book that she preferred the underwater landscapes. There were years of self-doubt, when he had neither the space, the money nor the confidence to paint. Then, the year before he died, a waterfall of art poured from him again, as if it might save him: a self-portrait with a feather; an autumn cherry tree from his garden; portraits and simple charcoal nudes of Andrew, a patient model; stand-up wooden cut outs of dogs and cats and abundant flowers in vases, which he painted for money and never sold. Dozens of paintings, sketches, pen and ink drawings with water colour and chalk, which he told me were all about energy, so a cluster of images recurred in them. Cartoon-like pylons, chimney stacks, cannons, telegraph poles, Iight bulbs, gasometers, power stations and atomic mushroom clouds wrestled with river shapes swathing through each picture. Nature played a part in this energy. Suns and half-moons, seaweed, snail shells, thistles, bulrushes, lily pads and fuschias; a lightning bolt withering an orchid, and throughout these images what I assumed might be him confronting his impending death: a phoenix again and again, triumphant or maimed, a blue bird with outstretched wings.

Clive Bentley 7 August 1961 - 17 August 1994 Clive’s Brighton life began at Sussex University when he started an Environmental Science degree in 1979.  After this, he embarked on training as an accountant and thanks to a fascination for detail and his meticulous approach; he was set for a successful career. Testing HIV positive started Clive on a journey of personal discovery which would influence the rest of his life and everyone who knew him. At a time when fear and hostility surrounding HIV were at their most hysterical, Clive made the decision to confront his diagnosis head-on. He was deeply committed to understanding the virus and helping others do the same. Along with getting to grips with the mechanics of the disease, Clive invested huge amounts of energy exploring the personal impact of HIV on his life and others. For Clive, who co-founded Body Positive with Graham Wilkinson in 1985, and then became Sussex AIDS Centre & Helpline’s first administrator in 1986, his work was never just a job. Clive was never simply motivated by his own struggle. He was a committed socialist, enraged by all forms of inequality and discrimination. Where his brain held knowledge, his heart was always in touch with the human consequences of treating others as outsiders. Clive also had a great sense of humour and a tremendous wit which was a release from the collective pain of HIV and a way of bringing people together in the face of it. Not only was Clive a highly efficient administrator but also a skilled trainer and group worker, and when he was able, he loved to travel and experience other cultures, especially Italy and Italian food. Clive made a huge impact on the lives of those who knew him and loved him, but also on those who only met him briefly. He was a unique and special individual and those who met him were different because of the experience. It’s in that difference that we have a permanent reminder of his too brief but explosive presence among us.

Hand embroidered skirt and patched jacket. Reemploys traditional women's craft to become trans craft. Features embroidered portraits of Travis Alabanza & E-J Scott. Artist identifies as non-binary.

Anthony Luvera is an Australian artist, writer and educator based in London. Anthony collaborated with Queer in Brighton on our first commissioned project ‘Not Going Shopping’ to explore the lives of LGTBQ+ people in Brighton. Anthony invited eleven participants to meet him and bring photographs that told their story, and they were encouraged to consider what being queer means to them, and to photograph their experiences and the things they are interested in. The group met regularly to discuss their work and share photographs, and created self-portraits in a photo booth on the North Laine, which led to discussions about photography and identity. Anthony said of the project: “the prospect of creating this work seemed to me to offer a useful way to further my inquiry into participation and self-representation with groups of marginalized individuals, and at the same time provide an opportunity to confront my own views of queerness as a gay man… Images play a powerful role in the stories we tell about ourselves and the histories told about us. Not Going Shopping expresses the points of view of the participants and myself about what it is to be Queer in Brighton.” This portrait was created as part of Not Going Shopping in collaboration with Anthony and the 11 participants. It is composed of two self portraits taken in a photobooth, a written note by the subject of the portrait, and a portrait taken at Brighton Seafront (bottom right). Anthony's written note reads "ARE WE A COMMUNITY?"

Anthony Luvera is an Australian artist, writer and educator based in London. Anthony collaborated with Queer in Brighton on our first commissioned project ‘Not Going Shopping’ to explore the lives of LGTBQ+ people in Brighton. Anthony invited eleven participants to meet him and bring photographs that told their story, and they were encouraged to consider what being queer means to them, and to photograph their experiences and the things they are interested in. The group met regularly to discuss their work and share photographs, and created self-portraits in a photo booth on the North Laine, which led to discussions about photography and identity. Anthony said of the project: “the prospect of creating this work seemed to me to offer a useful way to further my inquiry into participation and self-representation with groups of marginalized individuals, and at the same time provide an opportunity to confront my own views of queerness as a gay man… Images play a powerful role in the stories we tell about ourselves and the histories told about us. Not Going Shopping expresses the points of view of the participants and myself about what it is to be Queer in Brighton.” This portrait is of Edward Whelan, and was created as part of Not Going Shopping in collaboration with Anthony and the 11 participants. It is composed of two self portraits taken in a photobooth, a written note by the subject of the portrait, and a portrait taken at Brighton Seafront (bottom right). Edward's written note reads: "THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN QUEER".

Anthony Luvera is an Australian artist, writer and educator based in London. Anthony collaborated with Queer in Brighton on our first commissioned project ‘Not Going Shopping’ to explore the lives of LGTBQ+ people in Brighton. Anthony invited eleven participants to meet him and bring photographs that told their story, and they were encouraged to consider what being queer means to them, and to photograph their experiences and the things they are interested in. The group met regularly to discuss their work and share photographs, and created self-portraits in a photo booth on the North Laine, which led to discussions about photography and identity. Anthony said of the project: “the prospect of creating this work seemed to me to offer a useful way to further my inquiry into participation and self-representation with groups of marginalized individuals, and at the same time provide an opportunity to confront my own views of queerness as a gay man… Images play a powerful role in the stories we tell about ourselves and the histories told about us. Not Going Shopping expresses the points of view of the participants and myself about what it is to be Queer in Brighton.” This portrait is of Fox Fisher, and was created as part of Not Going Shopping in collaboration with Anthony and the 11 participants. It is composed of two self portraits taken in a photobooth, a written note by the subject of the portrait, and a portrait taken at Brighton Seafront (bottom right). Fox's written note reads: "Gender is fluid. Love the journey."