One in, One out: Leeds' smallest gay bar

One in, One out is a playful intimate installation for one audience member at a time. Inspired by the continuing threat to LGBTQIA+ nightlife spaces and debates around access to these spaces One in, One out explores nostalgia for lost LGBTQIA+ scenes, the consumption of queer space as novelty and what it means to be queer and alone. 

 

One in, One out reflects on the changing arrangement of LGBTQIA+ spaces today. The work asks questions about what dedicated queer spaces provide for individual's. Are these spaces where we learn to feel proud or to escape from the world?  What does it mean to be in this space alone, can we be queer by ourselves? It also examines the role of the gay bar itself in queer culture. As we grow more aware of the intersecting identities within the community and their different needs, we have to wonder about its continuing role. Can the gay bar part of the future of queer space, if so what does it need to change and what should it preserve?

 

Originally commissioned by Compass Live Art for Compass Festival 2021. Developed with Support from Broccoli and Arts Council England Lottery Funding.

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Featured in the Guardian, read the full article here.