The idea
Pearl Alcock's Railton Rd shebeen closed 40 years ago, in the wake of the '81 Brixton uprising. Just one of many lost LGBTQ+ spaces that closed as discreetly as they opened, centres for communities under pressure that were never to be replaced. Until now.
Pearl's Return is an innovative approach to public spaces led by marginalised communities. It will create a public platform and cultural hub for London's Black Queer communities, and enable accessible, shared cultural moments among a group at high risk of isolation,
connect Black LGBTQ+ people to relevant public health, heritage or community initiatives, generate opportunities for intergenerational arts and digital media collaboration among Black queer creatives,
extend BLKOUT's process of movement-building; creating the unexpected, unearthing cultural gems, holding space for dialogue,
disrupt silences right at the heart of communities, where Black LGBTQ+ lives have always been lived.
What we'll deliver
- A programme of live music, theatre and arts, celebrating Black Queer Britons
- A destination, meanwhile-use, event space reimagining local Black Queer heritage
- Striking new content for social media and digital sharing that connects across social barriers
Why it's a great idea
Pearl's Return creates a replicable, physical space that represents the culmination of a three-year programme of appreciative inquiry, research, and co-creation, The focal point for Black gay, bi and/or trans men from around London, and across the UK, the festival will be an opportunity for Black Queer Men to shape BLKOUT, their interaction driving a new kind of civil society movement; in anticipation of the challenges of the social reset required to thrive in our ‘new normal’, together we are radically rethinking pre-2020 ways of organising society that systematically failed Black Queer Men and so many others.
Steps to get it done
- Date set as COVID-19 Safety restrictions permit
- Project team recruited and programme agreed
- Partner invitations and briefing
- Digital and media launch
- Live Event
- Event evaluation
- Digital content programme delivered
