Out On An Island – An Untold Heritage: by Georgia Newman

OUT ON AN ISLAND – AN UNTOLD HERITAGE

Clayden Gallery, Quay Arts

Out On An Island – An Untold Heritage is the first ever exhibition to be entirely dedicated to LGBTQ+ heritage on the Isle of Wight. The exhibition features Jon Habens’ photographic portraits skilfully reflecting Island residents and the oral histories they shared with us: experiences of joy and pain, warm acceptance and, sometimes, blatant homophobia. Visitors can listen to oral histories from local LGBTQ+ individuals of all ages gaining a new perspective of the Isle of Wight’s past, where expressions of non-normative sexualities and genders have always been present. Recordings have captured harrowing accounts of how they have dealt with changes, externally due to politics and the law, and internal personal struggles, as well as uplifting and inspiring soul-searching journeys. The exhibition will also unveil artwork by Karl Stedman and Sydney Cardew, Island artists who have been commissioned to respond to the project, special memorabilia collected by the curating team, and will feature the edifying documentary “Our stories matter”. Out On An Island is a heritage project delivered by StoneCrabs Theatre & Arts Charity funded by the National Heritage Lottery Fund, led by Caroline Diamond, Franko Figueiredo and a team of volunteers who have, to date, recorded 20 Oral Histories and carried out in-depth historical research. The exhibition features the stories of iconic queer figures including poet and playwright Algernon Charles Swinburne, war poet Robert Nichols, boat racer Joe Carstairs in addition to more contemporary contributors such as Patrick Gale and Kenneth Kendall, Newsreader and host of Channel 4’s Treasure Hunt. Out On An Island - An Untold Heritage will exhibit in Quay Arts’ Clayden Gallery 6th – 27th February 2021

Photographic Portraits by Jon Habens

“There was a community here or, I should say, different communities which is really interesting in itself when you start digging underneath that because there was the ‘Cowes set’. There was a ‘West Wight’ group and I always think with great merriment, it makes me laugh really, the ‘Leather Queens of Freshwater’. We used a slightly different language. So, ‘are you a member’? That’s so we could talk in the streets without anybody hearing the word, ‘gay, ‘bisexual’ and no touching, no hugging, no looking, make it discreet and that type of approach.” – Karl Love “Once at school there was a very big thing actually. Section 28 was brought in in all schools, certainly all secondary schools were required to formulate a policy. So we had this awful film, instructional film, and I was put on this group anyway to discuss things and how we would implement this bloody Act and it talked about 1 in 10 and all the rest of it. I said, I can remember, I can feel it now, my breath, and I said, ‘well, as one of the 1 in 10... I don’t know if you know this: you literally could have been sacked for being gay as a teacher and people were and some things went to appeal.” – Robin Ford. Excerpt from one of the oral

history recordings.

Gallery opening times: Mon – Sun, 10am – 4pm. Free entry. Quay Arts, Sea Street, Newport Harbour, Isle of Wight, PO30 5BD www.quayarts.org

QUAY ARTS By Georgia Newman