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Archive book to document post-lockdown surge in queer collectives
The Covid lockdowns in 2020 and 2021 left many in Bristol, including several in the city’s LGBTQ+ community, feeling isolated and craving connection.
This desire to be together drove an unforeseen growth in queer collectives within the city’s nightlife scene.
One of these collectives, CONQUEER, has created an archive book that immortalises this period in Bristol’s LGBTQ+ history.
is needed now More than ever
The book also contains reflections from queer event promoters working before lockdown.
CONQUEER is a LGBTQ+ music and art platform.
They curate events showcasing Bristol-based and international queer artists.
This has previously included fashion shows, club nights and performances at Pride celebrations.
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George Avill, guest producer for CONQUEER, said: “Right after lockdown…everyone was so hungry for community (that) anyone and everyone was putting on events.
“People were doing what they wanted and putting on very silly events. It was an explosion of creativity.”
Nightlife spaces at this time were very DIY.
Daniel Camargo-Grosso, CONQUEER’s founder and director, explained that Bristol’s queer scene has evolved dramatically since the final lockdown ended in 2021.
Uniting over 30 collectives, representing the city’s varying queer subcultures together with a single point of reference, OUR SCENE documents LGBTQ+ collectives and events from 2021 to late 2023 through photography and accounts from event curators.
Daniel said this was to capture the initial surge period of queer nightlife that came after Covid.
Queer history has often not been documented properly, or sometimes not documented at all.
Projects like this book contribute to archiving marginalised communities during pivotal historic moments.
“As the political climate gets more severe towards queer and trans people, it’s important to look back on where our experiences have been documented. It shows how our community has overcome hardships through community action,” said George.
Miscoteque, one of Bristol’s many LGBTQ+ collectives, describes itself as a “reimagined 80s lesbian disco” – photo: Tia Payne (@shotbytia)
Beau Palmer, one of CONQUEER’s original producers, said that while we most of us are able to easily archive our own history by, for example, taking photographs on our phones, it’s important to bring all this material together.
Daniel added: “It’s a great way for everyone who was involved in the scene to look back and be proud of what they’ve done.
“People think about nightlife as just partying. But so many friendships were created at this time in our LGBTQ+ scene.
“I’m hoping when people get the chance to view the book, they will realise we were all here during a pinnacle moment in Bristol’s queer history.”
Daniel also explained that many people in Bristol don’t have awareness of the sheer number of queer collectives and events in the city.
When researching for the book, CONQUEER spoke with multiple queer collectives and asked queer promoters to help refer them to any groups they might have been missed.
UGLY is a Bristol-based drag performer – photo: Alex Murphy (@alexmurphy)
“There were areas of the scene we weren’t as involved in. So we wanted to make sure we were branching out to include everyone who emerged in that post-lockdown chapter,” said Beau.
The group is particularly grateful for help from Chris Collins of People Like Us, one of Bristol’s longest-running queer parties for over ten years which also hosts a yearly queer gathering, PLU Summer Camp.
When CONQUEER started work on their upcoming book, they soon discovered Chris had already created a group chat with many LGBTQ+ collectives in the city. This chat acted as an initial directory for CONQUEER’s research.
Bristol Pride also helped CONQUEER further develop the book, with the charity providing funding via their community group. In addition to this, Bristol Pride also provided archive material for the group’s research.
Daniel explained: “Without the funding we wouldn’t have been able to do it. We’d been speaking about it for a while, but we needed external support.”
Forming part of the official Bristol Pride programme, the OUR SCENE book launch will take place on Thursday.
“It will be an incredible reunion, there will be so many people who were running events that don’t anymore. Some of us have moved to London to find work. At one point we were all seeing each other several times a week. People’s lives have really changed since this pocket of time,” said George.
As Beau pointed out, in the months immediately following Covid there were often multiple queer events each week such as House of Savalon’s queer performance residency, Get Qweird, on Wednesdays and CROTCH’s weekly parties on Thursdays.
Daniel said he hoped the event would “initiate further conversations and collaborations. It will be exciting to see all these promoters in one room reflecting on everything we’ve achieved.”
During Bristol Pride 2024, members of the Bristol Ballroom community hosted a Kiki at St George’s – photo: Darren Shepherd (@darrenshepherdphotography)
Daniel continued: “We wanted to involve people who have been in the scene for a while.
“One of our DJs will of course be Peoplelikeus performing alongside DJ and Channel 4 Host Angel Mel Selector.
“Posters and banners from previous LGBTQ+ events will also be exhibited. The launch will be supported by Bristol-based company Minirig too, so we’ll have a great sound system.
“We’ve also had the pleasure of commissioning graphic designer Willem Fox to design the book and bring it together.
“After the launch event, we’re hoping we can stock the book within independent bookstores.
“We want it to be exhibited across the UK. Bristol is known for many things, but we want this pivotal period in our city’s queer history to be known.”
The OUR SCENE book launch will be at Kit Form on Thursday. All ticket holders will receive a first edition copy of OUR SCENE.
For more information about the book and the book launch visit www.headfirstbristol.co.uk/whats-on/kit-form/thu-10-jul-our-scene-an-archive-of-bristol-s-queer-nightlife
Main photo: Charley Williams (@charleywilliamsphoto)
This article originally appeared in the May/June 2025 edition of Bristol24/7 magazine
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