Landmark exhibition celebrates LGBTQ+ voices in Chichester

Developed in collaboration with Chichester Pride, Out & Proud celebrates the lives and stories of LGBTQ+ individuals, highlighting local, national and international LGBTQ+ history, with a special focus on the personal experiences of individuals within the Chichester community.

Featuring personal stories, objects and archival materials, Out & Proud in Chichester marks a significant step toward amplifying LGBTQ+ voices that have historically been overlooked or erased, says co-curator and exhibitions officer Rachel Ng. It also celebrates the journey of Chichester Pride, which has been at the heart of local LGBTQ+ advocacy and visibility since 2018.

A key feature of the exhibition is the inclusion of personal items contributed by members of Chichester’s LGBTQ+ community. In September 2024, a social media call-out from The Novium Museum and Chichester Pride invited people to loan objects that hold deep significance in their LGBTQ+ journeys. The response was overwhelming and resulted in items including Pride flags carried in local marches, items of clothing worn to Pride events, personal letters and much more, all of which is featured within the exhibition.

“It is an exhibition which has been in the works for quite a few years,” Rachel said. “We first approached Chichester Pride back in 2022 about collaborating on an exhibition. We have a community exhibition space in our first floor foyer space, and the idea is that we work with the community to curate exhibitions, very much a collaborative process where we really represent what is happening in the district.

“Chichester Pride initially approached us about donating an object for our collection and through that we thought it would be a great idea to work together on an exhibition. Nothing like this has ever happened in the museum before. Chichester Pride had their first in-person event in 2022 and since then they have developed hugely. We wanted to tell their story, the story of their formation and what has happened and also to provide a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community to tell their own stories in their own words.

“There are quite a few strands to this exhibition. We're looking at how Chichester Pride came about but also at Pride historically. We have got a big timeline in the exhibition which looks at the first riots in New York in 1969 and then the development of Pride in England and then how Chichester Pride first went online in 2021 and then had that first in-person event in 2022.

“We are wanting to highlight why Pride remains essential. Behind the colourful history there is a deeper meaning about fighting for equality and acceptance in society. We have some very hard-hitting stories about what has happened and people's struggles. Museums are spaces where we want to bring in educational tools for people to create a more accepting society and a more understanding society, and that's what we hope this exhibition does.

“We did the object call-out to invite individuals from the LGBTQ+ community to lend us objects that were personal to them and their story, and all of these we have asked to write a label for their object so that it is their own voice explaining it and not the museum's voice. And these voices show the really personal side to the exhibition.

“Obviously I hope that our society is now heading in the right direction. There is definitely more acceptance in the generations but there is still a lot of work to be done and there are still so many things that need to change. We hope that this exhibition is the turning point for various organisations to look at their history and to bring to the front stories that have been lost or forgotten.

“For me personally this exhibition is really important. We've got people in my family that are part of the LGBTQ+ community and having this representation at museum feels really good. This is something that feels really close to my heart, and it feels a real honour that Chichester Pride have trusted us with their stories.”

Admission is free, with donations welcome. To find out more, visit www.thenovium.org/pride

The Novium Museum will be running a series of events and activities in celebration of the new exhibition. For more information visit www.thenovium.org/whatson. The exhibition will run throughout the summer.