Europe, particularly the UK, faced a seismic population shift in the years following WW2. With such a shortage of manpower, they initiated the first official immigration from the West Indies, then a British Colony.  Known as the Windrush generation, their arrival meant that the UK could finally staff its new National Health Service, amongst other things.  At the same time, British people were being lured to emigrate to Australia for just £10 to be part of their much-needed workforce.  It was not only ‘poms’ (the term used for the English settlers) but Dutch, Greeks, Italians, and Displaced Persons from Eastern Europe and the Baltic 

We are not sure when all this migration stopped, but what we do know that in this present global political climate with its hate-filled agenda, being an immigrant is now regarded with less respect than a convicted criminal.  Worse, too is the fact that their community is being used as a political football with scant regard to their livelihoods, families, and their human rights.  And at the bottom of that heap are the LGBTQ+ immigrants.

It’s one of the reasons that we are so happy to welcome the QUEER MIGRATIONS FESTIVAL in London. It centres the experiences of queer people who have journeyed, fled, or resettled, often in search of safety, freedom, or belonging.  By highlighting the resilience and creativity of queer migrants—past and present—the Festival invites audiences and attendees to consider how histories of movement shape queer life today. Through performances, workshops, and community-led events, Queer Migrations asks us to reflect on what it means to move — and to be moved — as queer people in a world shaped by borders.

Through an open call, Bold Mellon the Organisers have selected 13 queer & migrant artists (3 working in performance and 10 in visual arts) to present their work as a part of the festival, with 8 of the artists also receiving commissions to support their involvement in the project. 

As well as the Live-Art Performance Event, there is also the Queer Migrations Exhibition in which atists have been invited to explore what it means to move — or be moved — as a queer person. What gets left behind, and what do we carry with us? Another event is an interactive workshop with Touch Grass titled Mapping Our Roots  where you can  reflect on your journey and create maps of belonging through nature and art, culminating in a collective sanctuary celebrating queer resilience and connection.