WHAT IS QUEER AND THERE?

Queer and There is an interactive magazine designed to share Plymouth's LGBTQIA+ history and encourage people to engage with the heritage action zone at the heart of the city.

It is a collaboration between Down Stage Write CIC and Ink Snails Collective, funded by High Street Sparks (HAZ, Plymouth City Council, POP, The Box, Vital Sparks).

It is part of Down Stage’s wider LGBTQ Writer programme Write Out Loud developing and showcasing queer writers in the region.

What is the HAZ?

 The High Street Action Zone is a specially designated conservation area around Royal Parade and the Civic Square and there is a great four year programme about celebrating, enhancing and adapting the City Centre's post-war heritage and making it a more attractive, engaging and vibrant place for people to live, work and spend time goin on. High Street Sparks has been funding cultural events and projects taking place and responding to the zone and Queer and There is one of the latest projects to be funded.

THE CREATION TEAM

Seven writers and two illustrators were commissioned by Down Stage Write to create the Zine. They took part in guided walks around the zone, workshops and research tasks to generate ideas and material.

Poetry, prose, comic strips, illustrations, photos and audio celebrating the queer past, present and future of Plymouth has been combined to create a colourful 40 page booklet.

WORKSHOPS

We held five free open workshops for the LGBTQ community to explore the history and geography of the HAZ and beyond.

Each participant created their own mini zines with their writing and drawing also appearing in the final product.

We loved the conversations about Queer identity and the city with lots o further ideas to be explored in future.