Retracing Queer Footprints
BWYASSSS AT BWS
St kilda WEST
BWS celebrates and contributes to the local communities in which they operate. Since 2022, BWS St Kilda West has featured BWYASSS branding, but a store refurbishment created an opportunity to continue this message and further demonstrate its commitment to creating a safe and welcoming space for the pride community.
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We worked with BWS to develop a mural representative of St Kilda's history as a melting pot of diverse communities and a place of celebration.
While there have been many significant events for the LGBTQIA+ community locally, we felt that the Pride March best represented these themes. Down Fitzroy Street, we march as divided, showcasing the diversity of the rainbow community, but at Catani Gardens, we unite as one, sharing in celebration and pride.
Retracing Queer Footprints with Salta
To celebrate Sydney World Pride 2023, Salta installed the Retracing Melbourne's Queer Footprints maps at their Industry Lanes property in Richmond.
The location of Industry Lanes was important to the presentation of the series of maps, as Richmond and the Yarra City Council are significant to Melbourne’s queer history, acting as a meeting place between the north and south side queer cultures.
Through this immersive exhibition, viewers could explore the queer history of both sides of the river and if interested in learning more about the City of Yarra's queer history can complete the self-led Retracing Queer Footprints audio tours through our website.
st kilda pier Activation
Whilst St Kilda Pier was being redeveloped, we installed a twenty-four-metre mural which enabled visitors to retrace some of the queer history of St Kilda. Running down the old St Kilda Pier, viewers learnt about the contributions of the LGBTQIA+ community to our historical and contemporary rainbow home.
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Viewers could explore the stories of St Kilda's queer past through a timeline of some of Melbourne's queer history and uncover the different challenges and events the LGBTQIA+ community faced through the decades.
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The mural also included the Augmented Reality Map of St Kilda, featuring the voice of Cerulean, Miss First Nation Supreme Queen 2023.
Queer Connections Exhibition
A part of Midsumma 2024, alongside the The City of Port Phillip and the Australian Queer Archives we hosted an exhibition that explored Port Phillip's rich queer history through the lens of its most iconic venues and events.
Viewers took a trip through the decades and uncover new stories from some of their favourite local enterprises including the St Kilda Sea Baths, Prince of Wales Hotel and Midsumma Pride March.
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The exhibition built off of AQuA's iconic St Kilda History walks and featured a range of material from the collection. Exhibition text was developed alongside AQuA's Dr Graham Willett and Queer-ways illustrations playfully led viewers through the space.
