Honouring Scotland’s LGBTQ+ History Through ‘Queer & Now’
The show, including Bart Grabski’s moving ‘Oral Portraits,’ reflects on the role of queer spaces in Aberdeen during the 1980s.
Aberdeen is about to host a landmark exhibition that delves into Scotland’s queer history, giving voice to the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals from the 1970s and 80s. ‘Queer & Now,’ organised by Shaper/Caper dance company and funded by the National Lottery, is a bold exploration of resilience, community, and self-expression. One of the ten featured artists is Gray’s School of Art alumnus, Bart Grabski, whose work captures the spirit of Aberdeen’s queer nightlife during a turbulent era.
Bart’s piece, ‘Oral Portraits,’ takes visitors on a poignant journey through the city’s queer club scene during the AIDS crisis. Through evocative photographic portraits and intimate audio recordings, Bart weaves together the stories of individuals who found safety, joy, and solidarity in Aberdeen’s underground spaces. “The dance floor wasn’t just a place to escape—it was a place to become,” Bart reflects, highlighting the profound role these spaces played in queer identity formation.
In a world that tried to erase our community, those nights were the loudest forms of existence. This project isn’t just about remembering; it’s about honouring the resilience, the joy, and the unapologetic celebration of life that thrived in those spaces.
Bart Grabski
Jill and Colin | Photos supplied by RGU
Reflecting on Community and Identity
In his interviews, Bart features voices from Aberdeen’s LGBTQ+ community, such as Jill and Colin, whose personal insights provide a deep sense of connection to the city’s past. Jill speaks of her self-discovery in the safe haven of Club 2000, while Colin recounts his work with the Gay Switchboard and health promotion during the AIDS crisis.
Their stories are not just testimonies of survival but celebrations of community and defiance in the face of adversity. Through these oral histories, Bart reminds us that queer spaces were not only venues for escape but vital lifelines.
‘Queer & Now’ and ‘Small Town Boys’ Bring the Past to Life
Running alongside the ‘Queer & Now’ exhibition is the ‘Small Town Boys’ show, a performance combining dance and spoken word to explore the queer experience in the 1980s. Both events offer Aberdeen’s community a rare opportunity to engage with the LGBTQ+ history of the city and Scotland at large.
The exhibition opens on 18 October at the Anatomy Rooms Arkade Studios, with an Artist Talk at 4pm. This celebration of identity and history invites visitors to reflect on the stories that shaped Aberdeen’s vibrant queer community.
