Exhibition featuring photographs and stories from a growing collection of HU3 drag performance in the 70s, 80s and 90s.

Scene But Not Heard

6 June - 6 September 2026

HUFree: Gallery

Western Library, 254 Boulevard, HU3 3ED

Scene But Not Heard – drag and queer performance hidden in plain sight?

Did you know that HU3 pubs and clubs in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, had a drag and queer performance scene that held a top spot in the north of England, alongside Manchester?

Having noticed that several photographers, operating at the time, had images that documented this scene in their private collections, the Encyclopedia of Us team wanted to know more.

This exhibition is part of our investigation and kickstarts the creation of a new, publicly accessible archive that will be hosted at the Hull History Centre, and the Bishopsgate Institute in London. It brings together some uncovered photographs, alongside historical finds and stories which seem to raise more questions than they answer.

Was this scene LGBTQ+ resistance? Claiming safe space, creating belonging and social/political progress when it was hard to find? Was it all lipstick, lashes and roses?

Was it simply good old working-class entertainment? Getting drunk and living it large…a joyful antidote for audiences with hard working lives and a bit of brass in their pockets?

Was it a community truly embracing and making space for everyone, at its very best? Or was it campaigning for LGBTQ+ rights, hidden in plain sight?

Depends on who you ask.

Whether you were queer in Hull or an HU3 local, or both, what these performers and venues seemed to offer was the opportunity to find your people and belong…and escape…all at the same time. The serious business of finding refuge…in fun.

Scene But Not Heard has a new evolving website designed to showcase the project and the archive as it grows. Check it out at www.sceneheard.co.uk

Thanks and acknowledgements

Thank you to all the performers, photographers, audiences and community members, including our LGBTQ+ advisory group, who have contributed to this project so far. Your generosity, wisdom, experience and knowledge is greatly appreciated.

Thanks to our funders for recognising the importance of this work.

Scene But Not Heard is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to discover and showcase this important archive.

Scene But not Heard is funded by Historic England as part of Historic England’s Everyday Heritage grant programme. The programme celebrates working class histories and seeks to explore untold stories and celebrate the people and places at the heart of our history. This funding has supported over 100 projects across England, which seek to tell the stories of our nation’s working-class heritage projects are all community-led and people-focused and aim to further the nation’s collective understanding of the past; the grant programme was launched in 2022.

Investment from the Humber Museums Partnership helped kickstart this project. The ongoing support to Three Ways East and the Encyclopedia of Us project, from the Brignall Family Trust, underpins it all.

HuFree Gallery

The HuFree: Gallery, located on the top floor of Western Library, opened in May 2025. It showcases and celebrates photography, film-making and print inspired artwork that arises from working class life in HU3 and Hull. Here we will take a closer look, together, at the people and lives, past and present, that are often hidden or paid scant attention. We will explore too, the national and international links that reflect our beautifully diverse HU3 community, and shape who we are.

For more information about HuFree Gallery visit www.eofus.co.uk and @eofushu3 on Facebook or Instagram.

Opening times:

Monday 1.00 – 6.00

Tuesday 9.30 -1.30

Thursday 1.00 – 6.00

Saturday 10.00 -1.00

No need to book - just turn up!

Description supplied by the event organiser.