A new podcast and photography series will celebrate and spotlight some of the UK’s leading contemporary LGBTQ+ spaces. Queer Spaces: Behind the Scene will be made up of eight episodes, each featuring one in-depth interview that will be complemented by original photography and portraiture by Tim Boddy, a London-based photographer.
Alim Kheraj, a freelance writer and author of Queer London, will host the series, which he said was the result “of a desire to document the importance these spaces have for LGBTQ+ people.” “Something that both Tim and I have noticed through our work documenting the LGBTQ+ scene through our writing and photography is that rather than get despondent about the queer spaces that have closed, individuals and community groups have been galvanised into creating a brighter, more vibrant and inclusive LGBTQ+ scene,” he continued.
Research conducted by urban historian Ben Campkin via UCL revealed that London had seen a 58% reduction in queer spaces from 2006 to 2016.
The podcast’s first season will feature some of the voices involved with the likes of Tonic Housing, Open Barbers and Queer House Party, among others.