Past Projects
| e-volution | Forgotten Fairytales |
| Stamp Out Hate Crime Packs |
Forgotten Fairytales
Forgotten Fairytales, documenting Northamptonshire’s gay community in sound and image. Compiled by Iain Armstrong with illustrations by Jayne West
The history and culture of the gay, lesbian and bisexual community in the county has been recorded in a project marking the tenth anniversary of the Northamptonshire Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Alliance.
The project has been funded by the Northamptonshire Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Alliance, Northamptonshire County Council, Arts Council England and SRB6. Titled Forgotten Fairytales, it uses sound and image to document the county's gay, lesbian and bisexual community.
The project includes a set of CDs which have been created using interviews with ten lesbian, gay and bisexual people living in Northamptonshire, aged from 18 up to 69. The participants were asked various questions about living in the county as a gay person including how the gay scene has changed over the years, their experiences of coming out to their family and friends, current topics in the news such as gay parenting or the church and their experiences of prejudice and homophobia in the county. There are eleven CDs in all, the final one being a radiophonic composition made up of excerpts from the interviews created by the project co-ordinator Iain Armstrong.
To present the work to the public an exhibition consisting of 10 large format photographic images complemented by the radiophonic composition played over loudspeakers was presented at the Northampton Museum and Art Gallery for 2 months earlier this year. Also available at the exhibition was a computer on which visitors could listen to the complete interviews at their leisure over headphones.
The CD box sets are now available for loan at all 36 libraries in the county with copies also being held at University College Northampton Libraries, Northampton Museum and Art Gallery and the County Records Office. You can also access the CDs at NLGBA or obtain your own copy by contacting us.
Since the exhibition closed at the Museum it has been shown at the Trinity Gallery - Leicester, The Sanctuary - Northampton and University College Northampton.
Please also visit the BBC’s interactive web site to preview the exhibition where you will find audio excerpts, images and transcripts.
If you have a venue that may be interested in showing this work please contact us.
Hate Crime Pack
In 1998 NLGBA, in association with Northampton Inter Agency Group Against the Harassment of Lesbians, Gay men and Bisexual people (NIAG), launched the ‘Stamp Out Homophobia’ self reporting pack. This freely available pack was designed to inform the LGB community that homophobic attacks, abuse and harassment are crimes and as such can be dealt with accordingly by the police. The pack included a self-reporting form to encourage victims and witnesses to report these hate crimes to the police and enable them to receive any support they required.
Following on from the success of the ‘Stamp Out Homophobia’ packs, in 2004 and in light of new government definitions of hate crimes NLGBA joined forces with Northant’s Police Authority, MAGRAH (Multi Agency Group Against Racial Harassment), Ability Northants and Victim Support to launch a new ‘Stamp Out Hate Crime’ pack. This new pack identifies homophobia, racism and disablism all as hate crimes and as before includes a self-reporting form and contact details for all the relevant agencies who offer advice and support.
If you feel you have been a victim of a hate crime or think you have witnessed one please report it by filling in a form. You have control over whether any further action is taken.
‘Stamp Out Hate Crime’ Packs are available from NLGBA, various other voluntary organisations and Council information points.