Wandsworth Council has announced that it is supporting a special range of events across the borough to celebrate LGBTQ+ history month this February, writes Rich Brann...
As the Borough of Culture from 2025-26, Wandsworth is hosting exhibitions, workshops, and a vogue ball throughout the month, as well as commemorating its most prominent queer residents and activists.
Battersea Arts Centre will host the Queer Wandsworth exhibition from until the 21st, spotlighting the important queer figures who have lived, worked, and been imprisoned in Wandsworth throughout the years, with the exhibition including a contemporary artwork from local artist Luca Bosani.
Most famously, novelist Oscar Wilde was imprisoned in Wandsworth as a direct result of his sexuality, with a plaque commemorating his experiences standing at Clapham Junction station.
Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Culture, Kemi Akinola, said: ‘It’s so important that we recognise the contribution of queer history and culture on modern day arts and entertainment…the arts are an inclusive place and we want to highlight that.’
The highlight of the program of events will be the Juicy Couture Vogue Ball at the historic Clapham Grand this Sunday February 22nd, a massive night of costumes, dancing and pageantry, all supported by a run of workshops for curious residents leading up to the big event.
The first workshop on vogue will be tomorrow (Friday February 20th) and the second workshop on the 21st will be an open ballroom training session preparing residents for the grand occasion the day after – both events are to be held at bbodance, a dance school in Battersea.
Later in the month, Wandsworth Council will unveil a plaque to campaigners Hanna and Patrick Barrington, two extremely notable figures of the post-war era who lived, worked, and promoted the LBGTQ+ community in Clapham and beyond.
Hanna Barrington, born in Vienna, fled Nazi persecution as a Communist activist and later set up Corkscrew, a wine bar in Clapham, which she ran with her husband Patrick, a Guyanese artist.
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The plaque will be set up at their home in Dorothy Road on February 27th, where the two took in lodgers through the LGBT telephone helpline Gay Switchboard, being ardent supporters of gay rights in the postwar era.
In the meantime, residents can get involved through Free2B’s community bunting project, where young people can submit their designs to be used on bunting at Wandsworth’s cultural events this month, with several already submitted.
