Queer Diary CIC

Our Story

2020

• The first Queer Diary reading nights happened online.

• Queer Diary happened monthly throughout 2020 as part of the QAFSpace Queer zoom events programme.

• The idea was born from a desire to connect with queer community during lockdown, and memories of the Dear Diary reading nights, where Beth had fun sharing teenage diary extracts on stage in 2018-19.

2021

• The first in-person Queer Diary night happened at Omnibus Theatre in Clapham.

• The first work-in-progress performance of Hasbian was produced at Camden People's Theatre.

2022

• We began hosting monthly open-mic style Queer Diary nights in London at The Common Press

• Our first zine-making workshop at Stanley Arts. 

• Hasbian had a short run at Pleasance, as part of the VAULT 2022 transfer season. 

2023-24 

• We became a company! 

• We began hosting 'pop-up' Queer Diary events across the UK, in collaboration with local venues and community organisations, including: Gala Theatre (Durham, with Durham Pride), Tom Thumb Theatre (Margate), Bank Vault (Aberystwyth, with Aberration), DINA (Sheffield), Social Refuge (Manchester), The Actors (Brighton), and at Edinburgh Fringe (at The Pleasance and Blundagardens Yurt). 

• We began running monthly zine-making sessions in London, at the LGBTQ+ Centre in Southwark and Artfix Cafe in Greenwich. We also held zine-making workshops in Oxford (at The Old Fire Station), Fenland (with Prickwillow ArtSpace and Oasis Wisbech), and Darlington (with The Queerish Bookshop). 

• We published a collaborative zine made with workshop participants and Queer Diary readers.

• A full production of Hasbian ran for a week at Omnibus Theatre. 

• We held the biggest ever Queer Diary reading night (with an audience of 160+ and a School Disco after-party) at Rich Mix in London. 

The Team