MAKING A SCENE Exhibition - Queer Up, Duck!

MAKING A SCENE

An exhibition of portraits

Tuesday 14 - Sunday 19 October

Broadway Gallery

Celebrating the inspiring individuals and collectives who are shaping Nottingham’s LGBTQ+ music scene, MAKING A SCENE is a series of portraits captured by Nottingham based photographer Katie Bishop, as part of a collaboration between Hockley Hustle and Queer Up Duck!.

Those featured in this exhibition were nominated through a public vote for their dedication to championing an LGBTQ+ inclusive music scene in Nottingham. Whether its having a LGBTQ+ friendly venue, providing LGBTQ+ specific club nights or being a visible LGBTQ+ individual in music for young peole, these individuals are MAKING A SCENE.

You can view the exhibition in Broadway Gallery, 12-6pm daily for FREE.

Broadway Gallery, 17 Heathcoat St, Nottingham NG1 3AL

Who is Exhibited?

Meet those featured

I am a singer and performer with a love of musical theatre. I grew up in Nottingham and have found my community here. Performance has always been my happy place but due to illness and disability I was unable to pursue the drama school route as I had hoped after college. Recovery is a process that I have had to work extremely hard at and there have many bumps in the road, and there continue to be. I never believed I could get to a point where I could perform again but I have been nurtured by my Niche Artefact family who have believed in me and supported me through my challenges to get to the place I’m at now.

Serena Eadon

I have been curating and DJ’ing at queer & alternative events in Nottingham for almost 10 years, mostly for Gladrags club-night. The Gladrags events provide safe spaces for LGBTQ+ people to express themselves, be who they are, get their Gladrags on whatever that means to them, see drag/burlesque/dance performers and dance to music of all kinds. Gladrags does different events with different themes. Thousands and thousands of people have attended these events over the years. I have been working behind the scenes on them and also DJ’ing at some of the most iconic queer events Nottingham has ever had. I’m really proud of what I’ve done for the local scene over the years.

Nick Peters (DJ Boz)

ROB.GREEN is an alt-soul/pop artist from Nottingham who draws from the Soul, Gospel and Rock music he was raised on to inspire the music he makes.

His captivating live performances across the UK and Europe, often armed only with his loop pedal, acoustic guitar, and signature soulful vocal, have seen him open for legendary acts like Alexander O’Neal, Eric Bibb and Earth, Wind and Fire.

Rob channels his experiences growing up as mixed-race and gay in his hometown to write songs, unite and connect with audiences. Named an Ivor Novellos In The Making artist in 2023, his latest singles have garnered attention from BBC Introducing’s Dean Jackson, Tom Robinson (BBC 6Music), and Huw Stephens (BBC Radio 1).

Rob Green

Lolly

My name is Keir, but you may know me as the DJ, Keeks, or be familiar with my club night, Pink
Noise. Since becoming a DJ, I have been so impressed by the creativity and variety of events in
Notts. But having come up through the amazing local drag scene, I was disappointed at the lack
of queer-focused dance music events. So, when a friend let me know that a bar wanted to put
on a queer night and I jumped at the possibility of being on a lineup. I turned up for the meeting,
USB in hand, not knowing what to expect. As the discussions progressed, it dawned on me that
I was the one who was supposed to be organising. Thus, Pink Noise was born out of a
misunderstanding! After a few hiccups, I finally got everything together, and I was so blessed
that our opening night went incredibly! Thanks to everyone who has attended any of our events:
from opening night all the way up to our first birthday celebration. It's the people who really
make the party and it fills my little queer heart with joy to see everyone looking so free!

Keeks

Born and bred in the East Midlands, contemporary folk artist Emily Ashberry is singer-
songwriter-come-balladeer with an innate feeling for crafting meaningful stories through her

music. Taking inspiration from traditional English and American music, her work has been
described as “a superb example of what modern folk song writing can achieve.”

Emily Ashberry

From Cornwall, moved to Notts for uni in 2014, stayed as I fell in love with this city’s music scene. I started recording and producing music with artists (Grain Mother, Catmilk, Float, and many more) then left my full time job in 2023 to pursue a career in music and opened The Grove alongside Dan Cunningham in August 2024. Since then this last year has been a real whirlwind and also the most fun I’ve had as The Grove has become a part of the local music
community.

Cam Worne

I’m a sixth generation publican who has had the Billy for 11 years. I had work writing comedy and reporting on video games for a decade or so in London, but booze is literally in my blood, so I ended up coming back to the family business. The Billy has been a well-respected pub in real ale circles for nearly 20 years, thanks to my dad. My contribution has been working with brilliant local talent to bring in pub-wide art exhibitions, poetry nights, queer craft sessions and weekend-long free music festivals supporting local charities. I’m not a creator so much these days. I’m just a guy who has a space and wants that space to be, and do, good.

Jon Blyth

Chan is an Artist, DJ and Arts Programmer based in Nottingham. Their practice attempts to imagine and sometimes map, future worlds or alternate realities; they want to envision beings, worlds existing beyond oppressive taxonomy and ideology. They are particularly interested in dreaming up fictions of transsexual transhumanism and more-than-human hybridity, blending imagined technologies with queer biological life. Chan
tends to work through sound, writing and digital image-making alongside participation and workshop facilitation.

Chan Hyacinth Fagan

Shekayla Maragh (Rewyld)

I am the Head of Performing Arts at a Nottinghamshire secondary school, where I oversee both
the curriculum and extra-curricular activities of the music and drama departments. The extra-
curricular opportunities we provide are extensive, and include staging an annual musical theatre
production and an annual Shakespeare play. We have a school band, brass ensemble, choir,
flute choir and single reeds ensemble (and pretty much anything else the students want to do).
As the music specialist, I work hard to ensure all students have access to appropriate musical
opportunities, including students from all socio-economic backgrounds, neurodivergent
students, unsighted students, and students with other complex Special Educational Needs. I
take pride in creating bespoke arrangements of pieces for ensembles to perform, which
challenge every player within the group, whether they are grade 1 or grade 8.
I am a proud lesbian: I display a progress flag in my classroom, wear pin badges on my lanyard,
and attempt to empower all colleagues to be the best allies they can be. Students all know I’m
married to another teacher in the school, and this usualising of a same sex marriage helps to
create an environment where young queer students feel safe, seen and heard.
In my other role as Youth Wind Band Conductor for the incredible charity, Music for Everyone, I
run a weekly term time ensemble for young wind, brass and percussion students from grade 2-5
(typically aged between 8 and 14) called Nottingham Youth Band. I also lead the East Midland
Youth Band, which caters for students up to the age of 21 who are of grade 5 and above. Twice
a year I lead the senior wind band (Grade 5+) at the Big Youth Music Experience weekends,
which involves intensive band rehearsals followed by a performance at the Nottingham Albert
Hall. I conduct the final item in these concerts, which is always a massed ensemble piece
involving over 100 young musicians playing at once! I have also conducted the wind band at the
hugely popular Blow The Dust workshops.

In this role I do not hide my sexuality, and I’m aware this openness has helped some young
people negotiate conversations with parents and supported parents in how to help their queer
children.

Claire Franklin

I’m Autumn, a transfeminine DJ and promoter in Nottingham’s music scene. Currently I co-organise a trans powered club night and DJ collective called Trancesexuals with my dear friend Chan. We focus on bringing trans+ people and the wider community a safe place to party, with a focus on immersive lighting and high-quality sound. I also occasionally promote punk gigs and organise film screenings.

Autumn

I’m a self-taught music producer, music artist and a rapper from Nottingham. I’m heavily inspired
by noize, electro, digital hardcore, industrial and techno but my work could probably be deemed
post-genre. It’s important for me to be progressive in my approach to making music but at the
end of the day I want my art to be fun, cathartic and subversive. I think my music is a mix of real
life grit and cyberpunk fantasy. I love to DJ with my best friends at Gladrags too. It’s so much
fun and we do it because we love music, art and self-expression.

Baby Tap

DJ various places around Nottingham, Derby & Leicester, i love all genres of music and enjoy
putting on queer events around Nottingham! Ive been an artist liason for a few brands which gives
me the opportunity to meet some amazing people. Im also a member of The Spencer Trust Charity,
they help create spaces and activities for LGBTQIA+ people to socialise and feel a real part of the
community!