Museums Galleries Scotland
Sector Stories
Diversity on display: creating an LGBTQ+ community banner

Diversity on display: creating an LGBTQ+ community banner

The team at Kirkcaldy Galleries wanted to address the underrepresentation of LGBTQ+ people in their exhibitions and displays. So they collaborated with a local LGBTQ+ youth group to create a powerful display of community pride.

For our series on LGBTQ+ inclusive interpretation, Curators Jane and Janice reflect on the principles that guided the project and the positive impact it had on participants.

A light-skinned hand sews a transgender symbol onto rainbow fabric.

An adult with light skin, straight shoulder-length light brown hair, and glasses.

Jane Freel

Curator (Engagement), OnFife | She/Her

An adult with light skin and wavy brown shoulder-length hair.

Janice Crane

Curator (Engagement), OnFife | She/Her

In 2025 we shone the spotlight on Kirkcaldy Galleries, celebrating our 100^th birthday with a programme of exhibitions and projects. Working with local community groups and stakeholders to re-interpret our collections we told stories from the perspective of those who have previously been under-represented in the museum.

With funding from Museums Galleries Scotland we built on existing relationships with LGBTQ+ communities in Kirkcaldy such as Fife Pride and partnered with Fife’s LGBT+ centre, The Hive, on an engagement project with their Youth Group. We use ‘Of/By/For All’ principles in our community engagement, based on the belief that the most powerful way to become relevant FOR communities is to become representative OF them and co-created BY them. Our aim was for the young people to lead the project, rather than imposing a brief upon them.

Following a visit to Kirkcaldy Galleries in November 2024 the young people decided to make a banner to carry at Fife Pride. They were inspired by mining banners in the ‘Before & After Coal’ exhibition and the 1984-1985 Miners’ strike banner in our museum. It taps into a long history of banner making in Fife: banners were carried in parades, on gala days, and at demonstrations.

Four people stand in a gallery holding a colourful patchwork banner. There is a young person with light skin, long brown hair, and a demin jacket covered in badges; an adult with light skin and shoulder-length blonde hair; an adult with light skin, shoulder-length light brown hair and glasses; and a young person with light skin, short wavy dark brown hair, and a black jacket covered in studs.

The completed banner, held by (l-r) Demetri Baldwin; Lindsey Williamson, Director at The Hive; Jane Freel; and Asher Scott. Credit: OnFife

The young people selected Claire Christie, a Fife-based textile artist, as a collaborator for this project. Over several months, they worked both individually and as a team to construct the banner. The completed banner was carried by the Youth Group at Fife Pride on July 5th, and was displayed in our ‘A Century of Kirkcaldy Galleries’ exhibition from 28th June 2025- 15th February 2026. As well as a short object label explaining the project, we produced a booklet featuring the young people’s own words and reflections about their artworks.

Feedback from the young people has been encouraging, with improved confidence, reduced anxiety in social situations, and lasting friendships being developed. They are justifiably proud to have created something beautiful which contains so many messages about their own lived experiences. As a result of the project, the young people are now more comfortable visiting our venue and even bring their friends along with them.

Some top tips if you plan to undertake a similar project:

Be adaptable – initially we hoped the young people would create a museum display, but when it became apparent they weren’t keen on that, we changed our focus.
Manage expectations – yours and theirs. Co-production takes time, so give yourself as much time as you can. Your project is unlikely to be their top priority, so be prepared if their commitment dips when other life events or projects take over. Also, if you can’t do everything the group wants, be up front about it.
Be prepared to meet on their terms – the Youth Group said they wanted to meet at the Hive during their usual evening sessions as they felt most comfortable there.
If you are unsure about doing a similar project, we recommend inclusivity training for all staff in your museum, including front of house. The Hive gave us LGBTQ+ training covering LGBTQ+ history, information on pronouns, and Allyship. A key takeaway for us is that being an active ally means action. Mistakes happen, but we own them and grow from them. Staff found the training very beneficial and are now less scared of causing offence if they accidentally use incorrect terminology.

A colourful patchwork banner featuring images and slogans relating to LGBTQ+ and disabled rights.

Detail of the completed banner. Credit: OnFife

Visit: The Hive website

Visit: A Century of Kirkcaldy Galleries exhibition

Visit: the OF/BY/FOR ALL website. The group ceased to operate in December 2024 but their website is still live. The website explains their approach and offers a variety of free toolkits.

Read: The Art of Relevance by Nina Simon, CEO of OF/BY/FOR ALL. This is a guide on how mission-driven organisations can enhance their impact and their relevance to communities.