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Bishopsgate Institute

@bishopsgateinst.bsky.social
2.5K followers 237 following 109 posts

Proudly independent since 1895. Dive into our archives and learn with us online. www.bishopsgate.org.uk

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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
One afternoon only: we're selling duplicate books, pamphlets and magazines from our Special Collections & Archives; London history, LGBTQIA+ history, and general history. Free to attend. Sunday 27 September, 14:30–17:30. Details: www.bishopsgate.org.uk/whats-on/act…
Books are stacked horizontally in black and white at the bottom of the image. A green and yellow background highlights text that reads: "This Sunday. From 14:30 - 17:30, we will be selling our duplicate books, pamphlets, and magazines. Topics include London, LGBTQIA+, and general history. Pop in and grab a bargain.
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Bisexual Awareness Week runs 16 to 23 September, closing with Celebrate Bisexuality Day. A week to recognise bisexual identities and celebrate a community that's often overlooked in both straight and queer spaces. #BiWeek
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
We're not going to tell you everything that's hiding in our Special Collections & Archives. But we'd like to warn you in advance that it might just shift your perspective. Come in and explore anytime between 09:00 and 17:00, Monday to Friday, with late opening on Wednesdays until 20:00.
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
We're hiring a full-time Duty Manager: a hands-on, physical role. Set-up, pack-down, heavy lifting, and building safety. No archives or programming work involved. £31,194 for 35 hours a week over 7 days. Apply by 09:00, Wed 16 Sept. Full job description here👇 bit.ly/4h4Ozom
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Whips, chains, and the receipts to prove it. For one day only. UK Fetish Archive Open Day, Sun 13 September, 13:00–17:00. Free, 18+ only. Book ahead to help us plan for numbers. Contains material of an explicit nature. Tickets 👉 bit.ly/3RuPRPT
The image is a promotional poster for the "UK Fetish Archive Open Day" on Sunday, 13 September. The tagline reads, "The UK's dedicated fetish archive, open to the public for one day only." The background features various vintage-style illustrations and a prominent red fist with the text "£3" on it.
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Jacky Logan BEM has spent 30+ years specialising in ballroom and Latin, and co-founded the Pink Jukebox dance night that regularly fills our floor. She's now an official Listed Londoner. Ballroom gets a mention, and plenty else besides. Listen to the full conversation here: bbc.in/4cka15Z
bbc.co.uk
Listed Londoner - DJ Jacky Logan: ‘The Rivoli Ballroom is like a magical world’ - BBC Sounds
This Ballroom and Latin DJ’s favourite building didn’t come as a surprise to Robert.
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
"Every archive is a reflection of its archivist." Stefan Dickers, our Special Collections and Archives Manager, has spent 20 years building the queer archives here at Bishopsgate Institute. British Journal of Photography went behind the scenes👇 bit.ly/4vRXeib @1854.photography
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Bring two left feet. We'll supply the disco ball 🪩 Beginner classes, live music, and a pretty special dance floor open throughout the summer. Full line-up and tickets: bit.ly/3TYvniZ
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Museums decide what gets remembered. The Museum of Transology exists to stop trans history being erased, misrepresented, or turned into spectacle. Now cared for in our LGBTQIA+ Archives at Bishopsgate Institute 🏳️‍⚧️ Explore👇 www.bishopsgate.org.uk/collections/…
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Our Special Collections & Archives contributed to Queer as Comics, a first-of-its-kind exhibition tracing LGBTQIA+ voices in comics from the 1940s to now. Open at @qbcentre.bsky.social until 4 October. Tickets 👇 qbcentre.org.uk/exhibitions/queer-a…
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
A quick heads-up: Bishopsgate Institute building will be closed this week Weds 24 - Fri 26 due to the UK Government's Red Weather Warning. We'll be back open as usual on Monday 29th June. If you had a visit planned, we're sorry for the disruption and we look forward to welcoming you back soon.
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Some people are famous. Others become icons ⭐ Two Library talks this Pride Month on queer celebrity and memory. Tickets here👉 www.bishopsgate.org.uk/whats-on/sea…
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Somewhere in our archives, there are wizard's robes. Also: lesbian pulp fiction, protest badges, and the answer to why John Gielgud was told to see a doctor. This Thursday, Stefan Dickers leads the first of our Summer LGBTQIA+ Collections tours. Book your place: bit.ly/4fb3e0S
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
What does it mean to be Cockney and Sikh? East London and South Asian? Suresh Singh has been asking those questions across the East End for decades. That archive now lives at Bishopsgate Institute, documenting a time when many burned their pictures. Read the full article: bit.ly/4fEGjLC
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
Behind a quiet door near Liverpool Street: Suffragette papers, a Vicar's naughty scrapbooks, revolutionary minute books, and a startlingly honest 1950s diary. Join Stef for a tour of our General Collections. Tue 9 Jun, 18:30–20:00. Book here👉 bit.ly/4dqPug2
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
The way to fight phobia and stigma is through knowledge 🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️ Today, on International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia, we stand against all forms of hate directed at self-expression.
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
What will you discover on London’s friendliest dance floor? 🪩🕺 At Bishopsgate Institute, our ballroom opens its doors to everyone. Beginners, regulars, and those simply curious about social dancing. Step onto London’s friendliest dance floor 👉 bit.ly/3Ihr9xs
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
Movement can be a way of listening to the body, to the moment you’re in 🧘‍♀️ Esther Anaya-Boig has brought mindfulness to her teaching for over 10 years, creating space to build strength and a steadier sense of balance. Find a class that fits your week via our website: bit.ly/3Ihr9xs
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
These small, tactile sounds define the archive experience 📂 Even in the centre of London, our archives hold a kind of quiet you don’t come across often. A space to focus, to research, to follow a thread of thought without interruption. This is what discovery sounds like 🔍
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
LGBTQ+ archive tours return this summer. Stories of identity, protest, community, and change. Held in our collections and shared in the space they belong. Join us to explore the materials, voices, and histories that continue to shape the present. Book your place: bit.ly/41WjDhN
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
For one Saturday in April, Bishopsgate Institute will shift gear. Expect exhibitions, live presentations, vintage magazines and posters, and open conversations through ‘W.T.F’ (We’re Talking Fetish). Step inside and explore: bit.ly/4cbNBTZ
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
Today is Trans Day of Visibility. A moment to celebrate trans lives, creativity, and community 🏳️‍⚧️ In our archives you'll find the Transfabulous Archive, documenting a vibrant UK festival of trans art, performance, and activism (2006–2012). Here’s to the dolls, the artists, and the trailblazers.
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
On World Doctor’s Day, we’re reminded of the work that happens behind closed doors. These intimate images from our archives offer a rare glimpse inside hospital wards. Moments of focus, care, and responsibility. A perspective we seldom see, capturing the quiet, daily reality of medicine.
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
Queer stories have always shaped theatre. Now you can explore them in depth 🎭 Join Dr Emily Garside for a series of online courses that trace the history, politics, and performance of queer theatre. Explore the courses and book your place: bit.ly/4svLlxx
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
History after dark. There’s still time to book your spot for One Night in the Archive, featuring discussion, performance, and stories from our collections that don’t sit quietly on the shelf. Thu 19 March | 19:00 Book your spot 👉 bit.ly/4bdTG1y
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 07/03/2026
“Who had made us hate ourselves so much?” New writing on queer history is turning to archives, like Bishopsgate Institute, to answer that question uncovering lives shaped by silence and resistance. Read the full article in The Observer: bit.ly/4usmhsS
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
The 1970s didn’t quieten the noise of the decade before. It gave it direction. From punk’s raw edge to Rock Against Racism’s stages. From street protests to the rise of the Anti-Nazi League. The helter-skelter didn’t stop. It organised. Explore 1970s Britain in our Special Collections & Archives.
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
Our archive office holds the unexpected. The personal. The curious. The outright bizarre. Objects that make you pause. That make you ask, “Why?” That make you ask, “How did this end up here?” This is where stories wait to be opened. Step inside and see what you might uncover.
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
New to Bishopsgate Institute? We’d love to welcome you through our doors. Using our archives is straightforward. Register, settle into the Rear Library, and our team will guide you to the material you want to see. Curious? Plan your visit and start exploring.
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
March marks the kick-off of Let’s Dance, a nationwide call to the floor. From 6–8 March, Bishopsgate Institute hosts beginners’ classes open to all. No experience. No pressure. Just music and movement in a welcoming room. If you’ve been waiting for a sign, this is it. Link 👉 bit.ly/3OWs1dP
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
Clause 27. Clause 28. Section 28. Section 2A. Confused? The 1988 law banned councils from “promoting homosexuality”, fuelling fear in schools and libraries. Unions and LGBTQ+ activists fought back. Explore the story in our Archives. #LGBTHistoryMonth
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
A thank you to Aldgate Connect, supporters of Saturday’s Pink Jukebox Trophy. As our local Business Improvement District, they support the businesses and cultural spaces that make Aldgate thrive. We’re proud to work together to keep community and creativity moving. See you on the dance floor.
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
Did you know Paul McCartney once visited Bishopsgate Institute? The walls and dressing rooms may have changed, but the curiosity? It's still here, there, and everywhere.
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
Roses are red. Violets are blue. Our archives are kinky. Who knew?💘 Join us for Kink in the Archive III, an after-hours delve into fetish history and collective curiosity. 📍 Saturday 14 February at Bishopsgate Institute. 🎟️ Tickets available here 👇 bit.ly/49WYo35
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Emily Garside @emilygarside.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
Still at the cottage? I know I am. I had a lot of thoughts (still do) about Heated Rivarly as a Queer hockey fan. How does it sit with queer hockey fans? is it a force for activism? Join me @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social to talk queer hockey! www.bishopsgate.org.uk/whats-on/act...
bishopsgate.org.uk
260131 Heated Rivalry, Queer Sports Romance, and Activism  | Bishopsgate Institute
Using Heated Rivalry and its screen adaptation as a central case study, the session places queer hockey romance within a longer LGBTQIA+ history of sport,
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Emily Garside @emilygarside.bsky.social · 17/01/2026
Are you still at the Cottage? Join me and @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social for an exploration of Heated Rivalry, Hockey Romance and what that can tell us about queer media, and it's activist side... www.bishopsgate.org.uk/whats-on/act...
bishopsgate.org.uk
260131 Heated Rivalry, Queer Sports Romance, and Activism  | Bishopsgate Institute
Using Heated Rivalry and its screen adaptation as a central case study, the session places queer hockey romance within a longer LGBTQIA+ history of sport,
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 17/01/2026
Some slogans belong to the past. Others feel like they never left. A glimpse into the protest posters of Eddie Adams, visual echoes of resistance, solidarity and dissent. Now held in our Special Collections, they speak across decades. Sometimes as relics, sometimes as reminders.
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 01/01/2026
🎆 New Year’s Day? We’ve been interrupting it since 1895. Bishopsgate Institute turns 131 today. Same date, every year. Because why not launch a cultural institution on the most disruptive day of the year? Here’s to another year of learning, dancing, questioning, and keeping London curious.
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
Our team's growing... Bishopsgate Institute is where history lives, learning thrives and people come together. Right now, we’re hiring for three key roles: 🟡 Visitor Experience Team Lead 🟡 Deputy Operations Manager 🟡 Infrastructure & Facilities Manager Curious? Find out more: bit.ly/3KEoy1X
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
We’ve never been big on uniforms... But these T-shirt’s might just change that. Pictured: the Bishopsgate Institute team, proudly modelling our limited-edition UK Fetish Archive tees. Made to celebrate history, these shirts are nearly gone. 🖤 Link: everpress.com/profile/uk-fetish-arc…
everpress.com
Campaigns by UK FETISH ARCHIVE | Everpress
Discover unique designs by UK FETISH ARCHIVE on Everpress. Shop high-quality t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, and more from talented independent artists!
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 02/12/2025
We’re not saying dancing is time travel… but if swing, tango or ballroom in our gorgeous Great Hall doesn’t transport you, nothing will. Come solo or bring a partner; the only requirement is a willingness to move. Book via our website. www.bishopsgate.org.uk/whats-on/sea… 🪩
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 26/11/2025
In this online session for World AIDS Day, we’ll explore how artists responded to fear, loss, and injustice and how their work shaped public memory and protest. From Keith Haring to Gay Sweatshop, these are stories of expression, resistance, and care. @emilygarside.bsky.social 📆 Wed 3 December👇
bishopsgate.org.uk
251203 World AIDS Day- Art as Activism | Bishopsgate Institute
As part of World AIDS Day, a session to examine the role art played in activism and memorialization in response to AIDS. Looking across visual arts, perfor
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
To mark World AIDS Day, we’re hosting a lunchtime session on the history of AIDS activism - from ACT UP to the Terrence Higgins Trust, and voices like Larry Kramer & Lisa Power. 📅 1 Dec, 12:30 📷 Gordon Rainsford @emilygarside.bsky.social
bishopsgate.org.uk
251201 World AIDS Day- history, people, activism | Bishopsgate Institute
To commemorate World AIDS Day a look at the history of activism in response to AIDS. From early demonstrations to organising in the US and UK. With a speci
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Reposted by Bishopsgate Institute
Imogen Cook @birosmudged.bsky.social · 20/11/2025
This is how I feel when I post on Close Friends on insta
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 20/11/2025
"Dear Friends, too busy to write a letter, so I am sending a postcard to a few of my friends to let them know they are not forgotten. W R Bradlaugh unites in Christian love to all." W.R. Bradlaugh knew: connection doesn’t need to be complicated. When the group chat’s too much, go Bradlaugh style.
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
Not just a pretty building. Inside, you notice the details: soft light, worn steps, carved railings. It wasn’t built to impress, it was built to welcome. This place has held leaflets, love letters, manifestos and more. It looks historic because it is. Come in. What’s your favourite corner?
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 12/11/2025
Not your nan’s Christmas jumper. No jingle, no sparkle - just leather, latex, and full archival fantasy. 🖤 ◼️ ⚫ From the UK Fetish Archive. 3 days left to order. A gift for yourself, or someone who’ll get it. everpress.com/profile/uk-fetish-arc…
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
Spotted @davidolusoga.bsky.social somewhere unexpected lately? Now he’s back to the real story. Empire - his new @BBC series on Britain’s imperial legacy, filmed partly at Bishopsgate Institute. 📺 Empire with David Olusoga - watch on BBC iPlayer.
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 26/10/2025
An extra hour of sleep? Don’t mind if we do. 😴 🕰️ Once upon a time, the end of daylight saving meant dashing around to wind back every clock in sight. Now, our digital ones kindly do it for us, though we can’t help admiring the craftsmanship of these timepieces from our archives.
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Bishopsgate Institute @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social · 22/10/2025
Think you know museums? Think again. 👀 Between 1960 and 2020, the number of museums in the UK tripled. But many were far from what you’d expect. The Mapping Museum Project set out to uncover & document this boom, revealing a world of collectors and community. Learn more 👉 bit.ly/46WC7Rs
bit.ly
Mapping Museums Oral Histories | Bishopsgate Institute
During the late twentieth century, the number of museums in the UK more than tripled. The Mapping Museum research project was devised in response to the ab
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