Where are the lesbians? Searching for lesbian lives in museums
Our Museum Educator, Lisa Hinkins, is also PhD Researcher at the University of Brighton. Lisa studies Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Techne Collaborative PhD research in collaboration with Brighton & Hove Museums (B&HM) and the University of Brighton. It began in October 2024. It examines B&HM collections to understand whether they include historic and contemporary lesbian lives and identities. Including what these material objects are, and how they are catalogued in the digital cataloguing system, MIMSY. Lisa focused the research on the following collection areas: Fine and Decorative Arts, Fashion and Dress, World Art, and Local History.
Part of the research journey involved developing local community-building workshops for Brighton & Hove Museums. This aimed to inform future directions in museum practice. One that would stimulate a spectrum of lesbian women’s voices and viewpoints, inspiring diverse and inclusive debate and research.
I put out a call for volunteer participants through social media. Though exciting, it also left me a little anxious, with my inner voice asking, ‘What if no one is interested?’
Fortunately, my worries were unfounded. I was extremely lucky to have ten amazing participants who have worked with me since February 2026. Guided by my research, we were able to create incredible responses. This has included the following:
- In the absence of material objects, the participants and I created a design for an automaton. This is a self-operating mechanical device historically developed by men to depict women. The automaton we have had made disrupts men’s images of women. It is in response to the ceramic of the 18th-century actress Kitty Clive, as well as the uncovering of historic lesbians.
- With my participants, I curated a small exhibition, Where are all the Lesbians? to illustrate historic and contemporary lesbian lives. This can be seen at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, on the North Balcony, from Saturday 3 October 2026 to Sunday 28 February 2027. My work, and the workshop participants’ work, is reflected through displays. These show a selection of objects from across B&HM collections, text panels, and workshop material, including the Kitty Clive ceramic.
Behind the scenes, B&HM Collections and Curatorial colleagues have given me excellent support. We have discussed the research and how to tease out information from the MIMSY system. Our Creative Programming team has provided invaluable support in developing and installing this small exhibition.
My research and exhibition will provide a framework that other institutions could use to map similar community outreach. And then research to better understand lesbian lives represented in their collections.
