Threads of History: AIDS Memorial Quilt, Club Kali & Queer Heritage

This LGBTQ+ History Month, we invite you to an inspiring conversation celebrating the newly co-curated displays that honour and preserve queer heritage.

This special event brings together voices from across the community, including Harry Hillery, from AIDS Memorial Quilt UK; Rita Hirani, co-founder of Club Kali; Dan Vo, Queer Britain’s Trustee; and Beau Brannick, Assistant Curator at Queer Britain. They will share their perspectives on the significance of preserving queer history and offer a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process that shaped these new exhibits.

It’s a unique opportunity to deepen your understanding of queer history and explore how community-driven museum practices ensure these stories continue to thrive. Join us for a conversation that celebrates resilience, creativity, and the power of collective memory.

London Events Queer Britain LGBTQ+ History Month Community Exhibition

The Lineup

Rita Hirani

Rita is a Social Entrepreneur and Psychologist with 40+ years professional experience in the charity sector: specifically social justice; domestic abuse; mental health; and wellbeing. She is a Co-Founder of Club Kali Network, and established other pioneering services including: the National LGBTQ Domestic Violence Helpline; the first Resettlement & Outreach Programme for Refuge; Camden Safety Net - working with the police, perpetrators and survivors of domestic abuse; and was part of the launch of Childline at the BBC on ‘That’s Life!’ with Esther Rantzen.

Harry Hillery

Harry Hillery (he/him) is a 66-year-old queer man living on the south coast near Brighton with his husband and two dogs. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Harry volunteered at the Sussex AIDS Centre and Helpline, where he supported the community through fundraising, taking calls, and serving as a care and support “buddy.”

In 1991, Harry lost his close friend Andrea Philippe Regard to an AIDS-related illness. Shortly after, he created a memorial panel for Andrea, which became part of the UK AIDS Memorial Quilt (Block 7).

Committed to preserving queer history, Harry founded The Brighton AIDS Memorial on Instagram in 2021 and collaborated with Queer Heritage South to build an archive dedicated to sharing stories from the epidemic and honouring those lost to AIDS-related illnesses.

Beau Brannick

Beau is the Exhibitions and Displays Manager (Assistant Curator) at Queer Britain. They hold an MA in Queer History from Goldsmiths University of London where their dissertation 'Queer Bodies, Textiles of Grief', looked at the impact of the AIDS Memorial Quilt as the world's largest LGBTQ+ community project. Over the past five years Beau has worked across curation and collection management at various organisations including the Museum of Transology, the Museum of Cambridge and Norfolk Museum Service. Alongside their heritage career, Beau is the co-creator of the Norfolk Trans Joy Community Quilt and one of the founders of Norwich Trans Pride.

Dan Vo

Dan is a media producer and museum professional specialising in queer history and inclusive museum practice. He has developed LGBTQIA+ tours and programming for several museums in the UK, most notably the V&A Museum, National Gallery, National Galleries Scotland, National Museum Wales and the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. He is also researcher for the subject specialist network Queer Heritage and Collections Network, a partnership formed of English Heritage, Historic England, Historic Royal Palaces, National Trust and the Research Centre for Museums and Galleries. He was presenter of BBC Arts programmes Museum From Home and Museum Passion.