LGBTQ+ festival OUTing the Past returns to celebrate Irish queer history

The National Gallery of Ireland, National Museum of Ireland and Kilmainham Gaol have incredible events in store this March.

Gay marchers in Dublin City centre in the 1980's

From 22-28 March, OUTing the Past Dublin 2021: The International Festival of LGBT+ History will see three of the capital’s most popular cultural institutions host a series of inspiring, exciting and thought-provoking events.

Through a programme of online events, the National Gallery of Ireland, National Museum of Ireland and Kilmainham Gaol will take a tour through our country’s LGBTQ+ past and present.

Organisers described what to expect:

The festival launches on Monday 22 March 2021 with the release of a video discussing the history of the LGBT rights movement in Ireland filmed at the historic Kilmainham Gaol.
From Tuesday 23 March to Sunday 28 March, the National Gallery of Ireland and the National Museum of Ireland will host virtual talks, workshops and webinars as part of the Festival. The Gallery will host a Drag and Draw Workshop inspired by the Gallery’s collection. A pop-up video on the Gallery’s Instagram and talks on topics such as the life of William of Orange and asexual representation in art will also take place.
The National Museum of Ireland – Decorative Arts and History will host a selection virtual events including It’s What You Wear, by Trans activist Sara R Phillips, exploring the role that clothing has played for the trans-community over the past 200 years. Taryn de Vere will explore fashion activism in an interactive virtual workshop.

Kate Drinane of the National Gallery shared, “We are so proud that OUTing the Past will be hosted by the National Gallery of Ireland again this year. Three years ago, we launched LGBTQIA+ themed tours of the Gallery to make our national collection more accessible. We work hard every day to make the Gallery an inclusive and relevant space for all. Bringing this important festival to our spaces again in 2021 is another step in the journey.”

Judith Finlay of the National Museum of Ireland shared how the museum was “engaging with the LGBTI+ communities through acquisition, research, events and oral histories, for example the Rainbow Revolution exhibition and events highlighting previously hidden LGBTI+ histories.” 

Admission to all OUTing the Past festival events are free, although booking is required for some. See nationalgallery.ie and museum.ie for details.

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