The first panel will explore the visual culture of nightlife and protest in the LGBTQ+ community in a conversation hosted by Zorian Clayton, Curator of Prints at the V&A. Zorian will chat with artist Alan Richardson (Bradford Community Printshop, Bradford Gay Switchboard) and DJ and graphic designer Leon Davis (Love Conquers Clubland) to explore the role of art and design in creating community and activism in Bradford.

Alan Richardson is a Bradford based artist and printmaker, he has created work including posters, drawings and print work for Bradford Gay Switchboard, Manningham Defence Committee, General Will Theatre, Gay Liberation Front and more here in Bradford since arriving in Bradford in the 1970s. He was also a Director of the Bradford Community Printshop and himself a founding member and volunteer at Bradford Gay Switchboard.

Leon Davis is a DJ and graphic designer as well as a Producer on the Love Conquers Clubland archive project celebrating LGBTQ+ club culture in Leeds. Leon’s designs are influenced by a passion for music as a club DJ, exploring the visual languages of rave culture and queer nightlife. Leon has designed for his own endeavours as well as for LIFT Festival, Crack Magazine, Resident Advisor and Freak Queer Rave and has had work featured in It’s Nice That.

Zorian Clayton is curator of prints (1850-now) at the V&A and co-chair of the museum’s LGBTQ Working Group, organising year-round events focusing on queer history across the collections. Current projects include the touring exhibition ‘Aubrey Beardsley: A Singular Prodigy’ and ‘Polish Posters Now!’ (V&A until February 2026). Recent publications include ‘Calling the Shots: A Queer History of Photography’ (2024) and ‘The Poster: A Visual History’ (2020). Since 2016, he is also a programmer for the British Film Institute Flare Festival.

Join Tash Walker, host of the award winning podcast The Log Books in conversation with volunteers and callers from Bradford Gay Switchboard and Lesbian Line. Both established in the 1980’s these phonelines created essential support and community for callers handling enquires ranging from nightlife to coming out. Learn about these incredible services and the impact they made on the wider scene in this bespoke conversation. 

Tash Walker is a writer, podcast producer and community organiser. They are a founding director of Aunt Nell production company and a queer historian. Previously Tash was co-host and co-producer on the award winning podcast The Log Books (2018-21) and has also served as a Trustee and later Co-Chair of LGBTQ+ charity Switchboard. Tash continues to manage the archives of Switchboard at Bishopsgate Institute.

The Log Books is an award-winning podcast spotlighting the history of LGBTQ+ life in Britain as noted by volunteers at the helpline Switchboard. Each episode focuses on a theme arising from the log book entries with the hosts delving deeper into each topic through discussion with each other as well as interviews with guests including ex volunteers on the line and other LGBTQ+ community members.

Back in the Pink, Bradford 2025’s series dedicated to the rich and radical history of LGBTQ+ life in the city, continues with a weekend-long celebration of gay life – past, present and future. 

Travel back in time to explore the activism, community and culture of Bradford’s LGBTQ+ communities in the late 20th century. Connect with today’s LGBTQ+ community at workshops, discussions and a Saturday-night party. And consider how together, we can preserve our own communities’ histories for generations to come.