Queercircle
Bold values. A funding gap. A story that needed to be heard.
Queercircle is an LGBTQIA+ led charity working at the intersection of arts, health and social action, with a free community space in Greenwich, London.
They had powerful programmes, a loyal community and important research to share. But they had just made the brave decision to walk away from a funder on ethical grounds, leaving a gap in their budget at a time of shrinking public funding.
Without a clear strategy, the risk was that their flagship research would land quietly, their community would stay audiences rather than supporters, and their values would be seen as a risk rather than their greatest strength.
We embedded within the Queercircle team for several months to write and deliver their marketing and communications strategy.
This included positioning and messaging, tone of voice, a social media strategy, a newsletter programme, an individual giving campaign and a partnerships approach. We also led the marketing and promotion of their exhibition with acclaimed South African visual activist and photographer Zanele Muholi, and the launch of their flagship report on artistic freedom and censorship in the arts.
The results:
National press coverage for the report on launch day, including The Art Newspaper
A public response from Arts Council England, putting Queercircle at the heart of a national conversation
International pickup that kept the report in circulation for months
A community giving campaign that turned Queercircle's ethical stance into a clear reason to give
A confident, consistent voice across social and email, with every channel working towards the same goals
A high-profile exhibition with Zanele Muholi that introduced new audiences to Queercircle
From a funding gap to a community-powered future, with a seat at the table in one of the arts sector's biggest debates.
