Newton Abbot Museum is calling on visitors to Torbay Pride 2026 to help preserve the area’s queer community history.
Staff at the popular museum are concerned that the LGBTQ+ narratives of south Devon are underrepresented within the collection and will be attending the June 13 event in an attempt to start filling the gaps.
The team will be asking attendees to pledge donations of physical artefacts, ephemera, photographs, and oral histories connected to LGBTQ+ life in the region.
Those unable to attend are encouraged to make contact via email or phone to discuss potential contributions.
A planned new heritage store at the museum will provide state-of-the-art space to preserve and share more stories including those about the lives of the LGBTQ+ community which historically have been criminalised or hidden.
Curator Joanna Eccles believes that representation of LGBTQ+ communities can provide a wider sense of belonging and help to promote understanding through challenging stereotypes.
She said: ‘In addition to collecting artefacts, we’re interested in recording living histories from different generations of the south Devon queer community
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‘We’re looking for personal stories and memories, donations or loans of objects, photographs and materials.
‘We’re also keen to identify volunteers or researchers interested in helping us explore local LGBTQ+ history.
‘Together, we want to bring LGBTQ+ stories within our collection to the forefront and ensure queer voices are part of Newton Abbot’s history for generations to come.’
Torbay Pride is set to take place at Torre Abbey Meadows in Torquay on Saturday June 13.
It is described as the area’s premier LGBTQ+ event, attracting thousands of people and providing an opportunity for the museum to connect with communties whose stories may otherwise go unrecorded.
For details visit https://www.torbaypride.co.uk.
The museum can be emailed at info@newtonabbot-tc.gov.uk or called on 01626 201121.
