Okay Yan, can you tell us a bit about the origins of The Queer Emporium—how it came to life, and how that journey has shaped the vibrant community and events you’re known for today?

In 2020, as some of the lockdown restrictions eased, there was a surge in outdoor markets featuring small local businesses, since there had been such an emphasis to shop local whilst we were all asked to stay in our homes. Myself and my partner, Dan, attended these markets with our own businesses and met loads of other LGBTQ+ people and artists with their own businesses. I thought it would be great if you could buy from all of them under one roof. In June 2021, we opened as a pop-up, for what was only supposed to be a month, and now we’re still going and I’d say we’re probably more than just a shop now – we host a load of events, meet-ups and have a load of community aid programmes (such as our Binder Recycling Scheme).

Have there been any standout moments from your recent events that really capture what you’re all about?

I think it would be really hard to pick out a specific moment – I love the stories behind many of our smaller community events like Tales of This City and Queer Parents Morning and Speed Friendshipping. There’s also our LGBTQ+ Speed Dating events, an offshoot of Speed Friendshipping, that have been really popular and has resulted in many successful relationships. One couple got married last year in Ireland and a person from one of the Bridal parties came in to tell us and said that without the work we do they may never have met. I think hearing about the personal impacts like that blows my mind slightly!

You worked with photographer Chillee Noir to realise this project, can you tell us a bit about how you discovered their work?

Leila and Priya, who are both part of the series, recommended Chillee since he worked on the posters for their Edinburgh Fringe Festival shows this year (the posters are incredible). There was such a tight schedule for this project, and he was so easy, lovely, brilliant, supportive and responsive – if you need a photographer in Cardiff, we cannot recommend Chillee enough. We were worried we were throwing a series of challenges at him (an arcade with a glass roof, changing light levels and rounding up 20 queers to stick to a schedule is hard enough!). He made everyone feel comfortable though and was really amazing throughout.

Exploring the stories is such a powerful way to introduce the people behind the scenes.What inspired the idea behind this series, and how did it evolve from concept to reality?

We’ve been super fortunate that people have been incredibly supportive of The Queer Emporium since its inception, lending their time and talent to the space because they want to ensure a LGBTQ+ community space thrives. We haven’t always been able to offer the highest fees or financial compensation, and a lot of people helped anyway to make the shop and especially the events programme what it is today, whether that’s because they wanted more LGBTQ+ performers to visit Cardiff (which doesn’t always happen), to tackle issues facing the queer community such as social isolation, to make sure that money was supporting the only LGBTQ+ space in Cardiff where children can visit – TQE wouldn’t exist without them. Therefore, we just wanted to highlight their incredible contributions, what wonderful people they are since they did not have to do this. But, they did, and therefore, we’re here and ever so grateful to them.

This partnership with The Queer Emporium celebrated the people behind the vibrant space that has become a cornerstone of Cardiff’s LGBTQI+ community. The campaign is a tribute to the faces and voices that make the Emporium possible, those who have built and continue to nurture a safe, inclusive, and joyful hub for queer culture. Through a city-wide takeover, JACK ARTS showcased these changemakers, illuminating their impact and honouring the spirit of connection, creativity, and pride that defines The Queer Emporium.