Eulogy for the Dyke Bar recreates the 1970s ‘CAMP Women’s Night’ to honour Sydney’s histories of activism and resistance in an evening of storytelling led by Robyn Kennedy.
Campaign Against Moral Persecution (CAMP) was a lesbian and gay political organisation founded in 1970. Each Wednesday night, lesbians met at 33A Glebe Point Road to socialise and self-organise.
Hear from Robyn in conversation with historian Sophie Robinson as they recount lived experiences from a time of protest and change, including stories from the recently published book CAMP: Australia’s pioneer homosexual rights activists (2022). The evening recreates elements of the CAMP Women’s Nights, complete with ham and cheese toasties and instant coffee. It offers an opportunity to share our histories, and acknowledge the resistance and care that has enabled us to enjoy spaces like the Dyke Bar today.
—
Presented by UNSW Galleries, the National Art School and Sydney WorldPride, Eulogy for the Dyke Bar is a sculptural environment and memorial to bygone dyke bars. The installation incorporates a café and operating bar, and functions as an active community space for performances, cruising, socialising, and contemplating the future of queer spaces.
This project aims to reclaim the term ‘dyke’ in its most expansive sense and recognises that gender and identities are complex and fluid. Anyone who identifies with, or feels an allyship with, the dyke part of the queer spectrum is welcome and valued at the dyke bar.
Bar open: 5 – 10pm Tuesday – Friday
Installation open: 9am – 5pm Monday – Saturday
Explore the full program here
