In the 1990s, a vibrant and creative underground nightclub and dance party scene emerged in Brisbane for LGBTQIA+ people and their allies – safe places to wear fabulous fashions that celebrated the community’s diversity and reflected a fearless self-expression of identity.

Coinciding with the 35th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality, this original exhibition by Queensland Museum brings together fashion, pop culture and LGBTQIA+ lived experience. Featuring extraordinary pieces from the museum’s costume and fashion collections, Make a Scene will reveal untold stories of Queensland’s LGBTQIA+ communities and illuminate key moments from this period of Brisbane’s history.

Exploring a diverse range of dress codes expressing LGBTQIA+ identity of the early 1990s, the exhibition will also highlight the works of two distinctly different, yet indelibly intertwined Brisbane-based labels that represent a new queer youth culture crystallising in Queensland at the time – Mark Wilson’s Hairy Dog, and Kenn Bushby and Chrissy Feld’s glamourpussy.

Journey back to the 90s dancefloor through fashion, objects and lived experiences generously shared by community, artists, designers and cultural institutions from Brisbane and beyond. The scene is set.

Accessibility: This exhibition features light projections, music/soundscapes, very low light in places and seating areas.

Queensland Museum extends respect and gratitude to organisations and individuals across the LGBTQIA+ communities for sharing their stories and objects with us.