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Photo By commissioned artist for ‘Queer Mapping’ project Eddie Stenstrom

At Downtown Pompey, the excitement is truly building as we approach the end of our two-year ‘Queer Mapping of Portsmouth’ project. This project has been a journey—sometimes challenging, but always inspiring. We’re proud to have worked closely with Pompey Darkroom and artist Eddie Stenstrom on the upcoming exhibition, ‘Tracing Safe/r Spaces.’

The exhibition, as an extension of the project, asks a deeply personal questions of our Queer and intersectional community: what does it mean to have a safe space? And how can we tangibly trace these spaces for our communities?

As we wrap up this project, for now, I can’t help but feel a sense of pride and accomplishment—not just in what we’ve done, but in the connections we’ve made along the way, that despite the anxieties and stresses we’ve been able to deliver quality co-creation with purpose.

On the vibe of “new life” this is very real at Downtown Pompey right now. We’ve welcomed fresh faces (a joy in new relationships being formed) into the fold and are continuing to grow, particularly as we dive deeper into the heritage sector with our ‘Storming the Teacup: Diversifying Pompey’s Heritage’ project. Heritage is such an essential part of our identity, and we’re so passionate about working with the community to unearth and celebrate the untold stories that have shaped Portsmouth.

And as if that weren’t enough, we’re preparing for Portsmouth to host UKPRIDE 2025, and Downtown Pompey is thrilled to be at the heart of it all (of course!) We’ve really taking this chance to create something truly unforgettable—combining our passion for heritage, arts, and community into a celebration that will highlight the spirit of Portsmouth.

So with all this coming it would be silly for me not to tell you about our exciting new roles currently open (which you can see here) We’re not just building an organisation; we’re creating a space where everyone can contribute, feel valued, and be part of something bigger, its daunting, exciting, brilliant and scary, this myriad of emotions might actually be because i got a new kitten this month and she’s knackering all of us at home out and its just an excuse to post cat spam….



In all seriousness though do join us—because what we’re building together is nothing short of extraordinary and i cannot wait to show it off to you!

Josh x