Equity backs call for Bethnal Green Working Men's Club archive

Equity is encouraging members to share their experiences of working at or attending Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club (BGWMC) as part of the ongoing campaign to save the iconic London venue.   

The campaign, led by Friends of Bethnal Green Working Men's Club, is calling on performers, punters, promoters and partygoers to share their memories and memorabilia from BGWMC.  

Friends of BGWMC are collecting evidence from the past ten years of cabaret, comedy, live music, literature, drag, and burlesque shows at BGWMC. The community group are seeking testimonials and memories of the venue as well as memorabilia including ticket stubs, flyers and promotional materials, events listings, social media posts, press articles, photos of shows or any other interesting artefacts.  

The material collected will provide evidence for Friends of BGWMC to secure further protections on the building, and conserve BGWMC as a performance venue for the future. Collected material will also be submitted to the Queer Archive at Bishopsgate Institute.  

The plan to archive this material will safeguard the cultural importance of BGWMC and help preserve London’s Queer history whilst the fight to reopen the venue goes on.  

Commenting Nick Keegan, Equity Variety Organiser, said: “With queer spaces closing across the capital, 13,000 of you came together to say no more, and signed the petition to stop Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club from closing.  

“We put the brakes on the threatened sale, but the club remains closed, and we’re not out of the danger zone yet. 

“We’re now calling on the community to share their memories from the past 20 years of the history of BGWMC. We are asking for flyers, tickets, posters, artwork, or statements from your experiences at the club. Together we will prove that people power can save this club.” 

Background  

In May 2024 the campaign group Friends of Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club was launched. The cooperative association is supported by local residents who are committed to keeping the club open.  

Equity learnt that BGWMC was threatened with closure in July 2024. The union launched an online petition urging the BGWMC committee to halt plans to close the iconic London venue which is home to drag and cabaret events. The petition received over 12,800 signatures.  

On 29 July Equity held a rally to Save Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club. The rally drew together over 100 drag artists, cabaret artists, magicians and other performers in the fight to save the venue. 

In August BGWMC was designated an Asset of Community Value by Tower Hamlets Council. This protection grants the local community a “Right to Bid” if the building goes up for sale, taking the campaign to Save BGWMC closer to achieving its goal of keeping the iconic East London club open as a performance venue.