About this Archive

Administrative/Biographical History

Duckie are lowbrow live art hawkers, homo-social honky-tonkers and clubrunners for disadvantaged, but dynamically developing, authentic British subcultures. Duckie create good nights out and culture clubs that bring communities together. From their legendary 24-year weekly residency at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern to winning Olivier awards at the Barbican, they are purveyors of progressive working class entertainment who mix live art and light entertainment. Duckie combine vintage queer clubbing, LGBTQI+ heritage & social archaeology & quirky performance art shows with a trio of socially engaged culture clubs: The Posh Club (their swanky showbiz palais for working class older folk, now regular in five locations), The Slaughterhouse Club (their wellbeing project with homeless Londoners struggling with booze, addiction and mental health issues), Duckie QTIPOC Creatives (their black and brown LGBTQI youth theatre, currently on a pause until they bag a funder).

Duckie have long-term relationships with a few major venues including Barbican Centre, Rich Mix, Southbank Centre and the Brighton Dome, but they mostly put on their funny theatre events in pubs, nightclubs, church halls and community centres. They are a National Portfolio Organisation of Arts Council England and revenue funded by the Big Lottery Fund. Duckie produce about 130 events and 130 workshops each year - mostly in London and the South East - and their annual audience is about 30,000 real life punters.

Scope and Content

Archive of Duckie, including: flyers, leaflets, badges, ephemera and other material covering all of Duckie's events, club nights and projects, including C'est Barbican, Gay Shame, Liverpool is Burning, C'est Vauxhall, Divine David events, Valentines, Birthday and Christmas celebrations, Mods vs Rockers, Euroshame, Posh Club, Gross Indecency, Youth Club and many other club nights and projects, 1997-2018; press cuttings, articles and media coverage of Duckie events and projects, including Divine David events, C'est Vauxhall, C'est Barbican, Euroshame, Vauxhall Bacchanal, Gross Indecency, Gay Shame, Amy Lame, various club nights, Valentines, Birthday and Christmas celebrations, and many others, 1996-2014.