Proud Memories is the wing dedicated to galleries that collect or display shared experience, personal stories and artistic representations.

How often do LGBT people see their own experiences and others represented publicly side by side? Collective memory is what this part of the museum is all about. Here we will cut across geography and explore themes nationwide.

To trigger memories, we have developed a new type of interface. We call it a trigger table. It’s a space where you can see pictures, watch video clips, read documents and listen to audio. And with each item, if a memory is triggered you can click a link and tell us about it!

Right now, we are showing a demo version with a range of material that will change every few weeks.

Online now are images of Pride, pictures from the 1988 Stop the Clause rally in Manchester, video about the early days of London Lesbian and Gay Switchboard, and some rare video clips featuring Mrs Shufflewick, Dockyard Doris and the Disappointer Sisters (a very young Regina Fong).

We are also pleased to build on our long-running association with Birmingham Pride Community Trust's Gay Birmingham Remembered project by featuring women's interviews from their collection. First off, Lesley Pattenson, GBR Project Director, talks to Caroline Hutton. You can hear the whole interview in full.(The audio clips each pick up a few seconds before the previous one left off.)

Look out for our first focussed initiative My First Pride, which will gather memories and material from across the British Isles. Our plan is to create a major touring exhibition charting the social history of 'LGBT Pride’ in Britain for the summer of 2009 and to have a presence at many Pride Festivals this year. We want to work in partnership with as many Pride Festivals, local community groups and businesses, and local museums/archives as possible. Let us know if you want to get involved.

To help provide material to trigger memories about Pride, we have launched Taking Pride to gather images of Pride and events like Lesbian Strength or Mardi Gras, whatever their name, where LGBT people were en masse and in voice.

We need both volunteers and financial support to make all this happen. Check out the BE PROUD wing for more on how to help.

Please send me more information about TAKING PRIDE