Programma's van twee cabaretvoorstellingen verzorgd door leden van het COC afdeling Den Haag 1969 - 1970

I see paper ephemera arranged on the pages of a scrapbook—programs from cabaret performances by members of COC, the Dutch LGBT rights organization. Imagine the dialogues and debates from which this unfolded! The COC members putting together a cabaret is so inspiring and makes me think of the ways in which we gather and play, as well as protest, today. What did it feel like to hold these programs? What kind of space did it create? I imagine the meetings, rehearsals, planning—all the unseen labor that went into creating these events. I imagine the community of like-minded people who contributed to the creative process. Looking at these archival documents makes me think of the long history of queer activism and creative expression, a conversation across time and place.