Who we are

Queerfest CIC Norwich

A person wearing a beanie and glasses, posing with arms crossed against a light background, with abstract black lines in the background.
Rachel Collier-Wilson (they/them)

Founder and Co-Director

Rachel is a fine artist/printmaker. They established Queerfest Norwich in 2023 to coincide with LGBT+ History Month. Their curating work grew from a keenness to support other Queer creatives in their practice and provide a professional platform to showcase and sell Queer-made work.

Close-up portrait of a woman with short blonde hair and glasses, sitting in a train with a blurred landscape visible outside the window.
Leanne Collier-Wilson (she/they)

Co-director, Treasurer and Safeguarding

Leanne has been supporting Rachel’s artistic life for 30+ years and was part of the Queerfest team in 2023. She has social work and therapy training and is passionate about the well-being of young Queer people.

A person with short, curly hair and glasses smiles, wearing a black shirt with pins that promote inclusivity. They have colorful face paint in the colors of the pride flag on their cheeks and headphones around their neck.
Kate Hicks
(they/them)

Co-Director and Safeguarding and Youth Lead

Kate is an experienced Youth Worker and freelance trainer. They are passionate about youth participation, supporting queer young people to find and use their voices to create the change they want to see in the world.

A young person with curly hair and glasses, wearing a black shirt and a silver chain necklace, looking towards the camera with a neutral expression.
Arlo Lawton (they/he)

Co-Director Art Market curation/Photography

Arlo is a freelance artist from the North West, now based in Norfolk, England. A graduate of Middlesex University with a Bachelor of Arts in Photography.

The basis of their photographic work often lies within LGBTQ+ awareness, environmental activism & events. 

Their digital artwork predominantly revolves around nostalgia, transmasculine identities and life experiences.

A man with a beard and long hair, dressed in a patterned suit and vest, sits on a chair in front of a window. He has a serious expression and is surrounded by dark curtains and a skull on the floor.
©Chris Roberts
Richard Sawdon Smith (he/him)

Artist and Advisor

Richard Sawdon Smith is Professor of Fine Art and Director of Fine Art and Photography at Norwich University of the Arts. Recognised as an internationally established Queer artist for his work with AIDS cultures, his photographic practice has been published, exhibited and screened extensively around the world. He a Patron of Norwich Film Festival, Trustee of Norwich Pride, Trustee of the Council for Higher Education in Art & Design, on the Editorial Advisory Panel of the Journal of Photography & Culture and Reviewer for Compendium Journals. He is a member of the Visual AIDS Archive Project in NYC for whom he has curated and been selected for a number of their ‘virtual’ exhibitions. A former founding Board Member of bookRoom Press, previously on the Editorial Advisory Board of Mustard TV, and a winner of the National Portrait Gallery Photographic Portrait Award. He is Co-author of Langford’s Basic Photography and The Book is Alive!