The success of the campaign to Save Womanby Street has prompted future projects for communities in and around Cardiff.
Womanby Street is mostly known for its lively music and night scene, and this year the campaign to Save Womanby Street (SWS) was created in order to stop new flats from being built near Clwb Ifor Bach.
Members of the SWS campaign celebrate after their victory. Photo Credit: Ewan Moor.
Successfully winning this fight, the campaigners are now working towards future projects, specifically in relation to the LGBTQ+ community.
Speaking to Ewan Moor, an SWS campaign manager, it is clear that this campaign is a pivotal in the street’s future and for locals, “As those protections come to fruition from the local authority and Welsh government, we must look to support our community as well,” he says.
Ewan also says that the street is more than just the heart of music in South Wales, but the nexus that brings so many different communities together.
From the success of the campaign, The Here and Now project arose which is a joint project between Stonewall Cymru and SWS.
It has been created to promote venues that are inclusive to all of the LGBTQ+ community.
The project is to also support LGBTQ+ performers in order to celebrate the diversity of the street and city.
Ewan says that the people involved shout clearly that they will not tolerate any hatred and that their community is inclusive without any exceptions.
Rose Chai, who is a member of the LGBTQ+ community in Cardiff, has said: “I have on occasion felt left out at gay bars but throughout Womanby street I have always been accepted for being myself.” Rose goes on to say that SWS means she can continue to spend time with friends, whom she relies on for endless support: “I am excited to see how the street continues to thrive with even more LGBTQ+ events.”
There is no doubt that the future for Womanby Street is bright and LGBTQ+ community in Cardiff will continue to thrive and prosper.
Head to the SWS Facebook page here.