‘Drag school’ and LGBTQ+ bar could open in Essex --[Reported by Umva mag]

An empty shop unit in an Essex city that dates back to before Roman times could become the “home for the British School of Drag” and an LGBTQ+ bar. 

The former Co-op store off Long Wyre Street, Colchester, has been vacant for a number of years, making “no positive contribution to the vitality or viability of the city centre”, according to a planning application, Essex Live reported.

If plans are agreed, the space will be transformed into LGBTQ+ bar The Dragonfly Lounge, which would help “resuscitate an almost entirely vacant” city centre unit. The application adds that “this change can only be a positive outcome for a unit that has stood empty for so many years”.

‘Safe space’ for LGBTQ+ community

If the plans are approved, the central area of the ground floor will become a cabaret-style seating area and a stage.

Jo Palmer-Tweed, a co-partner of The Dragonfly Lounge, told the BBC she hoped the venue would open by March and provide a space for the “drag rich” city. Locals have been “incredible supportive” of the proposal, she added. The “inclusive” bar would double as a school for drag acts. 

The planning application adds: “The concept of the bar is something unique in the city centre, as it is more than a regular drinking establishment, of which there are many. The new enterprise will offer a safe space for the LGBT+ community and a performance venue for local drag artists as well as a home for the British School of Drag.”

Natalie Sommers, Colchester City Council’s portfolio holder for communities, heritage, and public protection, praised the plan as “a testament to the growing diversity and vibrancy of our city”.

Colchester was the first major city in Roman Britain, and was then known as Camulodunum.

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