Laurie Belgrave (he/him) is a performer, curator and cultural producer, specialising in queer arts and nightlife programming. He is the founder of The Chateau, an LGBTIQA+ bar, cultural space and performance collective for SE London. Formed in mid-2018 in an ex religious themed cocktail bar in Camberwell, The Chateau sought to challenge the pervading narrative of decline in LGBTQ+ venues, bringing positivity into the scene through radical queer programming in a unique and inclusive space. In two years he programmed late night DJ led clubnights, to avant-garde performance art, spoken word, contemporary queer dance, workshops and life drawing classes. 250+ events, with 20,000+ attendance, alongside collaborative projects with partners including Southbank Centre, Liz Johnson Artur, The Cocoa Butter Club, Raze Collective, BBZ, Corsica Studios and East Creative/Sink The Pink.

The Chateau has been featured multiple times in Time-Out Magazine (“South East London’s revolutionary new LGBT venue”), HuffPost, GQ (“A sanctuary for London’s queer community”) and Vice, and Laurie has been invited to curate for The Standard Hotel, Wilderness, Mighty Hoopla and Glastonbury Festivals, where he converted a shipping container into an immersive venue in the heart of the infamous Shangri-La area, hosting an exhibition, daily workshops, film screenings and parties throughout the Glastonbury weekend. Laurie is also a member of the Mayor of London’s Civic Futures Fellowship 2021/22, working with the GLA and Mayor’s office on London’s recovery from Covid-19, specifically using culture and community arts as a catalyst to rejuvenate London’s high streets.