UHaul Dyke Rescue Service, 2043
SuperFUTURES thesis project, MA Interior Design, Royal College of Art (2023)
In London in 2043, queer rights are in jeopardy. Since the 2020s, politicians in the UK and the US have played into the culture wars and rolled back LGBTQ+ rights under the guise of ‘protecting the children’. In the UK, the government introduced a new Section-28 style law that prohibits ‘LGBTQ+ propaganda to minors’, and has made it illegal for queer venues to be located within one mile of a school. In this regressive climate, queers need to stick together.
Enter the UHaul Dyke Rescue Service, a practical crew who provide emergency aid to queers in need via a telephone hotline system. On the run from the law? Got a leaky sink than needs fixing? Looking for a lesbian party tonight? As the secret flyers say: Any time, any thing, give us a U-Call ☎️
Photo credits:
Photographer: Lydia Garnett
Lighting: Maite de Orbe
Producer: Sarah Grealish
Prop design and set: Izzi Valentine
Cast: Liz, Kiki, Lori, Maria, Meg, Marlo, Molly, Marloes, Chloe, Annie
FLEET INFO
The UHaul dykes provide their services from a fleet of repurposed electric vans, designed to meet any queer emergency. The largest in the fleet is the Getaway Van, which comes dispatched with five dyke-on-bike rescue operatives in the back. There's also the Pussy Wagon, a feline rescue shelter and meditative cat cafe, and smaller vans are available for handy repairs and house calls — from camping equipment loans to dyke drama mediation.
THE MOBILE DYKE BAR
The newest addition to the fleet is the Mobile Dyke Bar: the last queer venue left in the city. To get around the punitive laws around queer space, the UHaul crew have disguised their bar inside an ordinary-looking Luton van.
Parked in a different quiet corner of the city each night, the mobile dyke bar can house up to fifteen guests within its walls. But on busier nights, it can go into super expanded mode: the side of the van flips down, the roof hatch opens up and a system of transforming modular furniture allows the bar to cater to an audience of hundreds.
