Through adversity, a new constellation emerges.

 

Ad Astra is a powerful, community-driven exhibition by contemporary artist Annabel McCourt that explores themes of resilience, identity, and collective healing.

The project takes its name from the Royal Air Force (RAF) official motto, Per Ardua Ad Astra - Latin for "through adversity to the stars". The exhibition directly confronts the harrowing legacy of the historic military ban on LGBTQ+ personnel. Up until the year 2000, serving personnel suspected of being LGBTQ+ faced intrusive interrogations, deep-seated stigma, and abrupt dismissal.

 

Ad Astra acts as both a response to and an expansion of McCourt's foundational companion artwork, Per Ardua (also on display in this gallery).

 

From a constant loop of adversity...

 

In the companion piece Per Ardua, McCourt replicates the iconic circular RAF aircraft identification marks, or "roundels". Rendered off-kilter and illuminated in the vibrant colours of the Pride flag, the text Ad Astra ("to the stars") is physically crossed out. By striking out the stars, the artwork illustrates the cruel reality of the "gay ban" era: a reality that trapped LGBTQ+ personnel in a constant, inescapable loop of adversity where their potential and dreams were forcefully denied.

 

Operating within Lincolnshire - historically romanticised as "Bomber County", presents a complex layered reality for those who identify as 'other'. In a region deeply intertwined with military pride, the narrative of the Armed Forces is frequently hijacked by far-right rhetoric. These groups inappropriately weaponise a jingoistic, exclusionary version of patriotism to claim ownership over military heritage, often singling out LGBTQ+ community members with targeted hostility. McCourt's work actively contests this co-opted history. By inserting queer visibility directly into the visual language of military identity, the exhibition dismantles the far right’s claim over the Armed Forces and exposes the hypocrisy of a nationalism that selectively erases the very people who served.

 

...to a living constellation:

 

Where Per Ardua exposes a system of exclusion and historical erasure, Ad Astra builds a bridge toward reconciliation and visibility. Through photography and deep conversations, McCourt has gathered the stories of veterans and local community members who have faced injustice.

 

The stars displayed across the screens in this space emulate the estimated number of LGBTQ+ personnel who served covertly during the time of the ban. Because individuals were forced to hide their true identities under the constant threat of investigation, imprisonment, or dishonourable discharge; the exact number of queer service members will never be truly known.

 

Displayed in glowing lightboxes, this portrait series and shared voices reclaim the sky. No longer excluded from the narrative, the participants' diverse experiences form a new, evolving constellation of resilience.

 

Together, these two works challenge us to reflect on past institutional harms. At the heart of McCourt’s practice is a complex, deeply personal tension regarding militarism itself. The artist confronts a deep-seated aversion with the very necessity of the Armed Forces, maintaining a profound philosophical striving for peace while acknowledging the sobering reality of a volatile and dangerous world. This exhibition does not serve as an uncritical glorification of conflict, but rather as an interrogation of institutions. It separates the human beings who step forward to serve from the state mechanisms that have historically oppressed them; asking how we might honour individual sacrifice, whilst still longing for a demilitarised world where such forces are no longer required.