Aids The Unheard Tapes

London, 1982. 13 years after the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality, the largest gay club in Europe opens its doors, and Heaven is packed. Whispers begin to circulate of a mysterious new disease, a ‘gay cancer' from New York, and Terry Higgins becomes one of the first people in Britain to die from what will become known as an Aids-related disease.

Revolutionary activists and doctors come together to discover what they can about this new virus, as numbers of those infected start to rise. Fear and stigma spread across the nation, contributing to a culture of extreme homophobia and ignorance. Gay activists take charge of trying to spread educational messages about safe sex for the first time.

The stories of men including David, Pete, John and Tony, recorded at the time, bring these experiences to life. Their real voices are lip synced by actors, giving first-hand insight into their lives at the time. They try to understand what they are hearing about Aids and cope with discovering their diagnoses at a time of heightened stigma and fear, when there is no cure.

As 1985 arrives, and with it the first HTLV-3 antibody test, the numbers of those infected with HIV gradually become clear, and the the true scale of the epidemic begins to emerge.

London, 1986. Four years after Aids first appeared in Britain and the death of Terry Higgins, more gay men than ever are believed to be infected with HIV, and the numbers receiving Aids diagnoses is rising.

Amidst increased calls from the gay community for a national public health strategy, government action is still yet to be fully realised. Those arriving at hospitals with Aids receive variable care or even open hostility. A bombshell hits when predictions show an exponential rise in cases outside of the gay community, and the government creates the high-impact ‘Don't Die of Ignorance' campaign, targeting every household in the country, in the biggest public health emergency since the Second World War.

Britain's first specialist Aids ward is opened by Princess Diana, and this watershed moment shows the public that the virus cannot be contracted merely by touch. Dedicated wards across London create a haven for the vast numbers of gay men facing horrific and complex opportunistic infections.

The emotional and political rollercoaster of the late 1980s continues as Section 28 is introduced, preventing teachers from educating their pupils on homosexual issues. Mass protests break out, amidst increasing deaths from Aids.

The stories of men including Jeremy, John, Martyn and Tony, their audio recorded at the time, bring these experiences to life. Their real voices are lip-synced by actors, giving first-hand insight into their lives at the time. They try to adapt to their lives as part of the 'Aids generation' and struggle with the deaths of those they love.

There is still no cure, but finally towards the turn of the decade, public responses to people with Aids seem to be beginning to take small steps forward.

In a blaze of hope, the first drug to be believed to prolong the lives of those with HIV infections is hailed as a potential ‘miracle cure'. Trials are underway and hopes are high. But soon, severe and debilitating side effects begin to show themselves, and many of those participating in the trials become desperately sick. The results of the failed AZT trials are released in 1993 and provoke backlash against drug companies and sometimes the doctors and nurses caring for Aids patients.

Many in the gay and HIV communities begin to take further action for themselves and a wave of revolutionary activism and direct action builds momentum. Complementary therapies and quack cures are tried, as those living with HIV longer-term attempt to stave off an Aids defining diagnoses.

Infections are rising further outside of the gay community, women are significantly affected, and turn to the now-established community groups for help. Stigma and fear are still deeply ingrained in the way the public reacts to the virus.

The stories of men including John, Jeremy and Tony, recorded at the time, bring these experiences to life. Their real voices are lip-synced by actors, giving first-hand insight into their lives at the time. They trail-blaze through self-care and activism, finding agency and helping others to find their voice. Ultimately, they begin to face the inevitability of their decline and deaths.

Peak deaths are reached, and hospitals and hospices have to work together to cope with the numbers of patients who need palliative care. Behind the scenes, trials have been taking place with combinations of different drugs, though each is eventually resisted by the evolving virus that is HIV.

In 1995, a final element called a protease inhibitor is developed, and completes the drug combination that finally proves successful in managing HIV. A treatment has been discovered, against all the odds, for those who can access it. In Britain's hospitals, patients responding well to these new medications experience ‘the Lazarus effect', leaving their hospital beds to face unexpected futures.