2 Year Report

TRANS CREATIVE 2 YEAR REPORT JANUARY 2017 - DECEMBER 2018

2017 - 2018

OUR MISSION STATEMENT

Hello everybody and welcome to Trans Creative!

We’re a pioneering trans arts company, founded and directed by our very own trans creative, Kate O’Donnell. We make fabulous trans art, because there isn’t enough of it! We’re based up North and we’re here to change the world – one trans story at a time.

We make award-winning theatre and curate Manchester’s annual trans arts festival, Trans Vegas, where trans people get to tell their own stories and be visible on their own terms.

Because we believe if you can’t see yourself, you can’t be yourself.

When not on the stage, we use our creativity to reach communities and organisations across the country, sharing our trans experience to help them grow and become better trans allies. We want everyone to be as excited about being trans as we are!

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A MESSAGE FROM OUR ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Trans Creative, led by theatre maker Kate O’Donnell, will receive £134,528 in funding over three years from Arts Council England’s Elevate fund, which supports diverse organisations.

The Manchester-based organisation will produce work and educational programmes for, with and about transgender people...”

The Stage, February 2017

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2017 - 2018

Trans Creative was launched into the world in 2017. Since then, transgender politics have rarely been out of the news – often meaning one step forward, and two steps back for the trans community. We are seen, but not heard, we make headlines, but don’t get to write the copy. Trans Creative have been countering media negativity through our mission to “Tell our own stories” which seems more important now than ever.

To be trans and have a voice is both rare and vital. Over the last two years we have created important platforms to have these voices heard, from nationwide tours

of mind-expanding theatre, to young trans people and artists taking over institutions, to headlinegrabbing activism, to my own development as a trans Artistic Director in the UK. This is just the beginning for us and we are encouraged by our sell-out events and audience response.

I believe having more trans presence in the arts creates social change, I have seen its impact grow over the last few years and feel proud to be part of this change.

We would like to thank everyone who has supported us, you really can’t do this on your own, so here’s to Arts Council England, our audiences, artists, collaborators, friends, funders, allies and my beautiful trans community. We couldn’t do it without you. This report is just some of the work from the first two years of Trans Creative...enjoy!

Kate O’Donnell Artistic Director, Trans Creative

TRANS CREATIVE 2017-2018 THE NUMBERS

AUDIENCE FIGURES AND VENUE OUTREACH

11 15 17 69

Venues ‘trans’ed up’ in Manchester Transgender panel events hosted Towns and cities visited

INCOME AND FUNDING REVENUE

Audience figures for ‘Trans Vegas 2018’

195 1840

67% were trans or non-binary 11% were BAME

Audience figures for ‘You’ve Changed’ tour:

Arts Council England ‘You’ve Changed’ Tour income

Education and Training Local Authority Advocacy and Workshops Commercial Bookings Manchester Pride and Superbia Grants Trusts & Foundations Merchandise Sales

Transgender artists worked with

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TELLING OUR OWN STORIES IN

2017 FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

Trans Creative hits the headlines with news of our successful Elevate funding.

• ‘Mum’ premieres at BFI Flare in London. The film casts 3 transgender actors in a touching unsentimental tale of ageing and family friction.

• ‘If being transgender was a job, no-one would apply…’ Kate writes for Huffington Post on arts for social change for the trans community.

• Kate leaves her fulltime job and takes up post as Artistic Director for Trans Creative and takes the stage as Feste in the Royal Exchange production of Twelfth Night – to excellent reviews. ‘The most striking stroke lies in the casting of Kate O’Donnell as Feste…’

‘O’Donnell restores the melancholy … with a bewitching, torch-song rendition of The Wind and the Rain that brings a new meaning to the line, “When I was but a little tiny boy”…’

 Northern Soul  The Stage  The Guardian  The Telegraph

• Kate appears on cover of Respect, the Co-Op LGBT Magazine.

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TELLING OUR OWN STORIES IN

2017 HAYLEY & ME Coronation Street’s Hayley Cropper appeared in our living rooms three times a week. Though wellloved, she was somewhat overlooked, despite her revolutionary transgender storyline. Bringing Hayley back into the limelight, the show takes a nostalgic look at the impact of this classic Corrie character, her place in trans history and the relationship between her storylines and Kate’s own journey. Featuring a hilarious poignant illustrated journey through Hayley’s Wikipedia page, audience interaction, lots of Spice Girls and a very iconic anorak. ‘Hayley & Me’ explores themes of visibility, expectations, progress, escapism and a lack of visible role models for transgender people.

The show premiered in 2016 and has played to audiences raound the UK. The climax came when Hayley herself, actor Julie Hesmondhalgh, joined Kate onstage at Contact, complete with that legendary red anorak.

JUNE • Kate takes part in What Is The City But The People?, the opening ceremony for Manchester International Festival, broadcast live by the BBC.

• Kate brings Trans Pride to the annual Blackpool Pride celebrations, performing a version of her popular ‘Hayley & Me’ show.

JULY • Trans Creative presents ‘Spark’, a four-day transgender arts festival for Manchester.

Highlights include ‘There Is No Word For It’ which presents ‘Trans Mangina Monologues’ at the Portico Library, bringing trans masculine performers from around the UK to read personal narrative work from hotpencil press. Trans people then lead a tour of Manchester Art Gallery to re-think the work from trans perspectives for a large audience. This is the first trans arts festival in the city and will be reborn for 2018 as Trans Vegas.

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TELLING OUR OWN STORIES IN

2017 YOU’VE CHANGED Completing Kate’s trilogy of autobiographical stage pieces (‘Big Girls Blouse’, ‘Hayley & Me’) this acclaimed show was commissioned in partnership with Contact Theatre in Manchester and went on to play 20 dates at Summerhall for Edinburgh Fringe in partnership with Northern Stage, plus touring for 10 dates in the UK and Europe. Reviews were incredible, audience engagement was extremely high and many trans people found a space at the performances and panels which followed where they could speak freely and come out in a loving space. The show uses a backdrop of musical glamour to wryly suggest that coming out as trans in the noughties might as well have been the 1930s. In the show Kate transitions from ‘Fred’ to ‘Ginger’ using dance, song and witty prose rooted in real life. The project saw Kate collaborate with world-renowned choreographer Lea Anderson MBE and Olivier Award-winning director Mark Whitelaw.

The play is long-listed for the Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award.

“Bold and seriously funny…”

– The Stage

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2017 - 2018

AUGUST • ‘You’ve Changed’ takes the Edinburgh Fringe by storm with a 3 week run at Summerhall.

The show makes the cover of The Festival Advertiser magazine where Kate chats about the significance of trans work at this year’s festival.

• Kate is special guest on the popular ‘Guilty Feminist’ podcast.

OCTOBER Kate joins a collection of internationally renowned trans women, contributing a piece to the book ‘Letters to my Trans Sisters’ edited by Charlie Craggs.

TELLING OUR OWN STORIES IN

2017

NOVEMBER ‘You’ve Changed’ arrives at The Lowry, and Kate takes on a mission to make this landmark venue a trans friendly space.

DECEMBER Kate directs CN Lester’s ‘Transpose’ at The Barbican starring an entirely trans cast – Travis Alabanza, Nicholas Bonadies, Alexandra Bork and Jamie Hale – and featuring ‘spine-tingling performances that communicate much about gender, sexuality and desire…’

TRANSPOSE Kate’s directorial debut, ‘Transpose’ at the Barbican is an annual transgender performance event that began in 2016, produced in collaboration with musician and writer CN Lester. The events have showcased around a dozen trans and non-binary artists – including Travis Alabanza, Jamie Hale, and Rebekah Ubuntu – with themes such as ‘Future’ and work including opera and video. Via ‘Transpose’, Kate has developed skills as Artistic Director, creative collaborator and Stage Director. The project hopes to tour beyond London for 2019.

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TELLING OUR OWN STORIES IN

2018

2018 is the ‘Year of the Woman’ and Trans Creative mark the occasion by participating in a series of events that include the perspectives of trans women

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

• ‘How to Have a One Woman Show’ at Royal Northern College of Music. Kate hosts a conversation with Manchester’s most celebrated lesbian, bi and queer women solo performers – Jackie Hagan, Louise Wallwein, Debs Gatenby and Cheryl Martin – and shares her insights into Trans Creative, writing, inspiration, performance and making space for queer women performers.

The event is curated by Superbia, the cultural programme from Manchester Pride. The audience is filled with young women who are making their own work and ask fantastic questions!

• At the release of Sebastián Lelio’s Academy Award-winning film ‘A Fantastic Woman’, Kate is recognised as a key voice in UK trans cinema and is invited to participate in conversation and performance events in both Manchester and Brighton.

• ‘MUM’ screens at the London Short Film Festival and Kate takes part in a post-screening Q&A with 150 audience members.

• Kate attends the first Women’s Institute meeting in Sale as a special guest, talking about trans women’s issues, beginning a fruitful ongoing friendship.

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• Kate is guest speaker at the Young Women’s Health Project at The Proud Trust. The project foregrounds good mental and physical health for young lesbian, bisexual, trans and queer women in Manchester.

• Kate represents Trans Creative at the inaugural meeting of the Queer Arts North Network to establish a network of creatives, venues and curators who are making or supporting queer work across the North of England.

TELLING OUR OWN STORIES IN

2018

MARCH • For her second WI meeting, Kate heads to Urmston and recruits a room of 100+ new trans allies!

• Kate joins DJ Paulette for an International Women’s Day special on Reform Radio, discussing class and feminism.

• Kate attends the NHS Trans Policy Launch in Birmingham, speaking to almost 100 NHS employees. She performs a preview of ‘You’ve Changed’ to excellent reception. She is joined on stage by her friend Romario, a trans man of colour who takes the opportunity to come out publicly to his colleagues in a warm accepting atmosphere. The event leads to work with other NHS Trusts around the country.

• Kate presents ‘MUM’ at Short Waves, the international short film festival in Poznan, Poland. She also joins the international panel looking at new queer film.

• At the Trans Arts Network, Kate meets with 10 fellow transgender artists to give them support and feedback at this PANDA-funded project.

• Creative agency They/Them and the Trans Creative Board meet for a two-day workshop exploring Trans Creative’s mission, values, branding and strategy, leaving everyone inspired and excited!

• The first ever Trans Pride in Leeds hosts a performance of ‘Hayley & Me’ for 100 people, and a screening of ‘MUM’ for 70 people.

• For International Trans Day of Visibility, Gendered Intelligence & Amnesty International host a round table event discussing Gender Recognition Reform, with Kate as panellist.

As an LGBT+ network in an NHS trust we wanted to make a big impact when launching our first trans inclusion policy. Kate O’Donnell was perfect…her production attracted large numbers of attendees, and her performance was both sensitive to those who are trans and thought provoking for those who are not…It made the impact we were hoping for.”

Alexander Rawlins Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust 2017 - 2018 11

TELLING OUR OWN STORIES IN

2018 MARCH

APRIL

• Kate contributes to ‘Queer Sex’ by Juno Roche, an exploration of sex and sexuality with trans and queer people. Kate also lends her experiences to the ‘Queer Beyond London’ research project and to the Manchester District Music Archive, looking back at her drag performance years in Manchester’s queer nightlife.

• Kate is a guest of the WOW (Women of the World) Festival in London, speaking to a room of 70 people.

You were amazing and it was brilliant to have your energy and for this story to be part of WOW.” Nadia Polean, WOW Programmer

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2017 - 2018

• Guest talk to The Samaritans in Worthing for 40 organisation volunteers, focusing on the needs of the trans community.

• Kate hosts the launch of Juno Roche’s ‘Queer Sex’ book, a frank and ground-breaking foray into sexuality, with events at Waterstones London and Brighton University.

Kate was fantastic at giving us a glimpse into the transgender community and I found it very thought provoking. The activity of putting us in a ‘binary’ line really interesting too …

Brilliant! I learned so much …

Kate opened my eyes …

Made us look at ourselves …

WOW! Big up to Kate!”

– Quotes from Samaritans volunteers

TELLING OUR OWN STORIES IN

2018

MAY • At the Pilotlight TV and Film Festival at HOME, Kate presents an award to actor, friend and ‘Hayley & Me’ collaborator, Julie Hesmondhalgh.

• Kate writes her own part for the BBC Radio 4 Play ‘Just A Girl’ which tells the story of a teenage romance between a cis boy and a trans girl, provoking both healthy conversation and criticism.

JUNE • With writer/ performer Travis Alabanza and activists from Sisters Uncut for ‘Popular Feminisms’ at University College London, an ideas salon reimagining inclusive contemporary feminism.

• The ‘You’ve Changed’ UK Tour heads to Trinity Centre Bristol and Sheffield Crucible Studio.

In Sheffield, a £1 ticket scheme increases accessibility for young local trans people.

• With The Proud Trust at their regional projects in Salford, Wigan and Rochdale, meeting young trans and non-binary people to recruit them to take part in a creative project for next month’s Trans Vegas arts festival.

JULY • Kate teams with trans activist Munroe Bergdorf for an in-depth discussion of the forthcoming Gender Recognition Act Reform Consultation.

• London Night Czar, Amy Lamé, wears a T-shirt from Kate’s Stand By Your Trans campaign as she marches in the London Pride parade with Mayor Sadiq Khan.

• ‘You’ve Changed’ heads to Norwich Pride for an enthusiastic 70-strong audience.

• On the Gaydio Breakfast slot to plug Trans Vegas.

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4 events, 4 venues, 4 days – Trans Vegas is in town!

Building on the success of Spark 2017, this entirely trans arts festival engaged new audiences, created new commissions and held much-needed conversations.

The Young Trans Tour of Manchester Art Gallery gave young people chance to share stories through interpretations of art. Many had never been into a gallery before but won over a large audience with their smart honesty.

At Queer Sex, author Juno Roche joined Kate, Kuchenga and CN Lester for a frank discussion on sex positivity for trans people, including guest speakers from Manchester’s trans community and musical interludes from CN – a sell-out show!

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2017 - 2018

Charlie Craggs launched her book To My Trans Sisters in the classy surrounds of Waterstones Deansgate. A pop-up nail salon at department store House of Fraser was the ideal warm up, featuring Charlie’s Nail Transphobia project.

Centring trans masculine voices, Boys Don’t Cry, Boys Create! was an original festival commission with hotpencil press who curated a multi-layered performance at Royal Northern College of Music which used the 10th anniversary of the Academy award-winning film Boys Don’t Cry to chart progress and creative voices from butch and trans masculine perspectives, with 7 artists taking part.

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TELLING OUR OWN STORIES IN

2018 AUGUST

• ‘Hayley and Me’ goes to Happy Valley Pride in Hebden Bridge where Kate performs for 150 people. Following a spate of transphobic incidents in the area, Kate is joined on stage by a team of lesbians wearing ‘Stand By Your Trans’ T-shirts, to rapturous applause.

• Penguin Pride is a touring literature show from Penguin publishers that brings together national and local LGBT writers for stage recitals of their work. Kate is invited to deliver an extract from ‘You’ve Changed’ before an audience of 175 people alongside Andrew McMillan, Toby Campion, Paul Flynn, Kirsty Logan & Ella Otomewo.

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2017 - 2018

• The Manchester LGBT+ community kicks back against an upsurge in transphobia in the media, online, and in the Gay Village in Manchester.

Kate’s ‘Stand By Your Trans’ campaign comes together with the ‘L With The T’ movement to show solidarity between lesbians and trans people. Kate leads a group of lesbian, bi and trans women on the Manchester Pride Parade to huge audience cheers and support, before tens of thousands of spectators. Kate and allies receive the ‘Spirit of the Parade Award’ on stage at the Manchester Pride Big Weekend Festival.

• Kate is Artistic Director and Host for the annual HIV & AIDS Vigil at Manchester Pride. She curates and comperes a packed outdoor event which includes a diverse range of faces, voices and stories from the community, talking about identity, illness, discrimination, prejudice and hope. The event culminates with a celebratory air, with live performances from the House of Ghetto, displaying the vibrant culture of ballroom and vogue, a culture decimated by AIDS but which lives on. 4,500 people are in attendance at the event.

TELLING OUR OWN STORIES IN

2018

SEPTEMBER • At Trans MCR for the LGBT Foundation, Kate meets with a group of trans men who are seeking asylum. Plans are discussed to develop a project to help give the men a louder voice in the community.

• A special performance of ‘You’ve Changed: Unplugged!’ takes place at City Hall London for 50 attendees. Emma Fenton, Greater London Authority’s LGBT+ Network Chair, says: “You’ve Changed provided an incredible opportunity to learn about some of the challenges that the trans community faces in their everyday lives, as well as specific experiences during the process of medical transition.”

• ‘You’ve Changed’ heads to the wilds of Chipping Norton, boldly going where trans work never usually travels!

OCTOBER • The Radical Manchester project at Manchester Metropolitan University includes a workshop discussing transgender issues, delivered by Kate for 30 students.

• The West Yorkshire Queer Stories programme in Leeds includes a performance of ‘Hayley and Me’ with a screening of the film ‘Mum’ for an audience of 52 people ranging in age from teens to mid-80s.

• Kate hosts and performs at a choir recital event at the Leeds College of Music, including choirs the Deep C Divas and The Sunday Boys.

Pushing back against the loudness of TERFs in the media, Kate and the choirs sing ‘Stand By Your Trans’, Kate’s reimagined anthem for trans allies!

• Kate is placed in the ‘50 Great Northerners’ list from Northern Soul, alongside Melvyn Bragg, Maxine Peake, Peter Kay and Sally Wainwright.

She is also nominated for the Gay Times Honours list in the ‘Art and Culture’ category.

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TELLING OUR OWN STORIES IN

2018 NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

• ‘You’ve Changed’ heads to Holland for the #LoveForAll Festival where Conchita Wurst also performs, then onto Edge Hill, Preston and a special private show for NHS London.

Meanwhile, ‘Hayley and Me’ has a one-off showing in Basingstoke.

• At the Barbican with CN Lester, Kate co-runs Weekend Lab, offering tools and strategies for nurturing talent, opening up artistic spaces, and changing the mainstream narrative for trans people in the arts.

• It’s back to Barbican as Director of ‘Transpose: The Future’, now in its second year, and moving the conversation around trans and non-binary people forward with a diverse array of trans and n-b talent with Kate at the artistic helm. The project will continue into 2019.

• Kate joins NHS England LGBT+ Staff Network in London to launch their Trans Ally Training.

Kate…took our members on a journey which we would have been unable to do ourselves. The strength of her performance and the imaginative way she captured her audience brought everyone along with her. Her honesty and interactive sections helped everyone to learn something new, to realise their own insecurities around the subject and provided a safe platform for exploration and understanding.”

– LGBT+ staff network, NHS England

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2017 - 2018

PARTNERS AND VENUES

• BFI Flare

• Blackpool Pride

• LGBT Foundation

• Southbank Centre

• Manchester Art Gallery

• HOME

• Manchester International Festival

• The Lowry

• SICK @ Festival

• Sparkle

• Royal Northern College of Music

• Homotopia

• Manchester Royal Exchange

• London Short Film Festival

• hotpencil press

• The Proud Trust

• Shout Festival • Curious? Festival • Lancaster Arts • Waterside Arts Centre

• People’s History Museum

• Short Waves Film Festival

• Portico Library

• Pulse Festival

• Trans Pride Leeds

• Trans Arts Network

• MDMA

• Sheffield Crucible

• They/Them

• Samaritans

• Women of the World Festival

• Waterstones

• Reform Radio

• Sisters Uncut

• BBC Radio 4

• Brighton University • Gaydio • Norwich Pride • Happy Valley Pride • Penguin Pride

Metropolitan University • West Yorkshire Queer Stories • Northern Soul • Gay Times • Northern Stage • Love For All Festival

• Manchester

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