Programme

Trans Community Conference 2011

Trans in the Media: Broadcast, journalism, screen & social media

Convened by Gendered Intelligence, in association with

Friday, 22nd July 2011 9.30am – 5.30pm Central School of Speech and Drama, Eton Avenue, London, NW3 plus: A SPECIAL EVENING FUNDRAISER EVENT 6.30-8.30pm Gendered Intelligence Film Night Programmed by members of the GI Youth Group

Trans Community Conference 2011 Trans in the Media:

The Trans Community Conference 2011 is a one-day gathering featuring a series of workshops for members of the trans community from across the UK, as well as professionals who work with the trans community. The trans community includes family members, partners and lovers and friends and allies. The conference will celebrate our diversity of identities and knowledge, as well as the different groups, organisations and projects that our community offers.

At this year's conference we will be hearing about various concerns in the arenas of broadcast, journalist, screen and social media. These will be explored in relation to cultural and social theory, equality and diversity, politics and activism, the arts and the voluntary community sector.

In addition there will be a "Doing it for ourselves" stream where participants can sign up to practical workshops where they will produce insight and skills into how they might form their own trans representations through various media.

Programme timetable 9:30 – 10.00 Registration and refreshments

10.00 – 11.30 Welcome - Jay Stewart and Catherine McNamara With keynotes – Jennie Kermode, Chair of Trans Media Watch, Finn Greig, Gendered Intelligence Youth Group Kevin Mantle, Policy Manager at LGB&T Equality Team, Government Equalities Office & Director of social enterprise On Road Media Nathalie McDermott

11.30 – 11.45 Coffee break Papers & presentations Doing it for ourselves! Practical workshops 11.45 – 1.15 Trans and the Trans in Film Photography and New Media Workshop ‟Citizen Journalist‟ Mainstream poster campaign Scriptwriting Workshop

short papers and short paper Introduction to Practical Taking on the role of Q &A session presentations photography and demonstration on „citizen journalist‟ in photoshop blogging, podcasting order to respond to Victoria Atkin talks Representing the and streaming video how trans people are Jason in Hollyoaks Other of the Other: content represented in the GenderQueer and the media 4 thoughts – is it mass media right to change Louise Chambers All are welcome, All are welcome, but All are welcome, but gender? numbers are limited but numbers are numbers are limited Paris Lees bodies limited

The unbearable and sexuality in lightness of being Hollywood and You are asked to You are asked to You are asked to trans – trans in European Cinema. commit to the commit to the morning commit to the morning and afternoon mainstream Isaac Gustaffson morning and and afternoon workshops documentaries Wood afternoon workshops Jay Stewart workshops

1.15- 2:15 Lunch

2:15 – 3.45 New Social Media “Trans in the Cont.d Cont.d Cont.d Media” short paper Panel discussion presentations with time Chaired by Paris for follow up discussion Lees Do it yourself! Exploring trans video blogs on YouTube as online activism and online therapy Tobias Raun

A transgender journey Juliet Jacques

3.45 – 4.15 Break 4:15 – 5:30 Feedback and plenary discussion

6.30 - 8:30 EVENING EVENT Film night

Programme details

Trans and the Mainstream

Talking about Jason in Hollyoaks

Victoria Atkin BA MA

Victoria will take part in a question and answer session with a member of the young trans community to discuss her role as Jason Costello in Hollyoaks, how she came to the part, what kind of research she carried out to find out about the lives of young trans men and how her life has been transformed through taking on the role.

Biography

Having always been a keen actress from a young age Victoria pursued her dreams throughout her studies finally gaining a place at Drama School in 2008. Victoria embarked on the MA Music Theatre course at The Central School of Speech and Drama and worked hard to complete her Masters degree. It was in June the following year after auditioning for different projects and playing Cinderella in Pantomine, over the festive period, that Victoria got her big break landing a part in the soap, Hollyoaks. Since then Victoria has been on This Morning, BBC Breakfast and Radio 1 to name a few. Victoria's character Jason Costello, the first transgendered teen in Soap has immersed Victoria in the trans community and she is delighted to be returning to Central to be part of this years conference.

4 thoughts – is it right to change gender?

Paris Lees

During the conference, Paris will give a short presentation on her experience of being on ‟s 4Thought TV earlier this year. Paris will explain the process of being chosen for the programme, the sort of questions she was asked – some of which she refused to answer – and the ways in which the producers edited down her answers and the effect this produced. She will also describe the reaction she had to the show‟s broadcast, and how this differed from her expectations – from the congratulations of perfect strangers and friends of friends, to the negative reactions from jealous acquaintances…

Biography Born in Nottingham, Paris Lees is a young journalist and trans activist, notable for her charitable work at the Gender Trust, Trans Media Watch and & Hove LGBT Switchboard. After graduating from the University of Brighton in 2009, she moved to London to pursue a career in the media. She currently writes for DIVA magazine and frequently appears in Pink News - and hopes to expand her public profile in the coming years. She is passionate about the way trans people are represented in the media and campaigns for greater levels of dignity, accuracy and respect.

Trans on Telly: Popular Documentary and the Performativity of Trash Viewing Jay Stewart

The performed „seriousness‟ of the documentary genre no doubt mirrors a performed „seriousness‟ of transsexuality itself. Trans narratives are often situated within mainstream broadcast documentaries in ways that produce and legitimise gender normativity through „proper‟ medical scientific epistemological frameworks. A recent growth in the number of TV documentaries that feature trans subjects relates to a more general growing trend in the hybrid info-taining documentary genre. Whilst no doubt this has placed trans subjectivities firmly onto the horizon of the general British public, assertions of what it means to be trans have been appropriated for such palatable popular viewing. Consequently, although we see these TV documentaries position trans people as sober characters, there is equally something „light‟ or „trashy‟ about these televisual products. In this paper, I explore the pseudo-sobriety of the trans subject found in a variety of TV documentaries that have been broadcast in the UK. I ask: What is the productive potential of bringing the trans subject into the arena of the „stupid‟, the „weak‟ (Corner 2002) and the trashy through these TV products?

Biography Having completed his MA in the department of Visual Cultures at Goldsmiths College, Jay is now carrying out his PhD, which explores understandings of trans identities through mainstream televisual documentaries. Jay is also co-founder of Gendered Intelligence, an arts-based organisation that holds events and delivers projects for young trans and queer communities, as well as doing school workshops to young people in order to create debate and explore gender in creative ways. As part of some of the projects run at Gendered Intelligence he has made several documentaries such as The Sci:dentity Project (2007) and Gender Variance in Primary School (2008). He also convenes the annual Trans Community Conference. Trans in film

Representing the Other of the Other: GenderQueer and the mass media

Louise Chambers

Mass media images of gender-variant people tend to focus on the medicalised, pathologised, mind/body incongruence of transgender or transsexed individuals. Some claim that „transsexuals‟ have „always been with us‟. However, a significant number of gender-variant people disagree with this claim and argue that the transsexual appellation is temporary and its representation in the mass media may reinforce, rather than challenge the tyranny of gender duality. This paper explores the extent to which other forms of gender-variance are represented in the mass media and wonders where the space may be to explore other forms of gendered or even „non-gendered‟ modes of being.

Biography

Dr Louise Chambers is an associate tutor at Goldsmiths‟ College, London, a part-time consultant and also works with the Ministry of Justice as an equalities officer. Louise studied psychology at Warwick and Lancaster, before shifting her perspective to culture and the mass media, and completed her PhD in the Department of Media and Communications at Goldsmiths‟ in 2004. Louise is a founder member of the civil service network, a:gender, and acts as editor of a:gender‟s quarterly magazine. She is currently writing a genealogy of transsexuality.

Transgender bodies and sexuality in Hollywood and European Cinema.

Isaac Gustaffson Wood

I will be presenting on a research paper I have done for my 2nd year at university. I will be discussing how transgender people's (especially trans womens) bodies are medicalized by society. Critiquing on the medical model of a transperson. I will be talking about the difference in representation of how the sexual body is used in European and Hollywood films. If the body is over/under sexualized and tried to fit into a conservative mold. I will be specifically looking at Transamerica (2004) and All About My Mother (1999) to do this.

Biography Hi, I'm Isaac, I'm 21 years old and I am a 2nd year film student at Southampton Solent University. I am an FTM in my 2nd year of transition. I enjoy playing guitar and singing. I am the treasurer of the universities LGBT and often try to socialize with the queer culture in Southampton and London, which I live in part of the time. I am interested mostly and focused on sound design in film and enjoy creating atmosphere that way. I do also like the sociology and cultural studies that integrates from studying film.

“I’ve been in the mainstream press and live to tell the tale!” Panel discussion with those who have appeared in the press or mainstream documentary.

Abi Austen

Always looking for a new angle, “Sexchange Solider” 2007 a documentary broadcast on Channel 4, was to show how “alpha-male paratrooper” transforms into an “ultra-feminine woman” (Channel 4 website). Captain of the Parachute Regiment, and one of the most highly decorated officers in the British Army, having served in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq, in 2007, Abi became the first officer and the first paratrooper in the history of the Armed Forces to undergo a sex-change operation. Film-maker Jane Preston's film for Cutting Edge documents this journey, revealing an intimate and raw portrait of a remarkable year.

Abi will be talking about her experiences and thoughts of how she was represented by Preston and any advice she might offer to people in the trans community.

Carol Robson Carol has appeared on Sex Change documentary Discovery Home and Health Channel 2005; Sex Change Uncut documentary Discovery Home and Health Channel 2006; Chat magazine "Born Again" June 2006; Sheffield Star "Why I had to tell my wife I was a woman" Dec 2007; Women's Voice programme subject Transsexuality Press TV Iranian English news Channel May 2008; BBC Radio Sheffield 45 minute Interview about my life June 2008 and "How I came out as a transsexual" Life & style Family supplement Guardian June 2010. She is now a regular on BBC Radio Sheffield every 6-8weeks I'm one of 2 guests on a morning programme, discussing news items and other issues happening that day or week.

Carol provides training/workshops and advice on Transgender Awareness, LGB&T Equality & Diversity and Health & Social Care. She is a member of South Yorkshire Police LGBT Independent Advisory Group. Carol has appeared in 3 television programmes and she was also interviewed in 2008 on BBC Radio Sheffield about her life. Carol also writes poetry, some around LGBT issues and has read some of these at public events several times. Carol was married for nearly 24 years and has 2 wonderful supportive daughters, even though now divorced, her ex-partner is still very much part of her life and has supported her all the way through her transition. Carol will be talking about her experiences and thought regarding TV and Press media

Human rights lawyer and New Statesman journalist David Allen Green

David Allen Green is a liberal lawyer and writer with a particular interest in privacy and media issues. As a lawyer, he is head of the media practice at Preiskel & Co LLP and he was named as one of the “Hot 100” lawyers for 2011 by The Lawyer. As a writer, he is legal correspondent of the New Statesman and his “Jack of Kent” blog was shortlisted for the George Orwell prize in 2010.

Other panellists to be confirmed

Trans and New Social Media

Do it yourself! Exploring trans video blogs on YouTube as online activism and online therapy Tobias Raun The paper will take its point of departure in my PhD research, exploring the numerous amounts of video blogs (vlogs) on YouTube where trans people (using hormones and/or surgery to alter their body) document and discuss their gender transition.

In the paper I will present my reading of the vlogs as a genre, looking at what opportunities a new media like the vlog brings about for trans people and how the vlog is being put to use. Finally I will look at the “affective” qualities in these vlogs, and discuss the therapeutic aspect of vlogging. I will raise the following questions: What kind of possibilities does a new media like vlogs enable in connection to represent and negotiate the meaning of trans identity? How can the vlog enable a sense of empowerment and help create political visibility and political action?

Biography Tobias Raun is a PhD student at the Department of Culture and Identity, Roskilde University. He has an MA in Art History and Visual Studies from the University of Aarhus where he has also been a lecturer for several years. Before he started his PhD he was a Visiting Scholar at Media and Film Studies at the University of Sussex. He has published extensively within the area of queer theory, gender studies, makeover television and contemporary visual culture. His latest writing has moved towards Transgender Studies, e.g. the article ”Denmark – A Transgender Paradis? Narrations and negotiations of trans masculinity in Nobody Passes Perfectly”, Trikster. Nordic Queer Journal # 4, 2010 (http://trikster.net/4/raun/1.html) and ”Screen-births: Exploring the transformative potential in trans video blogs on YouTube”, GJSS: Graduate Journal of Social Science, December 2010.

A Transgender Journey

Juliet Jacques

Juliet Jacques will talk about how she saw trans people and culture addressed by the media during the last two decades, and how she discovered a wealth of academic and activist writing that remained unrepresented in the mainstream. Discussing how she combined traditional transsexual autobiographical with counter-cultural theory for ‟s Transgender Journey, she will cover how this helped to affect editorial policy at a newspaper with a complicated record on trans issues. She will also explore how the comments provided a snapshot of contemporary attitudes about the trans community, and within it.

Biography Juliet Jacques is the author of The Guardian‟s Transgender Journey column, the first to document the gender reassignment process for a major mainstream newspaper, which was longlisted for this year‟s Orwell Prize for blogs. As well as writing on trans issues for The New Statesman, one80news and other publications, she also covers experimental film, European literature, music and sport. She has also been involved in activist work dealing with in football and in the media, speaking at EHRC workshops and Pride events about mainstream print and press portrayals of trans people.

Practical workshops – Doing it for ourselves!

Photography and poster campaign

This workshop will offer participants an opportunity to take photographs that they feel represent themselves or explores themes in relation to trans identities. In addition to this we will also import our photographs and add text and slogans that will work towards a poster campaign that aims to raise trans awareness.

Biography of facilitator

Catherine McNamara is a co-founder of Gendered Intelligence. She is also Deputy Dean of Studies at Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London where she oversees the work of the undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Up until October 2007, she ran the MA Applied Theatre (Drama in the Community and Drama Education) at Central and has also taught on the PGCE Drama and the BA Drama, Applied Theatre and Education courses. Catherine is a qualified teacher and used to teach Performing Arts in a Further Education College.

Catherine was the Project Coordinator for the Sci:dentity Project (March 2006-March 2007) and facilitated during the Creative Arts Workshops which resulted in a public exhibition. She also facilitated a series of Sci:dentity outreach workshops on gender within a range of settings in schools and LGBT Youth Groups and coordinated the "Brief Encounters" Queer Youth Project in May 2008 which brought together a group of 50 LGBT young people to write a play for performance in secondary schools.

Examples of Catherine's published writing include 'The Pedagogy and Performance of Sci:identities' in Creative Encounters, London: Welcome Trust, 2008 (forthcoming), 'Transmale masculinities in performance: subcultural narratives laid bare' in Alternatives Within the Mainstream II: British Postwar Queer Theatres,Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Press, 2007 and 'Reinhabiting an Uninhabitable Body: Interventions in Voice Production with Transsexual Men' in Research in Drama Education, 12, 2 June 2007.

New Media Workshop

The New Media Workshop will be delivered by Nathalie McDermott from OnRoadMedia.

This workshop will explore ways in which the trans community is: a) using social media to reach out and network with other trans people b) using social media to educate and engage in debate outside the community.

We‟ll see examples of best practice, where blogs, social networking and video have worked in the past and we‟ll ask the question: “How can trans groups can improve on what‟s already happening? “ We‟ll take a frank look at what‟s not working; how can trans people use the web to challenge stereotypes and unconstructive comments both from outside, and inside, the community.

Biography of facilitator

Nathalie McDermott set up the award-winning social enterprise On Road Media in 2005 to train voluntary sector organisations and marginalised communities - those who are not represented in mainstream media – in social reporting and citizen journalism.

They train people in the UK, Ireland and internationally to:  Produce powerful podcasts and video blogs  Set up and use social networks to connect and share information  Contribute to wider public debates using the internet

They also train journalists through the National Union of Journalists. Nathalie started out as a journalist for the BBC and was also the producer/trainer for The Guardian newspaper when they started their first podcasts back in 2006.

Nathalie has a BA in English Literature from Trinity College Dublin and a MA in International Journalism from City University London. She is also a fellow of the RSA and the School for Social Entrepreneurs and is an Unltd (foundation for Social Entrepreneurs) levels 1 & 2 award winner. Social Entrepreneurs Ireland supported her 2008 to set up www.socialanimalsireland.com, a network for Irish charities who want to learn more about using social media.

’Citizen Journalist’ Scriptwriting Workshop

In this workshop, participants will take on the role of „citizen journalist‟ in order to respond to how trans people are represented in the media. This practical workshop will: - support participants in their own creative scriptwriting to make short scripts addressing interests, concerns and issues about the way in which trans people are portrayed in the media

- use a range of dramatic techniques to look at how these might be applied to scriptwriting which include: . to be direct . to be funny

. to agitate . to juxtapose . to let the facts speak for themselves

This workshop will allow participants to share their opinions and stories about the representation of the trans community in the media through provocative writing and storytelling.

Biography of facilitator

In 2010, Fiona Burgess facilitated on the 'Interarts' project, an intergenerational arts project for LGBTQ participants run by Gendered Intelligence in collaboration with Age UK. She has since begun to work in schools with Gendered Intelligence delivering gender awareness workshops. Having trained at Central School of Speech and Drama, Fiona graduated with a First Class BA Hons degree in Drama, Applied Theatre and Education. Fiona is a London-based applied theatre practitioner who works in a variety of community and educational settings. Her practice is rooted in creating inclusive and accessible participatory experiences which can empower people to change and develop through positive interactions with art. Fiona is particularly interested in the use of drama, media and technology within her practice. She currently works for C&T Theatre Company (http://candt.org/)as a Drama Animateur in a secondary school. She also runs weekly drama sessions for Spanner in the Works with young people with mental health issues (http://spannerintheworks.org.uk/index.html)