TransActing Project

The TransActing project explores the issue of performer training for people who identify as trans and/or non-binary. It is led by Dr Catherine McNamara (Pro-Dean/ Director of Learning, Teaching and Student Experience).

The project’s aims are:

• To develop and disseminate good practice in performer training with trans and/ or non-binary people
• To nurture the creativity and talent of participants, all of whom identify as trans and/ or non-binary
• To give producers, directors and others involved in making TV, film, radio, theatre and other media, access to that talent

The project is a collaboration with Gendered Intelligence, a community interest organisation that aims to increase understandings of gender diversity. Beginning in August 2015, 20 trans people participated on a five-day acting project at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. This acting project was a pilot, and was run in partnership with My Genderation who made a short film documenting the work.

Participants experienced top-quality acting, movement and voice classes and met a number of industry professionals including casting director Sarah Hughes, actors Sharon Duncan-Brewster and Rebecca Root and writers Jon Brittain and Peter Machen.

Further TransActing workshops have taken place as part of the Scottish Queer International Film Festival (SQIFF) in Glasgow, at the West Yorkshire Playhouse (workshop run in partnership with Outbox Theatre Company) and at the London LGBT Film Festival, BFI Flare.

Together with the BFI Flare festival team, Catherine planned the panel event ‘Transform’, which brought together casting agents, film/TV makers and actors for a discussion about trans representation on screen.