The Campaign
The campaign is very important to us as it seeks to engage with audiences to raise awareness and visibility of the UK’s older transgender community that I have been working on for 3 years. To be achieved through an exhibition, a film, talks and workshops. Hen will promote a better understanding of integration amongst and outside of the transgender community. We will exhibit a series of 30 photographic portraits in varying sizes and a newly commissioned film featuring subjects over the age of 40.
Hen is an anthropological study on gender fluidity and an exploration into the lasting impact societal restrictions concerning sexual identity and gender roles have upon us. It examines how gender stereotypes have affected the older transgender community and questions how we define gender and if as a society we should, as well as exploring the inherent social and cultural problems within these alienating classifications.
The exhibition will take place in London at the Herrick Gallery from the 1st April 2019 for 1 week, following on from Trans Day of Visibility on March 31st.
Unfortunately, we were originally counting on Arts Council Funding to fund this project but it fell through so we are now relying on crowd funding to make it happen :)
Your donation will be so valuable as it will help bring the exhibition and film to life. We have already confirmed press from major publications and broadcasting channels including the BBC, Vogue Italia, Dazed and Confused, Refinery 29 UK, It’s Nice That and i-D Magazine to name a few.
Collaborators
Bex Day is a fashion and documentary photographer and filmmaker born in London.
Her editorial and commercial clients include Adobe, i-D Magazine, The British Journal of Photography, Stella McCartney, AnOther, Topshop, Garage Magazine, Dazed and Confused, Twin Magazine and Vice to name a few.
She has given lectures about her work at Cambridge University, The Hepworth Gallery, Recylart, Brussels, and the Vogue Italia Female Gaze Exhibition 2016, as well as being nominated for the Magnum Graduate Award 2016.
Since 2017 she has collaborated with William Esdale and Sandrine Servent on Hen.
Sandrine is the project manager and curator of Hen. She works as an agent, producer and curator. After a couple of years working as an agent and producer for DMB Represents - a photography agency representing artists such as Martin Parr, Bruce Gilden, Simon Roberts to name a few - she launched Mina Raven in 2018, an organisation working with public and private institutions to produce and promote photography between UK and France.
William is as an artist, curator, publisher and art technician based in London. William is also co-founder of BKN Magazine and BKN Online. BKN is a print and online resource for photographers, writers and curators.
We have partnered with Stonewall Housing, a charity that ensures LGBTQ+ people live in safer homes where the community can celebrate identity and support each other to achieve full potential which coincides with the aim of Hen. Stonewall Housing opened the UK’s first Trans* only supported accommodation in 2016. Stonewall Housing will be conducting intergenerational workshops throughout the week to challenge these issues in the hope that the younger and older communities can gel and learn from one another as well as educating those who are not transgender. We have happy to announce we have also confirmed Press For Change as another partner from February 2019. Press For Change are leading experts in transgender law. PFC is a UK-based campaign group focusing on the rights and treatment of transgender people. Its aim is seeking respect and equality for all trans people in the UK. The group led the campaign for full legal recognition for transgender people living in Britain including the right to marry.
50% of print sales will go to Stonewall Housing and 20% of print sales will go to Press For Change.
The exhibition partners include Chan Photographic Imaging, Ray's Glass & Frames, Art Rabbit, Old Blue Last Beer and the Herrick Gallery.
What We Need & What You Get
We need to raise £15,000 to cover the costs of putting on the exhibition and documentary.
The money raised will pay for the equipment for the 3 workshops throughout the week hosted by charity Stonewall Housing, and the panel discussion, the transport and installation of the artwork, a catalogue for the work exhibited and each bio of everyone included, framing, the gallery hire for 7 days and the documentary (film editing, colour grading and equipment expenses).
To get this project off the ground the exhibition and film does need funding. If I don’t reach the entire goal I will prioritise the gallery space, framing, equipment for the workshops and the panel discussion, the transport and installation of the artwork.
The Impact
This is a valuable and meaningful project as it is more than just an exhibition. It is an opportunity to help Stonewall Housing grow as a charity as well as pushing transgender education and awareness forward, particularly regarding the older generation and devising a way of bringing the younger and older generations of transgender individuals together in a safe and accessible space.
Hen aims to encourage integration between older and younger generations of the transgender community. With this integration the main goal is to inspire them to interact, which will provide a safe-space for education and social development. The project is a reaction to the lack of information in the media and visual arts about the older transgender generation.
Risks & Challenges
If we do not raise the exact amount then we will have to make cuts in other areas and continue to put our own money into the project as we are true believers in this project and what it can do for the community. The exhibition will travel across the UK after the London show so that it can be accessible to many different areas of the UK.
*With your donation of any amount, your name (if provided) will be included on a Contributors List in the printed exhibition catalogue for my show to express my full gratitude. If you choose a donation with a perk, you will also receive that perk no later than May 2019 after the exhibition has taken place.
If we do run into any further problems, we promise to keep our community updated on our progress.
Other Ways You Can Help
If you're unable to contribute, don't worry, we understand and appreciate your support regardless.
You can still help out by spreading the word and sharing our pages below!
Indiegogo
Hen Website
Aside from that feel free to drop us a message and say that you enjoyed reading about this, because all artists who are putting their work out there need the validation to help us produce more art. Really, anything helps.
