Twilight People Exhibition Press Kit

PRESS KIT

Groundbreaking Exhibition  on Transgender & Faith launches

Twilight People: Stories of Faith and Gender Beyond The Binary

@Islington Museum, 5 Feb – 5 March for LGBT History Month 2016

Press contact:

Twilight People Project Manager, Surat-Shaan Knan        s.knan@liberaljudaism.org       07908 185 872

Twilight People/Liberal Judaism PR, Aaron Abraham                                        a.abraham@liberaljudaism.org

Website:  www.twilightpeople.com

Pictures: Courtesy of Christa Holka

For Immediate Release

Britain’s first ever exhibition highlighting the heritage of transgender and gender nonconforming people of faith has opened to great fanfare.

Part of Liberal Judaism’s Twilight People project, a collection of photographs, recordings and artefacts exploring this ‘hidden history’ are on display at Islington Museum in London until March 5. The exhibition will then go on tour around the country.

A successful launch event took place at Islington Museum on Thursday February 4, with the Deputy Mayor of Islington, Cllr Kat Fletcher, and Cllr Osh Gantly – Cllr Gantly – one of very few openly transgender elected representatives in the UK”– among the invited guests. Liberal Judaism was represented by chair Simon Benscher and senior rabbi and chief executive Rabbi Danny Rich, as well as Rabbis Janet Burden and Janet Darley.

Rabbi Rich said: “One of Liberal Judaism’s tasks is to prod at least the Jewish community, and arguably wider society, to think about things in a different way. And, one of the things this exhibition does, is to get us thinking about gender in a very different way. We also have a responsibility to be a voice for those whose voices are often not heard, and to make clear the stories that are often hidden. That is why I am proud of this exhibition and proud that Liberal Judaism hosts the Twilight People project.”

Twilight People: Stories of Faith and Gender Beyond the Binary captures the voices and images of more than 40 trans people from different faith backgrounds – among them Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Pagan – and interprets them in a heritage context.

The exhibition – which is running as part of LGBT History Month 2016 – combines oral history with portraiture by photographer Christa Holka, alongside film and memorabilia objects. It runs Monday to Saturday from 10am until 5pm (closed Wednesdays and Sundays).

Guests at the launch enjoyed drinks courtesy of Barefoot Wines and an exclusive live audio installation produced by Roundhouse Radio and SOAS Radio with young people from Gendered Intelligence and other youth groups. They also received an exclusive hard copy edition of the Twilight People exhibition booklet. Both the booklet and audio tour will be downloaded from the Twilight People website shortly.

The audio installation features live one more time only at a  special after-dark event this Thursday, February 11, from 5.30-7.30pm at the museum.

Twilight People project manager Surat Shaan Knan said: “This has been an amazing journey on so many levels and I invite everyone to join us and be part of it.“

Islington Council’s equalities champion, Cllr Kaya Comer-Schwarz, added: “I am delighted that the Islington Museum has been able to host this ground-breaking and thought-provoking exhibition. The honest testimony and highly personal art included in the exhibition is both moving and timely, as greater attention and thought is given to the relationship around gender variance and faith.”

For more information on the exhibition please visit www.islington.gov.uk/heritage and www.twilightpeople.com

Twilight People is supported by the National Lottery through the Lottery Heritage Fund and proudly hosted by Liberal Judaism.

The exhibition is in collaboration with Islington Museum, Roundhouse Radio, Soas Radio, London Metropolitan Archives, Gendered Intelligence, and The University of Warwick. Fine wines by Barefoot Wines.

ENDORSEMENTS 

Tara Hewitt, trans campaigner, (and one of the PinkList most influential people in the UK) said: “Faith from the perspective of the Trans community is still a topic many shy away from discussing, with it often seen as a taboo from both the religious and trans communities themselves. Twilight People can play a positive role in changing that culture and celebrating the real diversity of spiritual experiences that trans people have, helping to cement these experiences as the foundations for a more positive future away from the negative stereotypes of the past. “

Jay Stewart, Gendered Intelligence “There is very little discussion around gender variance […] More so regarding the ways in which religion and faith play a part in […] Consequently this timely and much-needed project seeks to redress some of this in the hope that it may ignite new discussions and perspectives, tackle stereotypes and instead grapple with our identities in more complex and meaningful ways.”

Phyll Opoku-Gyimah ‘Lady Phyll’:  “This is going to be an amazing event, its so important that the stories and experiences of our transgender family of faith, is told. I really want to learn more and ensure that there is no erasure.”

RESOURCES/PICS 

• Press pics  https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6kb0ag805jx4cvo/AADiDoc7K7ro74W1x6Rkk4KWa?dl=0
• Please contact us for Dropbox/TP pic password

Social Media: 

Facebook:                           https://www.facebook.com/twilightpeopleproject/

Twitter hashtag:               #TPexhibition   @TwilightPeople2

Founder & Project Manager: Surat Shaan Knan

Surat Shaan Knan works for the Liberal Jewish Movement UK. He is a Stonewall Trans Advisory Group (TAG) member and an international campaigner and high-profile speaker for faith-related LGBTQI issues. Shaan launched the first ever trans blog published in a UK Jewish mainstream online newspaper: http://www.jewishnews.co.uk/the-ponderings-of-a-transgender-jew-in-the-uk/