Travis Alabanza

Travis Alabanza
Travis Alabanza
Born (1995-11-15) 15 November 1995 (age 28)[1][2]
Bristol, England,
United Kingdom
Known forBURGERZ
Notable workBURGERZ, Before I Step Outside [You Love Me]
AwardsJhalak Prize, 2023
Websitetravisalabanza.co.uk Edit this at Wikidata

Travis Alabanza (born 15 November 1995[1][2]) is a British performance artist, writer and theatre maker.

Career

[edit]

Alabanza's poems were first published in 2015, in the Black and Gay in the UK Anthology.[3] Later that year Alabanza went on tour for their theatre show Stories of a Queer Brown Muddy Kid, performing at clubs, bookstores, and performance venues across the United Kingdom and abroad.[4]

They have an honorary fellowship from Rose Bruford College and have been featured as a guest lecturer and panelist at over forty universities in the United Kingdom during LGBTQ and Black History month to discuss issues related to race, sexual orientation, and gender. Their work has been featured at Duckie, Bar Wotever, And What! Festival, Hamburg International Feminist Festival, Late at Tate, the V&A, and Transmission Gallery.[5][6] They are currently the youngest person to be awarded a residency at The Tate in 2017/2018.[1]

In 2016, Alabanza starred in the five star roundhouse production of Putting Words in Your Mouth by Scottee. In 2017, they began working on a solo exhibition, The Other'd Artist for Transmission Gallery in Glasgow.[5] Alabanza released their first chapbook titled Before I Step Outside. (You Love Me); a compilation of visual art, poetry, diary entries, and essays.[7][8] They also performed the leading role in the stage adaptation of Derek Jarman's punk film Jubilee.[9]

Alabanza has critiqued mainstream feminism for having been rooted in transphobia and mainstream feminists for often neglecting trans and gender non-conforming people in their discussions of progress.[10]

In 2018, Alabanza created Burgerz.[11] This show focuses on audience participation regarding an incident in 2016 where a person threw a burger at them while walking across a bridge in London.[12][1] The show ran its first UK Tour from October 19 to November 17 in 2018.[13] It has toured globally since, with Alabanza or other performers in the lead role.[14]

In 2019, Alabanza and Kaulbach, childhood friends, collaborated on an immersive installation titled All the Ways We Could Grow for the Free Word Centre, London.[15][16] The installation explores the question, "What's it like to be trans?"[17] while also provoking exploration into the calmness one experiences in their safe place, their bedroom. Disguised as a sleepover with pink satin sheets and pillows, the audience is encourage to take the space and imagine/reflect. The installation challenges the need for gender in society through works of imagery and poetry.

In 2020, during the first COVID lockdown in England, Alabanza and Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley gave a live-streamed performance for the Free Word Centre of If I Feel Lonely Maybe U Do 2?.[18]

Overflow, written by Alabanza, directed by Debbie Hannan, and starring Reece Lyons, was produced by the Bush Theatre in London in 2020 and 2021.[19][20][21][22] The play "explores trans safety and is set in a public toilet".[19]

In 2022, Alabanza released their debut full-length semi-autobiographical non-fiction book None of the Above: My Life Beyond the Binary. The book was listed as one of Waterstones Best Book of 2022: Politics and won the 2023 Jhalak Prize.[23]

In 2023, Alabanza and Hannan co-created Sound of the Underground at the Royal Court Theatre. The play featured drag performers from London’s nightlife scene including Midgitte Bardot (Tammy Reynolds), Ms Sharon Le Grand, Rhys’ Pieces (Rhys Hollis), Chiyo, Lilly SnatchDragon, Sue Gives a F*ck, Sadie Sinner (Mwice Kavindele, founder of the Cocoa Butter Club), and Wet Mess.

Personal life

[edit]

Alabanza was born in Bristol and grew up on a council estate.[24] They started making their art when they were 16 years old, helping them work through and process what adversities they were facing as a black, queer person.[25] Alabanza began with their poems just as drafts on their phone, thinking they'd never show them to anyone else. After getting the burger thrown at them, they got fed up with keeping their feelings to themselves and presented their poems to their friend who was going through the same issues, which made Alabanza decide to make their works public.[26] Alabanza identifies as Black, transfeminine, and gender non-conforming, and uses the pronouns they/them.[27][28] Alabanza speaks out for trans rights and the importance of safe spaces and communities for gender non-conforming and transgender people.[29] In Shon Faye's 2021 book The Transgender Issue: An Argument for Justice, she quotes Alabanza talking about their identity: "When I say trans, I also mean escape. I mean choice. I mean autonomy. I mean wanting something greater than what you told me. Wanting more possibilities than the one you forced on me."[30]

In November 2017, Alabanza was denied access to a female dressing room while shopping at Topshop in Manchester, the fashion retailer owned at the time by Sir Philip Green's Arcadia Group. Alabanza was told to use the men's dressing room.[31] They left the store and filed a complaint through social media.[32] Alabanza accused Topshop of going against their policy to allow trans individuals to use the dressing rooms associated with their preferred gender.[33][34] The Times published an opinion piece by Janice Turner, incorrectly implying that Topshop's policy was changed because of Alabanza's tweet and claiming the policy would lead to child abuse.[35][9] Subsequently, Alabanza received online death threats over Topshop's policy.[9]

Works

[edit]
Title Publisher Date published Type of work
"The Sea" OUTspoken April 2017 Poem
Queer and Now The Tate June 2017 Performance
Before I Step Outside. (You Love Me) July 2017 Chapbook of poetry, essays, photos
"Who is Allowed to be a Victim?" TEDxBrum October 2017 Performance/TED Talk
"TRANZ TALKZ" Hackney Showroom October 2018 Dinner & Performance
BURGERZ Arts Council England October 2018 Interactive Performance
"THE HEEL OF MARSHA" Gay Times October 2018 Poem
All the Ways We Could Grow

(collaboration with Denny Kaulbach)

London's Free Word Centre February 2019 An immersive bedroom installation[16]
MY STUBBLE HAS NO GENDER (collaboration with Denny Kaulbach) Print
If I Feel Lonely Maybe U Do 2? - with Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley Free Word Centre 9 April 2020 Live-streamed performance
Overflow Bush Theatre 2020–2021 Play
Sound of the Underground Royal Court Theatre 2023 Play

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d Beresford, Meka (6 November 2018). "Battling transphobia with burgers". Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  2. ^ a b @travisalabanza (15 November 2019). "My second birthday doing Burgerz but luckily I'm in love with the show and performing! Some tickets left for @warwickarts tonight, come and bring some cake / lip gloss / candles xxxxx" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  3. ^ "In Conversation with Travis Alabanza: We Have Already Re-made All the Rules – Young Poets Network". ypn.poetrysociety.org.uk. November 2017. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  4. ^ "STORIES OF A QUEER BROWN MUDDY KID". TRAVIS ALABANZA. Archived from the original on 17 February 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  5. ^ a b "About – TRAVIS ALABANZA". travisalabanza.co.uk. Archived from the original on 22 April 2021. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  6. ^ "Travis Alabanza". TEDxBrum. Archived from the original on 22 February 2019. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  7. ^ Moran, Justin (20 July 2017). "Travis Alabanza's Debut Chapbook Reflects on Trans Femme Life in London". Out.
  8. ^ Alabanza, Travis. "'Before I Step Outside [You Love Me]' - chapbook". Travis Alabanza.
  9. ^ a b c Dazed (11 November 2017). "Artist smeared by media after Topshop transphobia".
  10. ^ https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DjvZ6TIXgAECw3u.jpg:large [dead link]
  11. ^ Beresford, Meka (6 November 2018). "Battling transphobia with burgers". BBC News.
  12. ^ Paskett, Zoe (17 October 2018). "Travis Alabanza interview: 'So many of us are figuring out gender. Trans people are just more honest about it'". Evening Standard, Go London. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  13. ^ "BURGERZ". TRAVIS ALABANZA. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  14. ^ Mulqueen, Kate (13 February 2023). "Performance review: BURGERZ, Theatre Works". ArtsHub Australia. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  15. ^ "All The Ways We Could Grow: Installation | Free Word". freeword.org. Archived from the original on 5 August 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  16. ^ a b Minamore, Bridget (27 March 2019). "'Damn, I'm good at this!' Is Travis Alabanza the future of theatre?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  17. ^ "Season Launch Promo Film | Free Word". freeword.org. Archived from the original on 5 August 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  18. ^ If I Feel Lonely Maybe U Do 2? - Travis Alabanza and Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley, retrieved 30 September 2021
  19. ^ a b "Overflow review – friendship and fear in bathroom-sink drama". The Guardian. 10 December 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  20. ^ "The Bush Theatre reopens with Overflow, Travis Alabanza's monologue about women's toilets". Time Out London. 31 August 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  21. ^ "Overflow". bushtheatre.co.uk. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  22. ^ "Review: Overflow At Bush Theatre Invites You To Spend The Night In A Public Toilet". Londonist. 9 September 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  23. ^ "Alabanza, Jawando win 2023 Jhalak Prizes". Books+Publishing. 29 May 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  24. ^ "Interview: Travis Alabanza". Rife. 14 June 2016.
  25. ^ "Black, queer, and VISIBLE". Gay Times. 1 October 2017.
  26. ^ "Brighton Festival 2018: Travis Alabanza on why 'trans people are the lucky ones'". The Argus. 28 April 2018.
  27. ^ "Topshop Refused To Let A Trans Person Into An All-Gender Changing Room". BuzzFeed. 7 November 2017.
  28. ^ "Interview: Travis Alabanza on their chapbook, Before I Step Outside (You Love Me)". 2 August 2017.
  29. ^ Jones, Dylan (4 October 2017). "Travis Alabanza: The critically-acclaimed artist and performer talks harassment, visibility and perceptions of gender". QX.
  30. ^ Faye, Shon (2021). The Transgender Issue: An Argument for Justice. Penguin Books. p. 257. ISBN 9780241423141., citing Olufemi, Lola (2020). Feminism Interrupted: Disrupting Power. Pluto Press. p. 49.
  31. ^ Elizabeth, Devon (9 November 2017). "Topshop's Gender-Neutral Changing Rooms Are a Step in the Right Direction". Teen Vogue.
  32. ^ Harley, Nicola (8 November 2017). "Topshop announces gender-neutral changing rooms after trans customer was refused access to female cubicles". The Daily Telegraph.
  33. ^ Heller, Susanna (9 November 2017). "Topshop says customers can use any fitting room they like – but a trans person claims employees refused to let them". Insider.
  34. ^ Grafton-Green, Patrick (9 November 2017). "Topshop and Topman make all changing rooms gender-neutral". Evening Standard.
  35. ^ Turner, Janice (11 November 2017). "Children sacrificed to appease trans lobby". The Times. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
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