TRANS:MISSION 13 to 14 January 2024

ABOUT

TRANS:MISSION is a piece of documentary theatre devised by a group of performers who identify as trans, including trans women and trans men. Through a series of structured conversations around various keywords (such as “transphobia”, “dysphoria”, “utopia”) the work explores how trans history is produced and how it is transmitted between generations of trans folks, ultimately with the aim of expanding public discourse on gender and sexuality.

In recent years, trans issues have been under the spotlight in Singapore, most notably with the case of the five students and activists protesting transphobia in front of the Ministry of Education building in 2021. It becomes more crucial than ever for the public to gain an understanding of what issues are at stake, and to guard against panicked and uninformed responses to controversies around issues such as trans folks in sports, gendered bathrooms, or trans children. TRANS:MISSION seeks to create a space of reflection and illumination through the voices of trans folks.

WORK-IN-PROGRESS PRESENTATION*

13 – 14 JAN 

*R18 (Transgender Theme). There will be an ID check at the door.

Each performance is limited to 35 people and there is a 20 min Q&A after all shows.

All Full
13 January, Saturday, 3 to 4pm
13 January, Saturday, 8 to 9pm 
14 January, Sunday, 3 to 4pm

For any queries, please email Kristine.Ng@goethe.de 

THE COLLABORATORS

Kak Nina Boo Never in even my wildest dream I would think that my younger self, being shy, having low self esteem, would evolve into this confident, passionate, determined individual who can have a conversation with anyone, looking directly in the eyes comfortably. An open book, unafraid of speaking even of the most sensitive issues in life. Yet, I still protect my heart from being broken to pieces, demoralized and degraded. Complicated?? Oh well..Isn't life itself complex. Now, at 56 years old, I can look back at my life and proudly say, I have finally found that "Peace" in my heart. I'm eager to spread that joy and love to the new generation and continue to evolve to be the best version of myself.

Bhuvan Daniel (he/him) is a South Asian trans man in his 20s. Currently he’s finishing his diploma in Mass Communication. He has transitioned for about 2 years and has documented his transition on Tiktok. He’s very vocal about his transition as he believes in the education of transition and gender affirming care. Daniel has been vocal about an array of issues using his platform, especially for the transgender community. His dream is to pursue Acting and continue to use his platform to uplift issues that are close to his heart.

Shania's life journey is a testament to her resilience and unwavering commitment to acceptance. Overcoming a 20-year battle with gender dysphoria, she has finally come to embrace her condition and identity as a transgender woman. Since 2005, she has been deeply involved in the field of special needs education from teaching to pivotal roles in course development, training, business development, and grants management. Her work has taken her from local institutions and NGOs to overseas institutes, where she closely engaged with neuro-diverse individuals. Shania's dedication extends to her voluntary work for the transgender community, actively participating in outreach events and befriending shelter residents at T-Project. During her secondary school years, she showcased her artistic talents by participating in musicals like "West Side Story" and "Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat." Shania's story serves as a powerful testament to her determination to champion inclusivity and self-discovery.

Tommie, aged 39, MET, single father, to a teenage son had harboured dreams of being a boy since his kindergarten days. His goal is to stand with his son next to the urinal. Taking up numerous loans to complete his gender reassignment surgery and as a vocal member of the trans community in Singapore, Tommie shares that they face prejudice and segregation.

The stigma is exacerbated by a conservative educational and legal system which disallows trans-parents from changing their names as well as being barred from being listed in their preferred gender-appropriate address as "Father" on the child's birth certificate in accordance to his identity.

Tommie has resolved to dedicating his life to fight for equality and wants to help Singaporeans embrace the trans-community. He believes wholeheartedly in the words "To live to love & love to live" and wishes to live his life - free & authentic.

Medli Dorothea Loo is an actress, singer and theatre-maker who first started performing professionally when she was 7-years-old in Ken Kwek's "Cartoons'', introducing her to acting. She then continued to act and star in numerous television shows, movies and theatre productions, most notably, "Forbidden City: Portrait of an Empress'' (2017), "Lion Moms 2" (2017), , "Peter Pan in Serangoon Gardens'' (2019) and the feature film "Repossession" (2019), where she were nominated for Best Actor at the Horrible Imaginings Film Festival in San Diego.

Cayes Hotwheels Hong (they/them) is a polygenreous singer-songwriter who performs mononymously as cayes and as part of the all-trans band, shot day. Having documented their transition on social media platforms such as instagram since coming out in 2015, Cayes is no stranger to navigating transness in the public eye. They have been involved in various roles for events- as an organizer for Queer The Year (2019) and Fire Sale! (2022), and as a performer for Pink Dot (2020 and 2023) and Queer Zine Fest (2018 and 2020). Cayes has also been featured in publications like Vogue (2021) and digital media sites like Zula (2020) amongst others. Outside of being trans, Cayes enjoys metalcore, philately and rats.

Eli Ismail is an 18 year old theatre-maker with a passion for production design whether it is set, costume, prop, multimedia, puppetry or mask work. Eli explored design and production roles while studying theatre in School of The Arts Singapore. In SOTA, Eli did a variety of production roles such as being an assistant stage manager for The Glass Menagerie (2022), a set designer for The Hothouse (2022) and the set, costume and puppet designer for Waiting for Godot (2023). Beyond school, Eli was a props intern for Singapore Repertory Theatre’s production of A Midsummer Night's Dream (2023) and assistant props maker for The Zodiac Race (2023) by The Finger Players. Being part of Transmission’s production team, he is excited to contribute in sharing the voices of transgender people in Singapore. He hopes to continue using theatre as a powerful platform for telling meaningful stories.

Jess is your average university student, just trying to make it through life. However, at night, she transforms into a drag queen ready to serve looks and dance the night away. Shes a laid back and casual girl, but is always ready to stand up for the right cause and spread awareness. Navigating her gender identity, mental health, school life and social circles proves to be a challenge, but she never backs down.
 

The Space

136 GOETHE LAB is a new project space at the Goethe-Institut Singapore. Housed in the former library and reading room, the space is intended as a response to the need for physical spaces for the arts, and an ongoing conversation with the public and arts community in Singapore.

TRANS:MISSION is supported as part of the open call for 136 GOETHE LAB, which invited applicants to activate the space with a group proposal.