The National Trans Memorial was the first and only memorial of its kind in the UK, and was a powerful and emotive symbol of the fight for trans equality and acceptance.
In August 2022, the National Transgender Memorial was irreparably damaged – the memorial provided a focal point for the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance event and was a place of solace and private reflection for the trans, non-binary and gender expansive community.
The loss of the memorial led to our community-wide consultation, focused on trans, non-binary, and gender expansive voices. The aim of the consultation was to collect intersectional perspectives, from across the trans community, to ensure the artistic brief for the National Trans Memorial reflected those for who it will serve.
Arup have since produced the artistic brief for a new monument, which is now available to visual artists. Please refer to the artistic brief provided for further details of our vision and requirements for submissions.
Click here to find out more about the Public Consultation
It is important that submissions are reflective of the trans, non-binary and gender expansive communities – we welcome submissions from those that belong to these groups and those from other under-represented groups including but is not limited to people of colour, young people, those from lower socio-economic backgrounds and people with disabilities.
Chair of Sparkle’s Board of Trustees Vicki Mulligan said:
“As custodians of the National Trans Memorial, we were obviously devastated by the damage the memorial sustained last year, making it structurally unstable and leading to its removal. The project to replace the memorial, assisted by our partner Arup and with the support of Manchester City Council, is ongoing, and the Charity promises that its replacement will not only be a testament to the strength and resilience of our community, but a monument that our city and its residents can be proud of.”
Zoe Megins-Davies (she/they), Consultation Lead, Arup – added:
“Powered by the honesty, compassion, and care – respondents have contributed to the consultation, and we hope that the resulting artistic brief for the National Transgender Memorial will inspire a monument which not only reflects the broad diversity of the transgender community but is one the wider community will be proud of.”
The fundraising campaign to finance the new monument will begin on Friday 31st March, Trans Day of Visibility. This will be led by Sparkle: The National Transgender Charity.