In August 2022, the National Trans Memorial in Sackville Gardens, the first and only memorial of its kind in the UK, was seriously damaged by fire, leading to it being removed from the gardens for safety reasons.
Since then, the memorial’s custodians, Sparkle – The National Transgender Charity, in partnership with global engineering services company Arup and supported by the LGBT Consortium, has consulted trans and gender diverse communities throughout the UK to discover what those communities would want from a new memorial, and how it could adequately reflect the rich diversity of those communities.
From the responses you kindly gave us, a design brief was developed by Arup and made available to trans, non-binary, gender non-conforming artists, architects, designers, and their allies. You told us that the word “memorial” could reinforce the narrative that a trans identity is somehow a negative, perpetuating stigma, and that a new monument should focus on trans visibility and acknowledge the resilience, resistance, community and strength of trans people, whilst also still serving a commemorative role. You also said that the new memorial should be more visible within the gardens, but also offer respite and a space for quiet contemplation.
An independent panel consisting of trans people from throughout the country and representatives from Arts Council England and Manchester City Council then chose the design which they felt best represented that brief.
That design, Passing on Light, was conceived by Bek Ziola and Samuel Stair from Glasgow-based LGBTQIA+ and women-led architectural firm New Practice, and symbolises the joy of living authentically, and being seen, supported, and loved as a proud and visible trans person, and passing their strength and hope onto those less fortunate.
A number of abstract, life-sized figures rendered in an innovative mix of materials and textures reflect light onto each other and those engaging with the monument, representing collective activism and creating an immersive and empowering experience.
Your ideas, opinions and lived experience has shaped this project, but now we’re calling on you to help make it a reality. As well as the fabrication and erection of the new monument, we are also asking for funds so that we can create ways that communities outside of Greater Manchester can engage with the monument, and so we can conserve the legacy of the original National Trans Memorial.
THANK YOU
ABOUT SPARKLE – THE NATIONAL TRANSGENDER CHARITY
Beginning as founders of the Sparkle Weekend, the original celebration of trans joy and gender diversity, hosted in Sackville Gardens at the heart of Manchester’s Gay Village each year, Sparkle became a registered charity in 2011, long before other larger LGBTQIA+ charities became trans inclusive. Held over the second weekend in July, the Sparkle Weekend has grown exponentially, and is now one of the largest events of its kind in the world.
The Charity also organises and delivers Manchester’s annual Transgender Day of Remembrance service, and offers guidance and training to businesses, public sector organisations, and educational institutions on how to support trans colleagues, customers, service users, students, and other stakeholders.
Run by a team of passionate and dedicated volunteers, the Charity also undertakes projects throughout the year to further its aims of promoting a positive representation of trans and gender diverse communities.