To what extent can drama, and especially verbatim theatre techniques, be used to (re) present intergenerational transgender identities in the North East of England?

Chapman-Wilson, Tony

Abstract

This thesis examines how verbatim techniques can be used to (re) present an intergenerational participatory group of trans individuals in Newcastle upon Tyne. The representation of trans people from the cis-lens will be examined, as well as the increase in transphobia, social injustice (Busby, 2021), and hate crimes across the UK, especially the North East of England. An online questionnaire and subsequent follow-up interviews saw internal ‘pockets of prejudice’ within the city’s LGBTQ+ ‘scene’ identified, and the lack of position of trans people was evident. The need to have accurate and trans-collaboration within the media and arts was also identified as vital as most peoples ‘preconceptions about trans people’ (Faye, 2022: 17) are based upon what they are shown. Yet these come from a cisgender agenda, perception, research, and representation that is ‘dominated by voices without significant lived experience of gender diversity’ (Rosenberg and Tilley, 2020: 2). By considering verbatim techniques and the use of these to provide the opportunity for an intergenerational group of five trans people to share their lived experiences and to co-create a performance piece, the my-dentity play allows for the ‘resisting and dismantling inequalities’ (Vincent, 2018: 105) with each trans person being able to open up a dialogue with their words, rather than being spoken about or spoken to. As a result, the my-dentity project has produced a Queer cis-led trans-collaborative project that allows for as high a level of trans authorship and ownership as possible, as well as the (re) presentation of the self that is not an ‘impersonation’ of the trans person (Paget, 1987), but an ‘individual self-identity that characterises modern life’ (Little, 2002: 7) for each trans participant. This has created a toolkit of considered approaches to the use of verbatim techniques allowing other researchers and theatre-makers to consider this approach in the future.

Citation

Chapman-Wilson, T. (2024). To what extent can drama, and especially verbatim theatre techniques, be used to (re) present intergenerational transgender identities in the North East of England?. (Thesis). University of Hull. https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4706291

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Jun 10, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 12, 2024
• Keywords: Drama
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4706291
• Additional Information: Department of Drama; University of Hull
• Award Date: May 28, 2024