In the heart of Manchester’s Gay Village, a new statue dedicated to the transgender and non-binary community is being planned.
In the heart of Manchester’s queer town, a planning application has been submitted for a National Trans Monument.
The application for a fresh monument to replace the National Trans Memorial monument in Sackville Gardens, which was “irreparably damaged” by a fire in 2022, has been submitted by Sparkle, a national trans charity, in partnership with New Practice, an LGBTQ+ and women-led architectural firm, and the global professional service firm Arup.
The plans were handed in to Manchester City Council on Tuesday (9 April).
Arup worked with diverse transgender and gender non-conforming communities in Greater Manchester and throughout the UK during the two-year design and discussion process. They also invited engineers, designers, and artists from these communities, along with their supporters, to contribute.
Jay Crawford, the chairman of Sparkle’s board of trustees, said: “It was essential to the charity that the opinions and lived experiences of the communities we serve helped shape the project. It’s amazing that transgender individuals and their allies submitted a creative concept that was both captivating and inspiring in its execution.”
To help pay for the statue, Sparkle is seeking public donations.
According to Crawford, “We’re also talking to private sector benefactors to ensure we can deliver the new memorial within a reasonable timeframe.”
Tony Lovell, Arup’s chief operating officer for the UK, India, the Middle East, and Africa, added: “We are proud to be part of this historic project that celebrates the diversity and resilience of the transgender community. We are dedicated to creating environments that meet the needs and aspirations of all citizens as a business that values social impact and inclusion.
This statue is a tribute to the past as well as a vision for an equitable and accepting future where everyone can live with respect and dignity.
Rather than a “memorial”
Conceived by Bek Ziola, a lead designer and architect at New Practice, the design for the National Trans Monument, titled “Passing on Light”, aims to provide a space for contemplation and reflection while symbolizing the resilience and vitality of trans and gender-diverse individuals.
Ziola explained to PinkNews that reflecting on their own journey of being trans and living authentically inspired the design and that the significance of the project was “especially in light of the prevailing political climate in the UK.”
“We’ve observed a troubling surge in anti-trans rhetoric, with media coverage often sensationalized for ‘clickbait’ or as a political scapegoat, leading to consequences for the trans community. I personally saw and felt the effects of this,” Ziola added.
The goals of “Passing on Light” are to provide a space to reflect and express the resilience of all people of different genders. (New Practice)The architect wants the monument’s design to help shift this negative narrative. “For a start, redefining the transgender ‘memorial’ to ‘monument’ is more than a language change. It’s a seismic shift in perception.
Transgender people are now celebrated for their beauty and strength, as they are no longer relegated to the shadows of suffering.
Designed to age well and represent resilience
The National Trans Monument aims to create a space that encourages reflection on trans people’s potential metaphors of creation as well as their own.
The idea is that this can reflect light from polished metal, which mirrors the person looking at the garden, the city, and the sky.
Steel posts protrude from the 12-foot-high monument’s steel base to support each figure. Both materials are designed to age well, representing resilience.
Creating social value
Marc Cairns, the managing director at New Practice, tells PinkNews: “This is how you create real social value. Through your work, not just talking about it. As a team, we’re doing the work, and we’re working directly with underrepresented and targeted communities.”
Ziola agrees and hopes that his artwork will highlight the beauty of trans and non-binary identities.
He claimed that encouraging the expression and celebration of our identities “enhances both the development of our communities and has positive effects on society.”
“I am dedicated to supporting the trans community’s resilience and strength through my work, and that is something that inspires me daily.”
