It’s a case of go big or go home… so we’re going big.
The UK’s leading Trans arts festival, Trans Vegas Festival, returns to the stage in their beloved home town of Manchester with a night of music, dance, spoken word and surprise collaborations. Featuring trans dancers from genres of Bollywood, contemporary, drag interpretative, and of course, something special on roller-skates.
Expect the unexpected – think trans-Glastonbury, think mid-summer trans magic, and think about what you’re going to wear because it’s going to be one hot event!
Join festival favourites CN Lester, Jo Clifford, Yvy DeLuca, Jason Andrew Guest and Ebony Rose Dark along with the amazing Chuck SJ, Finley Letchford-Dobbs, Tito Bone, Beau Azra and Grace Oni Smith.
Curated by Kate O’Donnell and directed by Darren Pritchard.
Photo of Yvy DeLuca by Jack Hancock.
Find out more about the Trans Vegas LIVE artists and performers below:
Yvy DeLuca
Yvy, a trans writer and performer who is the author of Tainted Beauty – The Memoir of an Authentic Creation. She performs as The BollyWitch, blending Bollywood and Witchcraft to cast her spells.
Ebony Rose Dark
Ebony Rose Dark, an all-singing/all-dancing, lip-syncing, storytelling, miming, visually impaired, Cabaret/Performance Artist, is known for her performances around disability, ableism, racism and relationships within the LGBTQ+ community. She has performed nationally and internationally and is one of Bar Wotever’s longest artists in residence at The Royal Vauxhall Tavern.
Tito Bone
Tito Bone is your average bind, non-binary, bisexual drag queen who can sing and audio describe all while wearing large amounts of eco glitter. They also strive to prove that making accessible art is the epitome of cool. Tito’s mission is simple: to entertain the masses through socratic irony, political satire, and epic dad dancing.
CN Lester
CN Lester is a multi-genre musician, author of the critically acclaimed book Trans Like Me, and curator of trans arts night Transpose. They perform internationally as a singer-songwriter and their music and words have appeared on BBC Radio 3 & 4, SBS, The Guardian, and at The Sydney Opera House.
Jo Clifford
Jo Cllifford is a proud father and grandmother, playwright and performer. She is the author of over 100 plays, many of which have been performed all over the world. She has just been awarded the Olwen Wymark Award for “Exceptional encouragement of theatre writing”.
Jason Andrew Guest
Jason Andrew Guest is THE legendary rollerskating explosion who has worked within the Musical Theatre and Commercial Industries for more than 18 years. Jason has appeared in Hair the Musical, Starlight Express, featured as a main dancer for Calvin Harris and Sam Smith, and has performed alongside Janelle Monae. Jason is also House Mother for Birmingham vogue house House of Myztique.
Chuck SJ
Chuck SJ is a multidisciplinary artist, often exploring trans and autistic matters through various forms including music, performance art and zines/DIY publishing. As a solo artist and with their band Byenary, Chuck has completed 5 European tours, 12 U.K tours, 15 albums and 2.EPs. Chuck is well known for their gripping stage performance, unique guitar skills and brutal honesty in approaching equality, sexism, capitalism, the family unit and transphobia.
Finley Letchford-Dobbs
Finley Letchford-Dobbs is a Manchester-based contemporary dance artist. His work predominantly features in the queer art scene, often focusing on issues in and around the LGBTQ+ community, making statements and taking the audience on an emotional journey through his passionate choreography and performance.
Beau Azra & Grace Oni Smith
Beau Azra and Grace Oni Smith are an artistic queer, trans couple from the UK, based in Manchester. They are multi-faceted artists: from music, performance and prose to short films and photography. Their work unfolds stories of trans*ness, duality, love, sexuality, and queer nature with catharsis being the lynchpin of their art.