The Social Justice department is set to constitute a transgender arts team in the State, to provide persons from the community with the platform to present their talent and earn income.
The artistesโ team is being set up as part of the โAnanyamโ scheme wherein artistic talent and aptitude from within the transgender community will be assessed and provided with training. The aim is to assure better financial and social life for such persons.
One transgender arts team, with no more than 30 members, will be formed and given training so that they can perform at festivals, fairs, exhibitions, and cultural fetes organised by the State government or local self-government institutions. The training will be such that they can present two-hour programmes, earning social acceptance as well as better remuneration.
The initiative aims to churn out a crop of talented transgender artistes who can boost the visibility and social acceptance of persons from the community. This in turn will promote the idea that art can be an effective medium for removing misconceptions that exist in society.
The team will also be provided with opportunities to present programmes that are queer-themed, aimed at breaking barriers to the expression of art or its appreciation.
Selection
Auditions/screenings will be held at the regional level by an agency decided by the department to select team members and train them to present programmes.
A State Transgender Justice Board member says it is a welcome initiative. Though persons from the community present programmes at some events, including those organised by the government, the formation of the arts team will provide them with more visibility and exposure.
As this is a government initiative, they will be assured of more platforms to showcase their skills and better remuneration. The team will also present programmes that go beyond the narrow perceptions of the arts that community members are good at, such as dance or make-up.
