“As if people who aren’t trans can’t take something from our experiences and our stories. Well, we’ve been watching cis people tell stories forever, and we still take stuff from stories because we’re all human beings.” - Mika Onyx Johnson

The arts have always played a powerful role in influencing public perception. That’s why it matters what stories we decide to tell, and who we choose to tell these stories. Stars of stage and screen Felix Mufti and Mika Onyx Johnson share their thoughts about what genuine inclusivity looks like, as well as the value of funding regional theatre projects, and the joys of working on smaller-scale productions.

Felix and Mika’s word of the day is OWNERSHIP

Watch along with this episode here

About our contributors:

Felix Mufti is a scouse activist, performer, writer and chaos-causer who loves to tell his unhinged life stories through rhythm n’ rap inspired spoken word, poetry, prose and music. With a passion for many forms of activism, due to his own lived experience, Felix’s heart lies deepest with his fellow Queer communities. He is an key organiser for Trans Pride Liverpool, Transgender Day of Remembrance and is the Trans Rep for Socialist LGBT+ Network. He is also a lecturer and workshop facilitator for companies, charities, community groups providing expert insight into how Queerness and allowing it flourish can positively influence industries, community and society. Felix co-founded Transcend Theatre where he writes and performs in authentic, usually unexplored stories of trans experience. His sell-out shows: ACE funded play and his debut, How to Kill a Rose was rated 4/5 stars by North West End and his following project Be Gay, Do Crime, blew the roof off the Shakespeare North Playhouse. Felix’s professional credits include: Sex Education (Netflix); When All Is Said (Fuel) which he also wrote and Transpose: Joy (Barbican).

Mika Onyx Johnson is an actor, writer and performance artist from Nottingham. His debut show, Pink Lemonade, previewed at the Gate Theatre before premiering at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2019, where it was included in The Stage's 18 best shows of the Fringe. In 2021 Pink Lemonade debuted at the Bush Theatre, to rave reviews. The show is currently being developed for TV with Balloon Entertainment. Theatre includes: As You Like It (Shakespeare’s Globe), The Seagull (Harold Pinter), Cyrano de Bergerac (Playhouse, Harold Pinter, Glasgow Theatre Royal and BAM – NYC), Pink Lemonade (Bush); Dear Elizabeth (Gate); Michael X (Almeida). Television includes: Newark, Newark; Screw; The Girlfriend Experience. Writing includes: What It Feels Like For A Girl (BBC); My White Best Friend (Bunker); Pink Lemonade (Bush); Queer Upstairs (Royal Court); I’m Here (Pentabus).

You can find our list of resources here

#AnthemsTalks is a collection of intimate conversations between pairs of trailblazers, activists and creatives in honour of Transgender Awareness Week. It was Executive Produced by Bea Duncan, with Production from Talia Augustidis and Lucy Carr, video production from Thunder Video, video editing by Eleanore Bamber and Sound Engineering by Ben Williams. The artwork is by Eleanore Bamber and Mars West.

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