■ Members Area (Coming Soon)
The Trans+ Virtual Centre of Excellence (TVCE) is an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary global research group, established in 2024.
The TVCE membership is formed by a collective of international Higher Education scholars and researchers whose practice is world-leading. It also welcomes ECR's whose imperative/research holds the potential to be world-forming. Their collective intention is to produce and extend the impact of new knowledge from their own research through the centre to benefit trans+ lives.
The TVCE was founded with the intention to exist beyond the geographic boundaries of a single institution and/or country as an act of preservation and safety during a time of unstable global political turmoil that directly targets trans+ lives and intersectional marginalised groups. Its "virtualness" creates a safe queer space for trans+ people irrespective of political upheaval and oppression.
Annually the TVCE holds a symposium curated around a prevailing theme that considers possbilities for an inclusive future. In 2025 the TVCE partnered with EDI Department of Guildhall School of Music and Drama and in 2026 with the Birkbeck Gender and Sexuality (BiGS) Forum at Birkbeck, University of London. Each event produces a symposium that foregrounds community and de-centres traditional academic hierarchies or didactic communication that typically dominate conference to encourage community and dialogue. We welcome expressions of interest from institions to host the TVCE Annual Symposium.
The TVCE brings together scholars, artists, and activists, who active in the research community to explore and showcase work that uplifts and expands understanding of trans+ existence, resistance, and joy. Members explore, affirm, celebrate, and advocate for trans+ lives. While recognising the realities of oppression, the TVCE adovactes for research to resist the exploitation of trauma and instead centre transformative research, practice, and community-building.
Co-Leadership
(she/her)
Dr Tōmei June Bacon (she/they) publishes as T. J. Bacon and creates artwork under the moniker tjb.
She is a leading voice in the study of performance and visual art through queer phenomenological approaches. From 2009 to 2017, her work established the phenomenology of a multiplicity of self/s, mapping the perception of multiplicity, embodiment, and temporality across experimental, interdisciplinary practices. This foundation was later developed through the application of queer phenomenology and continues to evolve through her groundbreaking developments towards a trans phenomenology.
She has published two major books to date: An Introduction to the Phenomenology of Performance Art: SELF/s (Intellect/University of Chicago Press, 2022/24) and The Phenomenology of Blood in Performance Art (Routledge, 2025). Her third book, currently in development, expands her phenomenological inquiry into trans+ lives, art, and activism.
Tōmei is the founder of the Trans+ Virtual Centre of Excellence.
She is a leading voice in the study of performance and visual art through queer phenomenological approaches. From 2009 to 2017, her work established the phenomenology of a multiplicity of self/s, mapping the perception of multiplicity, embodiment, and temporality across experimental, interdisciplinary practices. This foundation was later developed through the application of queer phenomenology and continues to evolve through her groundbreaking developments towards a trans phenomenology.
She has published two major books to date: An Introduction to the Phenomenology of Performance Art: SELF/s (Intellect/University of Chicago Press, 2022/24) and The Phenomenology of Blood in Performance Art (Routledge, 2025). Her third book, currently in development, expands her phenomenological inquiry into trans+ lives, art, and activism.
Tōmei is the founder of the Trans+ Virtual Centre of Excellence.
Dr Sammy Holden
(they/them)
Sammy Holden came on board the TVCE as a co-lead in late 2025 after completing their PhD in Media-by-practice at Edge Hill University. Sammy previously had curated the online programme of the 2025 Symposium.
They have shared their PhD film ‘Trans, Camera, Action’ in over 20 screenings and continue to make films and art on topics of transness, chronic illness, masculinities, genre, and many more
They have shared their PhD film ‘Trans, Camera, Action’ in over 20 screenings and continue to make films and art on topics of transness, chronic illness, masculinities, genre, and many more
Members
Members' research represents a broad spectrum of world-leading interdisciplinary perspectives.
Each member shares the imperative to develop outcomes that produce world-leading impact, public engagement and knowledge exchange opportunities from their research to benefit Trans+ inclusion and advocacy.
Our membership recognises and supports the Hidden Disability Sunflower 🌻 scheme.
We currently have members from across Australia, Canada, Romania, Spain, Sweden, UK and USA.
Membership since the TVCE began in 2024 until now, has included researchers affiliated with:
California State University San Marcos
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Durham University
Edge Hill University
Edinburgh Napier University
George Washington University
Kings College London
Kristianstad University
London Metropolitan University
Manchester Law School
Middlesex University
Oxford Brookes University
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
Sheffield Hallam University
Sordoni Art Gallery
Swansea University
The Open University
TransArt Institute
Transilience
University of Edinburgh
University of the Fraser Valley
University of Bristol
University of Dundee
University of Exeter
University of Glasgow
University of Maine
University of Oregon
University of Oxford
University of Plymouth
University of Portsmouth
University of Salford
University of Southern California
University of Stirling
University of Surrey
University of Sussex
University of Sydney
University of Vermont
Urban Soil Institute
Wilkes University
York University Toronto