Performances by: Ahya Simone, Green-House, Nina Keith, Devendra Banhart, CLARITY, Noah Klein, Cole Pulice, Jodie Landau, AV María, Teddy Geiger, Fashion Club, Portraits of Tracy, Kei Austin, plus special guests. Music director: David Longstreth (Dirty Projectors)
TRANSA—A Celebration is a festival of trans artistry inspired by the landmark 2024 concept album from Red Hot Organization, the storied activist art collective using music as a force for social impact and cultural dialogue. Under the artistic direction of David Longstreth (Dirty Projectors), this site-wide event features a bold lineup of musicians across the gender spectrum for live performances on the Courtyard Main Stage and sound installations in Robert Irwin’s Central Garden.
For over three decades, Red Hot Organization has fused music and activism, raising millions for HIV/AIDS awareness and advancing LGBTQ+ visibility. Its TRANSA project carries this legacy into a timely and urgent new chapter. To enrich the performances, visitors can explore a screening room featuring Red Hot’s archive of music videos, documentaries, and other rich media and artist collaborations from the 1980s to today. ONE Archives—home to the world’s largest collection of LGBTQ+ materials—will also create a pop-up reading room celebrating trans and non-binary histories.
The TRANSA album was conceived in 2021 by producer Dust Reid and artist-activist Massima Bell, and partly inspired by the late artist SOPHIE. It presents a spiritual and emotional journey with contributions from over 100 artists, including Sade (with “Young Lion” dedicated to her trans son), Sam Smith, Moses Sumney, Hunter Schafer, Beverly Glenn-Copeland, and André 3000, whose contribution is a 26-minute ambient work.
“Trans people have always existed, known by many names across time and culture, often as spiritual healers and leaders,” said Massima Bell, TRANSA co-producer. “In a world still grappling with profound challenges, our journeys — and those of all oppressed peoples — carry blueprints for possibility. TRANSA offers a glimpse of our collective liberation and the light that lives in all of us.”
This event is part of Getty's series Ever Present. Always free and open-ended, Ever Present showcases the intersections of poetry, performance, dance, music, and more.
