Lunchtime Lecture: Trans-Dar, Recognising Our Transgender Heritage at the V&A

Join Cas Bradbeer as they introduce their research into how trans historians and artists are working together to improve trans inclusion in heritage institutions. Enjoy a range of trans perspectives on objects at the V&A, from the poignant to the playful and downright punk! This talk’s focus is on a painting at the V&A that may represent Moll Cutpurse (a gender non-conforming performer and infamous celebrity in 17th-century London), as well as a series of recent theatrical productions that are inspired by archival evidence of this notorious non-conformist.

Cas Bradbeer is a V&A LGBTQIA+ Tour Guide who recently completed research projects on transgender art history at the V&A and the Royal College of Art. They have presented talks on LGBTQIA+ cultural heritage at the likes of the National Gallery of Ireland. They are currently an Assistant Curator at Strawberry Hill House & Garden (the former home of queer collector Horace Walpole) and have a freelance curatorial practice ranging from a recent showcase of intersectional feminist commodities at Ugly Duck to an exhibition of queer ecological art at IMT Gallery. In this talk, we ask the question, should we shy away from telling trans stories of museum objects when we don’t know for certain if they were made with trans intentions, or are there enriching and academically valid ways to platform creative interpretations of trans possibility at the V&A?