portrait of britain shortlist volume 8
My portrait of Kat, coach of Liverpool Trans and Enby FC has been shortlisted for The British Journal of Photography's Portrait of Britain Vol.8.
Kat told me: “I started Liverpool Trans and Enby FC because I wanted to be a part of a community where I wasn’t the minority. I didn’t want the pressure of negotiating pronouns or battling for gender neutral terms on the pitch; I didn’t want to feel isolated for being non-binary, or to be the only trans player. It’s important for the trans community to see that we exist as a group, as a majority in a space, on a pitch, and we can have fun and socialise as ourselves.”
Liverpool Trans and Enby FC is a grassroots football club ran by and for trans and non-binary players. The portrait was taken as part of a creative commission I worked on in response to the 2024 tour of LS Lowry’s ‘Going to the Match’, which was on display in ‘Level Playing Field: stories from Liverpool Trans and Enby FC’ at the Williamson Art Gallery & Museum in Birkenhead.
You only need to turn on the news to understand why this work matters. I wanted to amplify the voices of trans and non-binary footballers, typically under-represented in football narratives. At a time when trans people face increasing hostility and discrimination, it feels more urgent than ever to create space for their stories to be seen and heard. Thank you Kat, for sharing your story and allowing me to take the portrait
The commission was supported by The Lowry, Salford, Arts Council England, The Law Family Charitable Foundation and the Sir Bobby Charlton Foundation.
The work one of 200 shortlisted images which will feature in the Portrait of Britain Vol. 8 photobook, published by Bluecoat Press 100 winners will be selected and announced in January.
With thanks to BJP, judges and sponsors: We Present, Rene Matic, Sophie Parker, Dennis Morris, Claire Rees, Alice Zoo, Mick Moore, Tom Booth Woodger and Vivienne Gamble.
