CLUBSCORE's Fantasy Museum of Trans Sporting Excellence and Portal to Other Dimensions

CLUBSCORE is a queer sports and art collective centring the experiences of trans and gender non-conforming people in sports and games. Trans and gender diverse (TGD) people have been consistently excluded and discriminated against in every modern sport, game and physical activity. Limited access to safe spaces to train and play, exclusion from sporting communities, outdated binary classifications of “mens and women’s leagues” and harmful rhetoric about trans athletes being spouted from politicians and on social media means that TGD people often can’t join in the activities that are so often talked about as being “for everyone”.

The Fantasy Museum of Trans Sporting Excellence and Portal to Other Dimensions imagines a queer universe where trans and gender non-conforming athletes have always been included and celebrated.

Co-created by artists Zev Aviv and Ketura Budd, the Fantasy Museum responds to historical and current injustice, and calls the future we want into being, using a mix of creative arts practices, games and sports activities. Designed to bring trans and gender non-conforming people and the broader queer community together to mourn, celebrate, and strategise, this installation was first presented on Ngunnawal country as part of the "Uncharted Territory" innovation festival in 2023. During the installation, we engaged local fitness professionals and artists to run workshops, and presented an "Opening Ceremony for Queer Futures" - featuring a line up of local drag artists.

The Museum features four "fantasy athletes", sharing images, artefacts and text that fill out a picture of their life and achievements in an alternate reality. We created the look and feel of a real museum, but with Fantasy Athletes instead of real TGD people, because we wanted to take a step back from the complexities of the reality we occupy. We intentionally left out conversations

around hormones, biology and exact logistics of trans athletes in sport because we are not interested in the “Debate”. The Fantasy Museum was intentionally joyful, playful, and silly. We created space for imagination to run wild, to feel uplifted and excited about the possibilities, while also holding space to collectively mourn the opportunities that have been missed, the athletes who haven’t got to exist.

Through our exhibition, we created a safe and inclusive space for queer,  and particularly trans and gender diverse, people to gather and express themselves, fostering community and solidarity. The exhibition was educational for those unfamiliar with the challenges faced by TGD individuals in sports, promoting understanding and empathy. The CLUBSCORE team was present all throughout the entire exhibition, allowing for intimate conversations with attendees, ranging from those directly affected by identity-based exclusion to allies seeking to learn and connect. We also included an area for reflection, conversation, and creativity (plus snacks and cups of tea) in the foyer of the exhibition to further foster connection and togetherness.

Multiple attendees voiced interest in a national tour of the exhibition, underscoring its relevance and impact, prompting us to develop a portable version, ensuring broader accessibility and outreach opportunities. We are grateful for the

support received thus far and are committed to expanding the reach of our initiative to amplify the voices of trans and gender diverse people, and advocate for inclusivity in sports and beyond.

We're currently developing the tourable version. If you would like to support that development, or enquire about bringing the Fantasy Museum to your town, festival, gallery or pride event, please get in touch!