about wesleigh

Wesleigh Gates is a transfeminine artist and researcher building collective structures of connection and solidarity through performance. She is currently a PhD candidate in Culture and Performance at UCLA.

Wesleigh holds an MFA in Directing from Carnegie Mellon University and has extensive experience as a producing artist and generator of performance projects. Her original work has shown in Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Boston; she has also performed in work by artists including Julie Tolentino, Caden Manson/Big Art Group, Emily Barasch, Brendan Drake, and Dan Safer/Witness Relocation. Wesleigh has received residencies from Los Angeles Performance Practice and Kelly Strayhorn Theater, a commission from the New Hazlett Theater (Pittsburgh), and support from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts and the Frank-Ratchye Fund for Art at the Frontier.

Wesleigh’s scholarly work bridges trans studies and performance studies; her dissertation project investigates collective movement practices in trans communities across Los Angeles. She has received the Fulbright/Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad award (later terminated by the Trump administration for perpetuating “gender ideology”!), the Thomas Marshall Graduate Student Award from the American Society for Theatre Research (where she co-convenes the Transfeminisms Working Group), and numerous merit awards from UCLA and CMU. She has been published in PARtake: The Journal of Performance as Research, Gulf Coast Journal, and most recently in a special issue of Media-N on trans new media art, with work forthcoming in TSQ: Transgender Studies Quarterly.

When not making, writing, or reading, you might find Wesleigh hiking, raving, or throwing hands with Trans Boxing LA.

CONTACT:

wesleigh.gates [at] gmail.com
wesleigh [at] ucla.edu