Olly Alexander and jasmine.4.t have been confirmed among the first artists taking part in Transpose London 2026, a songwriting and production camp designed to support trans+ creatives in the music industry.
The three-day event, organised by SongTeller, will take place at a secret London location from 12 - 14 October and will pair nine artists with trans+ songwriters and producers. Also announced for this year's edition are Canadian rapper and producer Haviah Mighty, Ivor Novello Award-winning singer-songwriter Sans Soucis and Manchester indie-electronic act Porij.
Transpose was launched to address barriers faced by trans+ musicians and songwriters. According to research from the UK Musicians' Union, more than half of trans+ musicians have experienced discrimination related to their gender identity, while only 15% earn all of their income from music, compared with around a third of LGBTQ+ musicians overall.
The songwriting camp is being delivered in partnership with The Ivors Academy, Sound Royalties, QUBE and the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance (ICMP). The London event follows previous editions in the capital, at The Great Escape festival and, most recently, in Toronto this summer.
Songwriter SATCH, who founded Transpose and co-chairs The Ivors Academy's LGBTQIA+ Advocacy Group, said the initiative was created to "equalise opportunities" for trans+ songwriters and producers. "Every trans+ creative we work with already has a track record of success, they just face more barriers than their cisgender peers," SATCH said. "Transpose lets them be the majority in the room, for a change."
The songwriter also pointed to growing hostility towards trans people and concerns about the impact of artificial intelligence on music creators as reasons why the project remains important.
Olly Alexander, who took part in last year's camp, said he was looking forward to returning. "I'm really excited to be taking part in Transpose," he said. "It's initiatives like these that promote the incredible trans talent we have in an industry that still has a lot of systemic barriers."
Meanwhile, jasmine.4.t, the first UK artist signed to Phoebe Bridgers' Saddest Factory Records, described songwriting as "an important outlet in a world that is so violent towards our community". "That is why a space like Transpose, a songwriting camp for trans+ artists, means so much," she said.
The organisers say further artists, songwriters and producers will be announced in the coming days.
Transpose comes amid increasing recognition for trans+ songwriters in the UK. Kae Tempest won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Contemporary Song in both 2024 and 2026, while Sans Soucis received the prize in 2025. Earlier this year, MNEK was also honoured by The Ivors Academy for songwriting achievements and advocacy work supporting LGBTQ+ talent.
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