Charlie Craggs, 24, is a trans activist and the founder of award winning national campaign Nail Transphobia. Charlie was ranked #1 on the Observer's 2016 New Radicals list, a list of radical social innovators in Britain, and was also named one of the most influential and inspirational LGBT people in the UK by both the Guardian and the Independent on the Rainbow List and Pride Power List. She has starred in campaigns for Selfridges, the Victoria & Albert Museum and Stonewall, and regularly writes and speaks about trans issues for numerous publications, on the news (BBC, ITV & Sky) and even at the Houses of Parliament. She's currently working on her first book, due late 2017.
"Charlie Craggs is a powerhouse"
— The Victoria & Albert Museum
Projects
- NAIL TRANSPHOBIANail Transphobia tackles transphobia through nail art, it's fabulous activism! Founder Charlie Craggs travels around the UK with her pop up nail salon to museums, galleries and festivals and offers the public free manicures, giving people the chance to sit down and have a chat with a trans person, because most people haven't met one before yet often have a lot of misconceptions about them from poor and exploitative media representation. Charlie explains, "this gives us the chance to sit down
- Selfridges HOT AIR Presents: Incredible MachinesAs originally published by Selfridges. Contemporary notions of underwear have been largely formed by the male gaze. Sexualised advertising imagery of women in heighted poses and impossible designs are worlds apart from the daily reality of dressing in undergarments. This film explores the unseen relationship five women have with their bodies and their undergarments. A film by Kathryn Ferguson Featuring Michele Lamy (Creative Collaborator, business partner and Muse at Rick Owens), Sharmadean
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Projects credited in
- Friday Late: Mirror MirrorFrom the playful to the political, be inspired by those defining beauty for themselves, we look to disrupt the ideal.2
- Claws Out For Trans | Nail ItFighting for a world where violence against trans women is a thing of the past. Hate crimes and violence against trans women are increasing year on year. The community is in desperate need of allies so that more people are willing to stand up in their defence. Most people have never met a trans person before. But once that emotional connection has been made, they are much more likely to push back against transphobia. Enter trans-activist Charlie Craggs, who we teamed up with to create Nail I29
- Uniqlo Tate Lates February 2019Celebrating women in the arts <333
- Queer & Now FestivalQueer and Now celebrates the powerful role of LGBTQ+ arts and culture in today's society In 2017, Tate Britain’s exhibition, Queer British Art (1861–1967) looked through a queer lens at a century of art prior to the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in England and Wales.
- Meet 100 LGBT+ Trailblazers Redefining the Creative IndustryWe asked influential LGBT+ icons to nominate trailblazers who they believe are redefining the creator landscape. The result? A unique and incredible list of 100 trailblazing LGBT+ folk breaking barriers and inspiring change! We’re on a mission to explore and tackle inequalities in the creative industry - this is why we run diversity initiatives, dedicating our curated projects and people sections on The Dots to undersung groups. This brings together an abundance of dazzling work from diverse cr103
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Work history
Founder
Freelance
Nail Transphobia tackles transphobia through nail art, it's fabulous activism! Founder Charlie Craggs travels around the UK with her pop up nail salon to museums, galleries and festivals and offers the public free manicures, giving people the chance to sit down and have a chat with a trans person, because most people haven't met one before yet often have a lot of misconceptions about them from poor and exploitative media representation. Charlie explains, "this gives us the chance to sit down and have a chat, they can ask me questions about being trans and I can teach them how to be an ally, but the most important part of the interaction for me is just having a laugh and a chat because what I'm really trying to do with my campaign, as well as educate, is humanise the issue and show that trans people are just normal (actually pretty nice) people; I want people to go away with more than just a manicure, I want them to go away an ally. I'm trying to change hearts and minds a nail at a time."
Since setting up the campaign in 2013, Charlie has travelled around the UK nailing transphobia everywhere from prestigious institutions like the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Science Museum to the Festivals like Gay Pride London and Fringe Festival, and has collaborated with brands like Lush, Asos and Selfridges.
Skills
- Education
- Activism
- Social Engagement
- Nails
- Nail Art
- Event Production
- Collaboration
- Innovation
Awards
#1 on the Observer's 2016 New Radicals list
A list of radical social innovators in Britain.Huffington Post's LGBT+ People Who Made 2016 A Year To Remember
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