Our Programming

Artist Residencies & Activist Retreats

Overview

We offer two experiences aimed at supporting trans and/or BIPOC artists and activists:

Rest-focused: Rest and relax through a restorative break in a quiet, laid-back atmosphere. If you’re in the mood for solitude, you can explore the land or book solo time at the pool. We are also happy to offer suggestions of day trips to the lake, coast, redwoods, or hot springs.

Work-focused: Take time to create apart from the demands of daily life. Whether you need space for large-scale works, the freedom to be noisy without bothering neighbors, and/or the natural environment is part of your practice (like filming in the woods or recording bird songs for experimental music), we’re here to help co-create a meaningful experience. If you’re developing an organization or project, we can arrange free sessions with a marketing, fundraising, storytelling, or organizational development professional.

Amenities

During their retreat or residency, artists and activists have exclusive access to a 12x24 ft room with a closet, full bed, desk, and working area.

Shared amenities include:

  • Full kitchen access

  • Bathroom

  • Outdoor recreation area with pool, grill, and fire pit

  • 32 acres of land, including 16 acres of forest

  • Optional family-style meals (for a small fee)

We are near Ukiah, where you can find cute restaurants, grocery stores, and affordable big box stores (Costco, Walmart, Home Depot, etc.). We’re also close to Lake Mendicino, camping, and several hot springs. We offer up to a week of free lodging and are happy to help make reservations or plans to ensure you have a good experience.

Community Gatherings

What is a trans cultural hub? A place where we experiment, learn, and play together. Trans Bloom seeks to co-create portals into an alternate demensions where creativity is unleashed. We invite our community to participate in making meaningful and unique experiences where we can come together, be ourselves, and heal.

Our signature event will be Tranifest, an interdisciplinary transgender arts festival with a rotating theme each year.

Want to be our first?

We’re an all-volunteer group developing our programming, with the goal of launching a formal artist resident application process in early 2025. If you’re interested in coming sooner, we’re open to discussing options on a one-on-one basis. We ask that ingural residents contribute by participating in the needs assessment, volunteering, or making a donation. If you have a specific collaboration in mind like painting a mural, building a gazebo, or hosting you in an RV, make a proposal to kick off the conversation.

 FAQs

  • For us, being BIPOC-centered means that the majority of our organizing committees, event attendees, and staff will be both trans and BIPOC. We are committed to centering our community's needs across all levels of the organization. Some Trans Bloom events will be explicitly for a specific sub-community (like an Asian Trans Masculine camp), and some events will be open to our wider community, which includes white and/or non-trans partners. mentors, collaborators, etc.

  • We are constantly working to make Trans Bloom more financially and physically accessible. Please reach out if you are interested in volunteering or donating to support these efforts.

    Financially: All of our programming is free or offered on a sliding scale.

    Physically: Because Trans Bloom does not own space, the physical accessibility of our events varies widely based on the venue. When hosting events in the Bay Area, we are strive to rent space that is 100% ADA-accessible. However, nature-based events are frequently only partially accessible. Residencies and retreats are hosted in a house with 3 steps that has a collapsable ramp. Fundraising to build an ADA-accessible path from the house to the amenities is underway.

    Nuerodivergence: We strive to create low sensory spaces at our events to accommodate various needs.

    Contact us with any specific accessibility-related questions, requests, or accommodations.

  • Come to an event! The best way to learn about what we are trying to do is to experience it. If you want to learn more about joining our organizing committee, volunteering, or contributing financially, visit our participate page.