TRANSTYX:
ART & INTERSECTIONALITY
The Transtyx Collective is Tunisia’s premier multidisciplinary incubator for independent, queer, and feminist artists. We are a self-sustaining ecosystem of creators and activists dedicated to using high art as a mobilized weapon for human rights, bodily autonomy, and social justice.
FOUNDING MEMBERS
The Transtyx Collective was founded in 2019, shortly after the highly successful premiere of the groundbreaking play TranStyX. Moncef Zahrouni, who wrote and directed the production, teamed up with visual artist Boshra, who led the project's visual design, and Manuela la Stela, who played an instrumental role in overseeing production management and coordinating the inclusive hiring process.
We adopted the name "Transtyx" to honor a production that marked a profound inflection point for both our founding members and the Tunisian LGBTQIA+ community. Beyond its artistic success, the play disrupted the local cultural landscape by introducing new, marginalized artists to the scene and pioneering innovative, inclusive ways of working.
Boshra
Jallali
Lead Art Director & Visual Designer
Boshra is an illustrator and graphic designer based in Tunis. Trained at the School of Fine Arts in Tunis, she develops a practice deeply rooted in graphic narratives, historiography, and social engagement. Convinced of art’s role as a catalyst for transformation and human rights advocacy, she dedicates her expertise to causes such as feminism, combating the erasure of minorities, environmental activism, gender equality, and individual liberties. Her portfolio includes projects such as Accelerating Gender Equality (KVINFO, 2019), the Mawjoudin Queer Film Festival (Mawjoudin, 2019 to 2022), TranStyX (the original play, literary anthology, and film, 2019 to 2022), Flagranti (theater production, 2022 to 2026), and 2034: TIWIZA (Égides, 2025 to 2026). She recently stepped into the role of Art Director for the theatrical production 2034: A Modest Proposal (2024 to 2026), the PointDoc festival (Doc House, 2024 to 2025), and the upcoming theatrical anthology Love in the time of P… (2025 to 2026).
Manuela
La Stella
Manuela La Stella
Coming Soon
Moncef
Zahrouni
Lead Creator, Writer, and Director
Moncef is a multidisciplinary artist and director who operates at the intersection of high art and human rights. Combining an academic background in software engineering with foundational training at El Teatro Studio, he brings a rigorous methodology to his decolonial, participatory art. As a founding member of the Transtyx Collective, Zahrouni centers marginalized, queer, and non-normative voices across the SWANA region, actively dismantling classism and ageism through intergenerational authorship. He strategically employs dark comedy, science fiction, and political satire as protective shields to safely and subversively unpack heavily guarded taboos, ranging from bodily autonomy to modern political hypocrisy. His diverse portfolio reflects a steadfast commitment to radical storytelling, evolving from experimental music and protest videos to major theatrical productions. He created TranStyX, a landmark play and cinematic film for transgender representation in North Africa, and recently conceived the critically acclaimed political satire 2034: A Modest Proposal. Continuing his mission to empower marginalized creators, Zahrouni is currently stepping back from the director's chair to mentor a predominantly FLINTA* and queer team for the eight-part theatrical anthology Love in the time of P….
Our Genesis:
From a Single Stage
to a Permanent Vanguard
What began as a single theatrical disruption has evolved into a permanent cultural institution. Founded in 2019 under the core motto "Art & Intersectionality," the collective was born alongside the premiere of Tunisia's first openly queer theatrical play, TranStyX (initially supported by the Zanoobya Association).
The unprecedented commercial and critical success of that original production—which reached thousands of spectators and expanded into a cinematic film, a published book, and a fashion show—proved an undeniable reality: there is a massive, urgent hunger for non-normative narratives in the MENA region. To meet that demand and protect these voices from conservative backlash, the Transtyx Collective was formalized into a permanent, multidisciplinary safe haven.
Our Core Commitments
Transnational & Decolonial Strategy
We actively reject patriarchal structures, centering our narratives around the lived realities of FLINTA* (Female, Lesbian, Intersex, Non-binary, Trans, and Agender) and queer individuals.
Anti-Erasure
We are committed to aggressively documenting and permanently archiving marginalized Tunisian histories so they cannot be deleted by state surveillance or societal amnesia.
Decentralization
We actively break the capital's cultural monopoly by prioritizing regional touring and remote capacity-building, ensuring art reaches underserved peripheries.
Our Ethos & Philosophy: The Protective Shield
of High Art
In a regional climate where traditional civil society advocacy often faces severe censorship and reactionary pushback, we utilize the performing and visual arts as a subversive avenue for social change. We believe in the disarming power of high art, dark comedy, and visceral storytelling to bypass societal defenses. This allows us to create safe, accessible spaces for audiences to critically engage with deeply entrenched taboos—from sexual and reproductive health (SRHR) to queer visibility and systemic inequality.
Dismantling Class Barriers:
From Passive Subjects
to Active Authors
For too long, marginalized youth and queer individuals have been treated merely as passive subjects in the media or statistics in NGO reports. The Transtyx Collective exists to shift this paradigm.
We recognize that access to the arts is heavily gatekept by class. Through our Fair Labor Guarantee, we actively dismantle these economic barriers. By prioritizing paid vocational fellowships, fair artistic wages, and subsidized training, we ensure that vulnerable creators are economically empowered to master their craft without relying on exploitative free labor. We equip them with the tools and the stages to become the professional authors of their own culture.
Inclusive Leadership:
Led By the Community, For the Community
The Transtyx Collective is not simply allied with the margins; it is led by them. Our core leadership and directorial teams are proudly composed of LGBTQ+ individuals, women, and invisibilized regional talents. By centering those most impacted by systemic erasure in the highest levels of our production pipeline, we ensure that our artistic vision remains authentic, unapologetic, and profoundly transformative.