As part of the Speaking Out project, the team have been running a programme of events over the past few months. Today, I thought I’d take the opportunity to let you know what we’ve been up to and what exciting events you can look forward to in the next few weeks as the exhibition finishes its run at the Museum of Edinburgh. We‘re also looking for collaborators around Scotland interested in working with us to plan events over the next year using the material gathered by the project.
The first event we held as part of the Museum of Edinburgh events programme was a drop-in feminist pin badge making session. We’ve held a couple of these now with the next one planned for Saturday, 21 January. I’ve been continually amazed by the outstanding artistic talent and thought people but into their badges and the pride they take in wearing them, pinning them onto their jackets immediately. The drop-in format and location in the kids activity zone within the museum has had its challenges, such as engaging children with the project themes – the two little boys who wanted to make dinosaur badges definitely thought I was a bit strange when I rather desperately suggested that perhaps the Tyrannosaurus Rex could be eating a misogynist! – but has also resulted in unexpected opportunities to learn from international visitors about women’s equality (or lack thereof) in countries around the world. This has also proved a popular event for group bookings with Fife Women’s Aid and the University of Edinburgh Feminist Society taking up the marker pens and making some fantastic creations.
Our series of lunchtime talks has been going well, although we’re always encouraging more people to come along to boost attendance! To date, I’ve spoken on the development of the exhibition, project co-ordinator Sarah Browne has discussed the connections between the Women’s Liberation and Women’s Aid movements, and Lesley Orr from Women’s History Scotland has explained the importance of recording women’s history and sharing the experiences of women involved with the Women’s Aid movement. Coming up this Thursday (12 January) we have gender history researcher Andrea Thomson speaking on oral history and its central role in the Speaking Out project. And, last in the series, on Thursday 26 January our project archivist Elizabeth O’Brien will discuss the work that’s taking place to make the Scottish Women’s Aid archive at Glasgow Women’s Library more accessible.
Back in November we held an event at Glasgow Women’s Library where we shared excerpts from some of the interviews collected thus far. We had a large number of women who attended: current and former Women’s Aid workers alongside women who had barely even heard of the movement before. After listening to the audio clips we discussed the themes covered. I found this listening and discussion session (and everyone I spoke to after agreed) to be incredibly moving and affirming. It’s extraordinary what women can achieve when they come together to support each other and hearing their stories in their own voices – and sharing that experience with a group of women – was really powerful. We will be running this event again the afternoon of this Saturday, 14 January and still have available spaces (free!). If you would like to book please contact Emma Gascoigne (emma.gascoigne@scottishwomensaid.org.uk).
We also held a creative writing workshop in November which responded to the Speaking Out exhibition and explored themes of women writing and women supporting women led by the wonderful poet Nadine Aisha. It was a fantastic afternoon of honest dialogue, sharing, and exploring the power of words. You can read some of the beautiful poems written by those who attended here. We will be holding a second creative writing workshop the morning of Saturday, 28 January (last day the exhibition is open at the Museum of Edinburgh – come along and make a day of it!). There are still spaces available so contact Emma Gascoigne if you would like to book (again, it’s free!).
We’ve held an office screening of the project film and also showed it as part of the activities for the Scottish Women’s Aid Open Day held in early December. We’re very much looking forward to officially launching the film at a Parliamentary reception in February (slightly after the fact as lots of people have already seen it as part of the exhibition but better late than never!). Our filmmaker Helena Ӧhman and volunteer film interviewers have done an amazing job. One of my favourite parts of my role with this project is seeing people’s reactions to the material we’ve gathered and responses to the film are always a huge highlight.
Phew, we’ve been busy! The project team are really excited to start planning events around the country in 2017 to share the inspiring history of Women’s Aid in Scotland but we need your help. If you know of an organisation or group that would be keen to work with us (doesn’t have to be Women’s Aid) let us know! We’re happy to give lectures/talks/exhibition tours, run pin badge making and oral history listening/discussion sessions, show screenings of the film or work with you to develop a different event using the project material.
