5/13/2019 0 Comments Workshops at One Paved CourtCreative Womb workshop with Womb Doula Justine EvansThe womb is considered the "creative centre" of your body. To complete this series of workshops womb doula Justine Evans invited the audience to reconnect with this area of their body using visualisation and mindful art. Justine Evans ND is a Hormone Alchemist & womb doula. A registered naturopath and nutritional therapist Justine integrates a mind/body approach to reproductive wellbeing. Justine can be contacted on 07747 133170 https://www.justineevans.co.uk/ Maternal Journal - Automatic drawings workshop with Artist, Midwife and Birth Activist Laura Godfrey-Isaacs.Maternal Journal provides a positive outlet for some of the new feelings and challenges we experience, both physically and emotionally in pregnancy and new parenthood. Automatic drawing introduced participants to intuitive mark making with a variety of materials. Initially used by the Surrealists artists, it helps guiding in expressing hidden thoughts and feelings. www.maternaljournal.org Mindful Crochet with Barbara Touati-EvansIt's the same process. Whether making a piece of work or running a workshop, I start with defining the space. For this mindful crochet session at the One Paved Court Gallery Richmond as part of Desperate Artwives' the 'The M Word' exhibition, we made our nest upstairs around the installation Boobs by Kathy Howe. I felt really inspired and at home within the space and the exhibition. Just like other artists in the show, my art practise developed from the practical and emotional necessities of being a mother and enabled me to process all sorts of emotions, including difficult ones, linked to motherhood. The medium of crochet lends itself to exploring issues of protection, connections and imprisonment. The starting point for the session was the chain stitch, which I consider the "mother" stitch of crochet, the stitch from which all other stitches start. Immersed in the repetitive movements of crochet, we had rich nourishing conversations . We talked about the art of being a doula, about homeopathy, about sound frequencies, about mental health. We mainly used our fingers to crochet instead of a traditional hook to make the experience more sensory. Some had already done crochet before, some were new to the practise. Interesting pieces emerged: a long chain with leafy bits, a nipple like shape, a small hat. All left enthused by their introduction to the craft and a desire to pursue it and in some cases to include it into their own professional practise. Blog entry by Artist Barbara Touati-Evans Susan Merrick - Clothing ExchangeArtist Susan Merrick created a clothing exchange with a difference. Using donated clothing from the areas in which she works and lives, the artist set up a space of discussion and exchange. Audience members were invited into the space to choose an item of clothing to take away. In exchange they were encouraged to ‘offer’ something of their own. People have responded by removing their own clothing, writing poetry or a story, telling a joke or sharing experience, showing a dance, creating a sketch or even offering a free clothing alteration service! The clothing exchange offers an opportunity to engage with a different audience, one who may not usually enter the formal space of a gallery. By inviting members of the public to take part in an exchange they are not only welcomed into the space, but into the work and topics of debate around the wider exhibition and project. Clothing Exchange (2018) was developed by Susan Merrick as part of her ongoing project Statements in Semaphore which seeks to explore social engagement and artistic partnerships. www.statementsinsemaphore.co.uk www.susanmerrick.co.uk
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5/4/2019 0 Comments Artists' TalkGallery owner Paul introducing the 'The M Word' project at the Artists Talk. "I believe it's important to open discussion and develop new pathways for mothers and work towards eradicating the stigma of maternal mental health." - Amy Dignam Founder of Desperate Artwives and curator of the 'The M Word' exhibition "One thing that i found about motherhood is that it really does have a way of breaking you but also making you" - Mo Ade Founder Mother of the Maternal Journal "Must she always be loving , caring, perfect and ideal? Must he always be passive and take the role of the victim? Can a portrait of mother and child depict a spectrum of emotions rather than a singular feeling as the mother-child theme was narrated in classical iconography? What will be the impact on our society, if the mother will be allowed having mixed emotions towards her child and the child will also be allowed to take a different role than victim?" - Leni Dothan "As I look back at this work, these big babies sometimes it's not even him, it's me as well and i feel that when we have children and we face them they reflect us back the whole time." - Sophia Marinkov- Jones Katy Howe "Motherhood is all you perform and it's an all consuming role.My children call me by my first name, they call me 'Dawn'... it feels weird for them to call me 'Mum' so i guess in a sense, I perform motherhood but it's hard for me to embrace it" - Dawn Yow 5/2/2019 0 Comments Opening NightA big thank you for everybody that came to the 'The M Word' opening night. |
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