I was approached by Create Gloucestershire to work with pupils from Ribston Hall School to produce artworks celebrating the centenary of Women’s Suffrage. The artworks would take inspiration from my own artwork – ‘Vote 100 Gloucester’ and be displayed in Gloucester Library.
I created a collage to celebrate Gloucester’s involvement in the suffrage movement. The image is of Dorothea Beale (Principle of Cheltenham Ladies College and prominent in educational reform and the Suffrage movement). The words forming the halo around her come from a pamphlet advertising a talk in Gloucester by Miss Pankhurst. The words are interspersed with lines of dashes and dots which take their inspiration from Morse code, spelling out 'vote 100 Gloucester'. One of my solargraph images acts as the backdrop. It was taken over a 6 month period in Gloucester so it both anchors the image in geographical space but also illustrates the passage of time (can be reminiscent of the rings on a tree trunk). And the colours I chose are inspired by the Suffragette colours.
Following conversations with the school Librarian we decided to explore the students’ contemporary response to the centenary celebrations. In preparation she asked the students to read Anna Carey’s book ‘The Making of Mollie’ and ‘Things A Bright Girl Can Do’ by Sally Nicholls. I mocked up an example piece for inspiration and then encouraged the students to create their own responses to the Vote 100 celebrations.
I loved working with the students and they worked hard to produce a range of collages. The result is an authentic mix of voices, drawing inspiration from contemporary authors and activists alongside historical figures. Each artwork is unique but together there is a common thread. The workshop created space for the next generation of young women to share their thoughts and inspirations. The collection is being exhibited at Gloucester Library - take a look – they have a lot to say!
