Posters courtesy of Feminist Archive South
The Feminist Archive South is planning to kick start a year of projects to celebrate its 40th anniversary with an invitation to explore some of the most radical and striking posters held by the University of Bristol’s Special Collections. The event, which will take place on 31st January from 2-5pm, will be the first of a series of monthly collaborative workshops seeking to engage new audiences with the archive.
The Feminist Archive South holds over 160 metres of inspirational materials collected by activists documenting the progression of feminist politics since the 1960s. Our drive for the next era in the FAS is to create new opportunities for discover the diversity of our collections, explore the intersectionality of materials and bring untold feminist narratives to light.
These sessions will enable participants to learn about archive cataloguing, have a good rummage in our collections and meet people who are interested in the feminist archive. No previous experience is necessary – we welcome anyone curious about the archive to come along and find out more.
The archive sessions will lay the foundations for the 40th anniversary projects, within which we plan to develop cutting-edge learning resources and a new exhibition based on topics such as gender in education, migration and transnational feminisms.
The workshop launch on 31st January will be a chance to see and research posters ranging from politics and performing arts to violence and Reclaim the Night.
The dates for the first four events are 31 Jan, 14 Feb, 21 March and 18 April from 2-5pm at Special Collections, UoB Arts and Social Sciences Library (wheelchair accessible). If you are interested in attending or have any questions please get in touch by emailing [email protected]. Numbers are limited therefore registration is essential.
Two free workshops that invite the people of Bristol to
Describe, categorise and tag artefacts from the Feminist Archive South.
Collectively…
Discover:
Why archive catalogues, especially within a digital environment, are important
Explore:
How your contributions can transmit feminist history into the future
Imagine:
New ways to describe the contents of the feminist archive
Who are these workshops for?
Anyone who wants to help enrich feminism’s archival records and ensure they are preserved for the long term.
No previous experience of archives is necessary, as you will be guided through the exercise in a supportive way.
Please note this is a hands-on, participatory workshop. Attendees will respond in writing or orally to archive material and, later, share descriptions with the group.
When?
Wednesday 28 June 2-5pm
Workshop theme: Immigration, Asylum and anti-deportation activism
&
Wednesday 5 July 2-5pm
Workshop theme: Health and the body
Special Collections
Arts and Social Sciences Library
University of Bristol
Tyndall Avenue
Bristol
BS8 1TJ
Wow, this sounds cool, how can I take part?
Workshops are free to attend but numbers are limited.
Registration is therefore essential.
Please email [email protected] to book your place, or if you have any questions.
Volunteer/ creche expenses available
Arts and Social Sciences Library is a wheelchair accessible venue, please get in touch if you have further access needs
Two important Festival of Ideas events are taking place in April and May that will be of interest to feminists in Bristol.
Combatting Violence Against Women Internationally and in Iraqi Kurdistan
Wed 12 April 2017
19:00-20:30
Waterstones
Price: £6/ £4
Violence against women is a widespread global problem, experienced by one in three of the world’s women (World Health Organisation). Gill Hague and Nazand Begikhani, from the pioneering Centre for Gender and Violence Research, of which Hague was one of the founders 27 years ago, explore how we can combat gender-based violence and transform women’s lives internationally, offering inspiring approaches from across the world.
They also discuss gendered violence and ‘honour’-based violence in the context of the Middle East, focussing on Iraqi Kurdistan Region, and highlight some of the life-changing projects and activism in combatting violence against women there. While the subject is a distressing one, the event will showcase the transformatory and uplifting work of activists against violence against women internationally.
Out of the Backstreet: 50 Years of the Abortion Act
Sat 27 May 2017
19:30-20:45
At-Bristol
Price: £7/£6
The 1967 Abortion Act is marked as an historic victory for the pro-choice movement and an important part of Britain’s social history. The Act took abortion out of the backstreet, particularly for poor and working class women, and introduced safe, legal abortion. Now 50 years on more people than ever before support women’s right to choose and make their own reproductive decisions in Britain.
Kerry Abel (Abortion Rights Chair), journalist Reni Eddo-Lodge, Sally Sheldon (Professor of Law, University of Kent – pictured) and sociologist Jackie West (University of Bristol) discuss the Act, from examining how it was won and commemorating the activists to exploring current barriers to abortion access.
***
We are planning some public workshops for late June, news of these will be released very soon!
Feminist Archive South are taking part in an event to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Bristol Women’s Centre.
Forty Years a Feminist: Bristol’s Feminist Activism
Mon 17 October 2016
18:00-21:00
Wickham Theatre
Price: £5
The Bristol Women’s Centre opened in September 1976 at 44 The Grove.
Focus for many feminist campaigns, the Centre offered pregnancy testing, and advice on legal issues, accommodation, contraception, domestic violence and rape.
“Forty Years a Feminist” commemorates Bristol’s feminist activism with a panel discussion, the launch of Miriam David’s book Reclaiming Feminism, and a party to celebrate four decades of achievement.
Chaired by Helen Taylor, the panel – Liz Bird, Helen Dunmore, Ellen Malos, Pam Trevithick and Jackie West – represents various campaigns and activities within the mid-1970s Bristol’s Women’s Liberation group.
There will be exhibitions from Feminist Archive South and the University Women’s Theatre Collection.
Sponsored by Policy Press and The University of Bristol.
This new documentary about the Gulabi Gang, a group of women activists in Northern India is being screened in Bristol in November.
GULABI GANG
Saturday 8th November, Silai Centre, Easton Road, Doors open from 6pm, film starts at 7pm
Suggested donation £3
Nishtha Jain, a film maker from India will be visiting Bristol on 8th November for a very special screening of her latest film, Gulabi Gang, a documentary about an inspirational group of women working in Northern India to challenge gender violence and state corruption.
Please join us for this exciting screening and unique opportunity to learn about the activism against gender violence happening in India at the moment.
*GULABI GANG*
Norway/India/Denmark/2012/Hindi with English Subtitles
A film by Nishtha Jain(India), produced by Oscar and Emmy nominated
Torstein Grude(Norway) and Signe Sorenson(Denmark)
*Synopsis*
Enter the badlands of Bundelkhand in central India and you have entered a
place of desolation, dust and despair. This film follows the Gulabi Gang,
an unusual group of rural women led by the energetic and charismatic Sampat
Pal. They travel long distances to fight for the rights of women and
Dalits. Often they encounter resistance, apathy and corruption, even
ridicule. Sometimes whole villages connive against them to protect the
perpetrators of violence. While we see Gulabi Gang members struggling
against gender violence and state corruption, we also see the flip side –
members getting sucked by the trappings of their new found power. Breaking
away from the deep-rooted patriarchal structure is a challenge even for the
most fearless amongst them. The film pulls us into the centre of these
blazing conflicts and uncovers a complex story about the nature of power
itself.
*AWARDS AND HONORS*
Best Documentary, Dubai International Film Festival, 2012
Best Documentary, Kortfilmfestivalen, Norway 2012
Amnesty International Award for Human Rights, Planete-doc Review, Warsaw
First Amnesty International Human Rights Award, Tri-Continental IFF, South
Africa 2013
Best Documentary, International Association of Women in Radio &
Television(IAWRT) 2013
Best Director, Mumbai International Film Festival, Mumbai, 2014
Best Documentary(Social Issues), National Awards, India, 2014
Best Non-feature Editing, National Awards, India, 2014
Best Protagonist, ImagineIndia, Madrid 2014 & many more!
*Nishtha Jain* is an award winning filmmaker based in Mumbai. She has directed several films including the critically acclaimed
*City of Photos(2005)* and *Lakshmi and Me(2008). *She’s a graduate of
FTII, Pune and Jamia Mass communication Research Centre.
http://www.raintreefilms.net
http://www.lakshmiandme.com
Please sign and share this petition to help protect women only homelessness services in Bristol.
Women only accommodation is currently under threat as part of Bristol City Council’s commissioning plan for medium level homelessness services.
The option currently favoured by Bristol City Council is to reduce the number of women only accommodation from 34 units to 10 units.
The evidence is that more women are accessing and needing services and that they continue to be in need of safe and secure women only accommodation.
Please sign this petition to pledge your support for women only accommodation and urge Bristol City Council to reconsider their proposal to reduce this vital and specialist service in Bristol.
For more information visit the Missing Link website.