Women's Views on News |
- When the whole world walks out
- Events 22 – 29 July
- Sports round-up: 16 – 21 July
- Female abstract artists: final week
| When the whole world walks out Posted: 22 Jul 2013 08:11 AM PDT
Content warning for stories of sexual abuse Tanya Weaver and Lina Statham of the Regency Runners, a women's running group based in Leamington Spa, recently organised a fund-raising ball for the Coventry Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre (CRASAC). The ball, held on 13 July, at Warwick Boys School, raised £2500, and was a celebration of the much needed work that CRASAC does. Over the last year, CRASAC, which relies on voluntary donations for many of its services, has supported 5000 women, men and children from the age of 5 years old upwards who have suffered sexual violence. A speech at the event, made by Sarah Learmonth, CRASAC's communications and development officer, made clear the importance of the work that CRASAC carries out. She changed the names of the people mentioned. "I'd like to tell you a story,” she said. “Once upon a time there was a little girl called Neesha, she was a happy girl with 4 sisters who lived with her mother and father. One day Neesha's moved-loved father died, and within months her mother had married another man. Neesha told us "Downstairs, I can hear my sisters playing, I so desperately wanted to be there, playing with them… but I couldn't. I'm in the bedroom with the man who came into my life and took away my childhood. I was nine years old." The abuse went on until Neesha left home at 15. At 27 and with a child of her own, Neesha decided she would take her own life. She put her daughter to bed, collected the pills and sat down. But her daughter woke up, demanding attention as children do. It was pure coincidence that Neesha was booked in for her first counselling session at CRASAC the next day. She said, “From then I started getting help. But it's a long journey. I think what people need to understand is certain words, smiles, places, times, it all could affect you. It can bring everything flooding back." After getting support from CRASAC, Neesha decided to report her abuse and after a year-long investigation and a difficult court process she saw her perpetrator convicted. She told me, "We're not just a number or statistic, we're living people who need that help and we need to rebuild our lives because our lives have been shattered through no fault of our own.” I asked her if she would tell her story anonymously on the radio, she did and was heard by a 52 year old man, Richard, who called our helpline. He said, "I knocked on the door very quietly and whispered 'Can I have a little help?' You threw the door open, you didn't judge me, you didn't laugh at me when I told you what had happened. “This, after 40 years of silence, 40 years of thinking 'Who will believe a middle-aged man?' “If it wasn't for CRASAC I have no idea where I would be now. My wife says I would be in prison, I don't think I'd be around. It scares me to think about it." Richard had been abused by a family friend in his early teens and had never told anyone. After a year of support Richard found the courage not only to report his abuse but to tell his wife of over 30 years what had happened to him. When the court case was over he decided he wanted to tell his story, again anonymously, to help other people like him. As a result of hearing Richard's story, three more people who had been abused by the same man contacted CRASAC. One of them said to us, "It is thanks to you giving the support to Richard that I contacted you. I have you to thank as much as him for ending 30 years of keeping secrets inside that destroyed everything that mattered to me. I never thought in a million years I would be believed." These are the stories of only a handful of the survivors that CRASAC supports every year. And as one survivor told us: "It's important to have a service like this which walks into your life when the whole world walks out.” The CRASAC Helpline number for women, men and children who have experienced rape or sexual abuse is 02476 277777. It is staffed Monday-Friday from 10am-2pm, and Mondays and Thursdays from 6-8pm. Rape Crisis England and Wales can be contacted here. To find out more about CRASAC, or to donate, click here.  |
| Posted: 22 Jul 2013 04:05 AM PDT
Activism: 27 July: Beautiful Bodies Beach Bikini Bash at Southsea Beach, Hampshire A gathering on Southsea beach, promoted by the Hampshire Feminist Collective, to celebrate body diversity. An attack on the unattainable standards set by media and popular culture. All genders/ungendered/non-binary people welcome, all body types encouraged. Invite everyone you know to be part of this event. And remember that if you’re on a beach, in your body, it’s a beach body. 21 – 27 July Walk for Women Brighton to London It is split into sections so that people can do a whole day walking, or half a day, or just meet us somewhere for lunch, and it ends in Hyde Park on the Saturday 27 July with speakers at Hyde Park Corner, including Laura Bates of The Everyday Sexism Project and comedians Kate Smurthewaite and Sara Pascoe, followed by a picnic in the park. 27/28 July: Walk for Women London and Glasgow 100 years ago in 1913, 50,000 women from all across Britain walked to London and converged in Hyde Park. They were making a powerful statement to government that women wanted the vote. They took action and made a positive change. Join women around the country to remember those women, and all those who fought to give women a voice. Check out the other walks to see if there is one you can get to. Art: Until 8 September: Keep Your Timber Limber (Works on paper) at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA), The Mall, London, SW1Y ‘Keep Your Timber Limber (Works on Paper)’ explores how artists from the 1940s to the present day have used drawing to address ideas critical and current to their time, ranging from the politics of gender and sexuality, to feminist issues, war and censorship. The exhibition brings together the work of eight artists: Judith Bernstein, Tom of Finland, George Grosz, Margaret Harrison, Mike Kuchar, Cary Kwok, Antonio Lopez, and Marlene McCarty. Exhibitions: Until 3 November: Women in the Workhouse at The Workhouse, Upton Road, Southwell, Nottinghamshire Drawing on oral history archives, the exhibition focuses on the involvement of women in workhouses in a range of areas, through testimonies including those of a former Matron, nurse, seamstress, hairdresser, cook and inmate, all of which help to provide an insight into the changing nature of workhouse life. Artefacts, correspondence and photographs provide further insight into the often harsh reality of women’s lives during a period of great social change. Women also played an important role in bringing about change within the workhouse system through their involvement as social reformers and Guardians. The exhibition is brought up to date with current staff reflecting on their roles and what The Workhouse means to them. See website for admission prices. Fundraisers: 25 July: Third Table Quiz for Choice at Doyles, 9 College Street, Dublin Proceeds will go toward the second annual March for Choice. Get your clever-brain on, bring some mates or come on your own and you’ll be placed on a table full of lovely pro-choice people. Tickets €5. Theatre: Until 3 August: Dusa, Fish, Stas and Vi at Finborough Theatre, 118 Finborough Road, London, SW10 Commemorating the centenary of the death of suffragette martyr Emily Wilding Davison the first full professional production in more that 35 years of Pam Gems’ feminist classic. Four determinedly ‘liberated’ – and very different – women ricochet around a tiny shared flat, while trying to pull together the shattered strands of their lives: Dusa is struggling to regain her children from their father, Fish is losing her lover to another woman, Stas is on the game to finance the course she wants to study at university, while Vi steadfastly refuses to eat… Tickets £16/£12 concessions (depending on particular showing). Workshops: 23 July: ’In Process’ Writing Master Class with Janet Paisley at Glasgow Women’s Library, 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow Janet Paisley will talk about her career as an award winning poet, author, playwright and scriptwriter. Her many awards include the Peggy Ramsay Memorial award for Refuge, a powerful and moving drama set in a safe house in Scotland for victims of domestic violence. Tickets £6/£3 concessions.  |
| Posted: 22 Jul 2013 03:30 AM PDT
Football: England have failed to advance beyond the group stages of Euro 2013. Following a disappointing loss in their opening match against Spain, and a lucky draw against Russia, England had to win against France on Thursday to have any chance of reaching the play-off stages. Before kick-off, head coach Hope Powell promised that England would fight for their lives, but the team were unable to make any impact against tournament favourites France. The 3-0 scoreline does not do justice to the gap in class between the two teams, as France dominated in terms of possession, shots on goal, and defence. The pressure is now on for Powell to show why should she stay in the top job after England's worst tournament performance since 2001. Rugby Union: England suffered a 3-0 series whitewash against New Zealand following losses on July 16 and 20. England had lost the opener 29-10 in Auckland on July 13, but came close to winning the second test. With two minutes left in the match, England led 9-7 thanks to three penalties from Katy McLean. However, a well-timed try from New Zealand's Selica Winiata gave the home side a last minute 14-9 victory. England slumped further in the final test on July 20, losing 29-8 to extend their losing streak on New Zealand soil. It has now been 12 years since England claimed an away victory against the Black Ferns. Golf: With the British Open taking place at Scotland's men-only Muirfield club last week, the debate over the exclusion of women from golf's top clubs has reignited once more. But public opinion seems set against male-only policies. An Ipsos MORI survey for the Women's Sport and Fitness Foundation has found that only 15 per cent of British adults agree with the policies. The survey results, published on July 17, also found that 55 per cent of people who play golf regularly believe that hosting major championships such as the Open at golf clubs with such policies damages the reputation of the sport. Taekwondo: Olympic taekwondo champion Jade Jones was defeated in the quarter finals of the World Championships on July 21. The 20 year old Welshwoman said she was "devastated" to lose 3-2 to Mayu Hamada in the -57kg category. Hopes were high for Jones, who won silver at the World Championships in South Korea in 2011, before winning Olympic gold in London last summer. "I'm only 20. I've still got ten more years to become a multiple world champion but I'm just gutted at being one point away from a medal," she said. Athletics: 800m runner Jenny Meadows has decided to put her retirement on hold after being given the all clear to start training again after a thigh bone injury. The 32 year-old, who won the European Indoor Championships in 2011, was not selected to represented Great Britain at the Olympics last year. "Originally I planned to retire after the Commonwealths next year, but I'd like one more shot at an Olympic medal," she said. Meadows hopes to begin racing in September, before turning her attention to the World Indoor Championships next March, and the Commonwealth Games next summer. Cycling: A group of elite road cyclists have launched a campaign to convince the organisers of the Tour de France to include a parallel women's event in future editions of the world's most prestigious race. By Sunday evening, more than 60,000 people had signed the petition. British former world champion Emma Pooley, Olympic road race winner Marianne Vos, and Ironman triathlon champion Chrissie Wellington have all added their voices to the campaign. "Women's cycling has gone down hill in recent years, so this would be a positive step for the sport. I cannot see why there would be opposition to it, because it is not harming anybody," Pooley told Cycling Weekly. "OK, there may be a few chauvinist males who think women should stay at home in the kitchen and cook their husband's dinner, but I believe a women's Tour would be great for the sport, great for the fans on the roadside and great for women's cycling." Despite the momentum the petition has gained, race director Christian Prudhomme said on July 16 that he has "nothing to say" on the matter. Under current rules, women cyclists are not permitted to ride as far as men in a single stage. There has not been a women's version of the Tour de France since 2009, when Pooley won the Tour Feminin. However, the event was never accorded the same prestige as the men's version, suffering from a lack of sponsorship and scandals involving unpaid prize money. You can sign the petition here. Judo: Britain's women brought home two bronze medals from the International Judo Federation Grand Slam in Moscow on July 21. Olympic silver medallist Gemma Gibbons, fighting in her first competition since recovering from a broken wrist, lost to Marhinde Verkerke of the Netherlands in her quarter final match. However, she performed well in the repechage, beating Ukrainian Victoria Turks by ippon and Iris Lemmen of the Netherlands by two yukos to secure the bronze in the -78kg category. Sarah Adlington also took the long route to her bronze medal in the +78kg, losing to Germany's Jasmin Kuelbs in the second round before fighting her way back through the repechage.  |
| Female abstract artists: final week Posted: 22 Jul 2013 01:09 AM PDT
Given that this is the final exhibition in its Cork Street premises, this is seen as a fitting response to the 1925 opening show by gallery founder Fred Mayor of six male artists; Picasso, Herbin and Dufy, Léger, Metzinger and Gris in London's celebrated Cork Street. The exhibition, The Nature of Women, is closing the circle, 88 years on, by showcasing the work of six female artists: Agnes Martin, Anne Appleby, Marischa Burckhardt, Lisa Corinne Davis, Sylvia Heider and Aurelie Nemours. The six artists in this exhibition are all united by their meticulous approach to their process, and intensely motivated by the experience of nature, light and colour and the emotion derived from the resulting work. With Agnes Martin (1912-2004) at the centre of the group, this common thread runs through the artists and is celebrated in the show. Martin became one of the key abstract painters of the twentieth century. Her minimalist works, with delicate lines in pencil or slim bands of colour that almost appear to levitate from the canvas, have earned her a unique position in the abstract expressionist canon, and American Art fundamentally. The work of French artist Aurelie Nemours (1910-2005) is often framed within the context of her contemporary Martin. Nemours' strongly geometric works are vibrant and colourful with determined black lines. Although coming to art later in life, Marischa Burckhardt built up an impressive body of work during the seventies. She uses collage, fabric, paint and photography to explore an affinity with nature and light, reflected in a combination of vibrant and muted golden hues. During a residency with the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, Burckhardt drew inspiration from Aboriginal art, constructing sand paintings and installations of found objects. African-American artist Lisa Corinne Davis creates visually complex and deeply narrative works through layered collages. Using found material such as maps, newspaper articles, and small increments of paint, hand drawings and fingerprints, Davis creates frenetic canvases, using the grid as the backbone of her urban landscapes. Davis said: "I have relied heavily on the grid as a structure but more recently loosening the grip, modifying it, as Martin had done, in working by hand. "Many of my gridded or measured lines are also done by hand to find the tension between the measured, rational and the felt, subjective." The inspiration of Agnes Martin is again evident in the work of Austrian artist Sylvia Heider who creates strong, geometric, metal relief wall sculptures, enclosing abstract forms in large knotted wooden frames. Her works are made with the consciousness of the effect of light glancing off the metal, again showing an awareness and appreciation of natural forces. Nature is also at the heart of Anne Appleby's monochromatic works. Minute graduation and luminous distillation of colour – "a chromatic ambiguity" – reflect her appreciation of the impact of subtle tonal shifts. For example, the complexities of a Sweet Pea are manifested as a quadriptych of colours, an intensely observed response to nature. Appleby’s work is informed by her native American heritage, and each piece has a simple, naturalistic title. The influence of Agnes Martin is manifest throughout this exhibition, from the strong and varied use of geometric forms in the work of Nemours, Burckhardt, Heider and Appleby, to the grid technique in Davis' abstract landscapes. The Mayor Gallery was the first to show Agnes Martin, a Canadian-born American citizen, in Europe, giving her a solo exhibition in 1974 at ArtBasel. Five works on paper from the 1950s and two canvases from 1974 will be included in The Nature of Women. To see more of their work click here. The exhibition at 22a Cork Street, London W1S 3NA ends on 26 July.  |
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