Where are the women from our past who have influenced the creative and cultural landscape of this city?
Lost and Forgotten.
Dream Time Creative is working in collaboration with WMDC to bring to life, through dramatisation and spoken word, the stories of three women from Wakefield’s past who have had a positive impact on the lives of women today.
The aim of the Forgotten Women of Wakefield Project is to leave a lasting legacy through Blue Plaques, films and archive materials that will be housed both at The History Centre and Museums and Libraries, of three influential women from Wakefield, whose work impacted on the lives of ordinary women in our Merrie City and to give voice to their contributions through out 2018 which is the 100 year anniversary of the Representation of the People Act where some women were given the right to vote. Universal suffrage came 10 years later and saw women win equal voting rights to men.
Our objective is to bring the stories to life of those three extraordinary women through dramatic interpretation and spoken word and to further give voice using spoken word to other women from our city’s past who have also helped to shape the cultural landscape of Wakefield. We will be showcasing, through a series of exhibitions, performances and spoken word events around the city, these stories in the run up to a day of celebration at Wakefield One on International Women’s Day March 8th 2018 and beyond!
- Forgotten Women of Wakefield- from March, we will be focussing
on these these women-
Florence Beaumont
Louisa Fennell
The Gissing Sisters
If you are interested in getting involved, see the flyer above or go to our facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/events/2010305579009741/?active_tab=about
Course Dates-
Unless otherwise stated all sessions will take place at Custom’s House, The Springs,
WF1 1QB (opposite The Wakey Tavern)
Session 1 10am- 12pm Friday 20th April – Vision, Planning, Targetting and tasks. Sharing what we already know.
Session 2 10am – 12pm Friday 27th April – Library Archive Visit
Session 3 10am – 12pm Friday 4th May – Deborah Scriven visit to talk about Florence Beaumont. All sharing tasks
BREAK – 3 weeks
Session 4 10am – 12pm Friday 1st June – Report back. Spoken Word Workshop. Task setting
Session 5 10am – 12pm Friday 8th June – Report Back.
Spoken Word Workshop. Looking Forward
The facebook events page: https://www.facebook.com/events/2324374774455456/
Thank you for the Wakefield Express’s support of our project! Here’s the link:
https://www.wakefieldexpress.co.uk/news/their-works-live-on-so-must-their-names-wakefield-s-forgotten-women-1-9020592
Thank you to the Hepworth Gallery Wakefield for supporting us too!
Here’s the link!
A huge thank you must go to Joy Bruce for the incredible sashes the FWW group wore on Thursday and will be wearing today at The Hepworth event. Without her vision and crafting skills we would have been stuck!
Illustration by Steve Williams for the Five Towns Brewery Beer being launched on IWD March 8th, 2018.
The first woman we are bringing to life is Dame Alice Bacon, who was born in Wakefield but lived and worked as the Normanton Labour MP. Alice had a huge impact on the way the comprehensive school system opened up opportunities for both women and men. She also pushed through the private bills which made abortion legal and was at the forefront of changing perceptions about homosexuality for the better.
We will be presenting an interpretation of her life, alongside our own spoken word pieces written in response to her legacy as part of the International Women’s Day Celebrations at Wakefield One on March 8th 2018 followed by the unveiling of a Blue Plaque to provide a permanent reminder of her legacy.
Complimented by our ‘Poets in Poll Booths’ events, travelling exhibitions and vlogging, which will take place through out 2018 we will also be going into schools and engaging with the Art Walk to allow us to collect stories about how other women from Wakefield have contributed to the cultural landscape over the past 100 years.
With the support from the Civic Society, the History Archives and Libraries and Museums, 2018 will be dedicated to the 100 year anniversary of the Sufferage Movement.
Here are the poems created by the Poets in Poll Booths on International Women’s Day