HERE/THERE: To be a woman (Part I)

Here/there: to be a woman is a participatory project commissioned by the University of Bristol as part of research into gender-based violence and displacement. 

Working with a group of women who have experienced displacement, the project will run from October 2017 - January 2018 exploring the stories, skills and experiences of being a woman both living in the UK and in the individual's country of origin. These will be shared through creative art and writing workshops led by Eleanor Shipman and author and women's rights activist Sian Norris.  

Eleanor will design two fabric patterns with the women representing their experiences of Bristol / UK and their country of origin and featuring drawings, patterns and words created through the workshops. The fabric will be used to upholster a European two-seater sofa and armchair, and a series of floor-cushions inspired by Middle Eastern and Arabic interiors. 

Sian Norris will develop a piece of short fiction based on the narratives shared during the project. Other outcomes include a project blog, podcast and newspaper. 

Two exhibitions of the works will take place in summer 2018, in both Bristol and Kurdistan.