The Agency of Visible Women
The Agency of Visible Women began life as a fictional institution made flesh for a group exhibition; for the women artists who created the show, our aim was to explore how we can address Women’s concerns for their visibility even within the intersects of our feminist communities. Following the 2018 exhibition, we began discussing ways in which to collectively explore and develop our Agency issues. You can find out more about our 2018 exhibition here and also view the group's active Instagram account here.
Currently the group (and this page) are a work in progress, with research and development initiatives building on the a-n Artist Bursary for self-determined professional development awarded to myself and Agency creator Dr Ruth Jones.
The Agency website will be launched summer 2024.
Currently the group (and this page) are a work in progress, with research and development initiatives building on the a-n Artist Bursary for self-determined professional development awarded to myself and Agency creator Dr Ruth Jones.
The Agency website will be launched summer 2024.
Future Collect Conference: Handle with Care (2021)
Handle with Care reflected on the groundbreaking partnership commission undertaken by iniva and Manchester Art Gallery as part of iniva’s legacy project Future Collect. Future Collect is a dynamic programme of contemporary art commissions designed to transform the national conversation around contemporary art collecting. The conference included three themed roundtable discussions with the Agency representing "Care is a Collective Responsibility: Talking through access to cultural spaces, care for carers, and civic responsibility" The conversation involved The Women’s Art Activation System (WAAS), the Agency & others.
Policy Making (2020 exhibition)
What is a policy? A write-only document? The creation of administration for the sake of administration? The policies that affect our lives, that govern our bodies, our governing bodies, who is writing what for whom, and who will ever read it? What then could a policy for womxn artists in Southend look like, what could it be? And who would write it?
The works in our 2020 exhibition were created by womxn, femmes and non-binary people who have taken their policies where they’d like them to go. They might just be starting their thoughts, investigating an idea from all kinds of angles, but together,
these policies cover a lot of ground.
More information on the exhibition concept, works and artists involved can be found here.
these policies cover a lot of ground.
More information on the exhibition concept, works and artists involved can be found here.
"A Snapshot of Southend as a Cultural Environment for Womxn"
This publication is the outcome of research and development work supported by an a-n Artist Bursary for self-determined professional development awarded to myself and Agency creator Ruth Jones. Our proposal was to develop the Agency of Visible Women beyond its initial stages via visits to other community-based groups, hosting consultations with women artists, and publishing our findings in a collaborative artist book and online.
Our publication is based on discussion sessions build around the derided "coffee morning" format; an opportunity for women in our locale to talk to us about the issues that affect them in the development of their creative careers, plus a chance to socialise and eat plenty of cake. Their generous contributions were developed into the publication, a risographed artists edition of 50, published by The Old Waterworks. This is presented as a boxed set of 52 cards, with an A4 folded risographed explanatory sheet, card fold, and printed sleeve cover. This was launched in early 2020 and also made available as a free digital document.
You can see more about this project here and the publication is available via The Old Waterworks website
The Snapshot publication was exhibited as parts of "Southend's Twilight Worlds" exhibition, 16 July -8 October 2022. Full information on the exhibition website.
Our publication is based on discussion sessions build around the derided "coffee morning" format; an opportunity for women in our locale to talk to us about the issues that affect them in the development of their creative careers, plus a chance to socialise and eat plenty of cake. Their generous contributions were developed into the publication, a risographed artists edition of 50, published by The Old Waterworks. This is presented as a boxed set of 52 cards, with an A4 folded risographed explanatory sheet, card fold, and printed sleeve cover. This was launched in early 2020 and also made available as a free digital document.
You can see more about this project here and the publication is available via The Old Waterworks website
The Snapshot publication was exhibited as parts of "Southend's Twilight Worlds" exhibition, 16 July -8 October 2022. Full information on the exhibition website.
Reading group - Invisible Women
During August 2019, I worked with the Agency and the Old Waterworks to host reading group sessions for women with disabilities in Southend. We based our discussions on Caroline Criado Perez's book "Invisible Women", using the concepts of the gender data gap to explore how disabled women are doubly invisible in both data and resultant issues. Thanks to both organisations for supporting this initiative, to Focal Point Gallery for assisting with an accessible venue, and to everyone who came along. There are other intersectional reading groups being planned, and you can visit the Old Waterworks to read the book (and many others) in the Agency's library space. See above for link to the Agency's Instagram account.
The Agency of Visible Women - 2018 exhibition
The Agency of Visible Women was a fictional institution made flesh for this 2018 exhibition. The artists' works seek to make women visible, and highlight the myriad ways this visibility is challenged, even within the intersects of our feminist communities. Each artist held a position in 'The Agency of Visible Women' and they or their work upholds the responsibilities of their role.
More detail on the exhibition page here.
More detail on the exhibition page here.
