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Five2Watch: Activism


For #Five2Watch this week we've selected five artists who have made work that intersects with forms of activism: Angela Kennedy, Liz Sergeant, Mo White, gobscure and Shelley Morrow


Activism Art, 2012-2014

Angela Kennedy

Over a years worth of Activism Art

Reclaim the Night 2012
One Bllion Rising 2013
International Women's Day 2013
NEFG North East Feminist Gathering http://www.nefeministgathering.com/regular-womens-space.php - helped to organise conference collectively
2013 - 2104 Women's Space - helped instigate a regular safe informal space for women to meet regularly in Newcastle - ongoing

Angela Kennedy

 

Speaking of Charlotte, 2012

Liz Sergeant

'Speaking of Charlotte' is one of a series of works inspired by activist, suffragist and social reformer, Charlotte Despard (1844-1939), who began campaigning in her fifties and continued until her death aged 95, despite being imprisoned in Holloway twice in her sixties. Her inspiring and optimistic message - that age doesn't matter, that it's never too late to make a difference - is communicated through performative scenarios which draw upon historical references to activism made relevant for today: the campaign leaflet, the bill poster, the marching banner and the rallying speech.

'Speaking of Charlotte' is a collaborative performance with six colleagues in Trafalgar Square, the historical site of numerous political rallies and from where Charlotte delivered many of her compelling speeches. The performance is a eulogy, praising her courage, integrity and passion as she campaigned for the disadvantaged and vulnerable throughout her long life.

 

Smart Verbal fanzines exhibited in FILM/FEMINISM/IDENTITY/ACTIVISM, 1979 - 1981 

Mo White

Exhibited at Vivid Projects, Birmingham on FILM/FEMINISM/IDENTITY/ACTIVISM: LOOKING OUT FROM THE CCCS, 6th-28th June 2014.

Archival back issues of the fanzine SMART VERBAL were exhibited. They had been produced and published between 1979-81 by Zoe Tomlinson and Mo White.

Mo White

 

hyena in petticoats, 2020

gobscure

online exhibition / screening / album

https://gobscure.wixsite.com/hyenapetticoat

because mary wollstonecraft wz bad, rad, bi, mutha, internationalist, feminist before the word, a writer & mad - she, disabilities included - wz erased as 'hyena in petticoats'. heres part ov our ongoing channelling ov mary wollstonecraft in celebration ov messiness & beauty, ov the poetries ov defiance that mary stood for, we've spent a long time on a body ov work across artforms offering creative resistance, creating living memorials, ensuring we are written in not out - these daze were all hyenas in petticoats. previously this has included performance for dash / mac, sound-art & film for curious arts festival; and pop-up exhibition for axisweb/mmu. a film is forthcoming (together 2020 from 19november)

https://gobscure.bandcamp.com/album/ink-any-body

http://www.together2012.org.uk/together-2020-disability-history-month-festival/hyena-in-petticoats-19-november-7pm/

gobscure

 

Loose Ends, 2019

Shelley Morrow

Patchwork banner with hand printed prison arrows, made 2018 for the celebration of 100 years when some women were allowed to vote in the UK for the first time. It is still an offence in the United Kingdom to reproduce the broad arrow without authority (in the same way as it is an offence to reproduce hallmarks). Section 4 of the Public Stores Act 1875 makes it illegal to use the "broad arrow" on any goods without permission.

4 Marks in schedule appropriated for public stores.
The marks described in the First Schedule to this Act may be applied in or on stores in order to denote Her Majesty’s property in stores so marked; and it shall be lawful for any public department, and the contractors, officers, and workmen of such department, to apply those marks, or any of them, in or on any such stores; and if any person without lawful authority (proof of which authority shall lie on the party accused) applies any of those marks in or on any such stores he shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall on conviction thereof be liable to be imprisoned for any term not exceeding two years.

  

Published 18 December 2020

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