Spirited Bodies is really proud and honoured to be part of The Fawcett Society’s Spirit of Women Changemakers conferences in November, in London and Manchester. The Fawcett Society is the UK’s leading charity campaigning for gender equality and women’s rights. They want to see a society in which individuals can fulfil their potential regardless of their sex, and are bringing “individual community activists and organisers together with those who have driven change at the highest level to identify the most powerful ways to create change.”
I have been invited to create women’s workshops to complement the programme, by offering a practical session where delegates may try their hand at life drawing, perhaps even some life modelling. Spirited Bodies wants all women (and all people in fact) to feel comfortable in their bodies and fulfil the potential of their whole self. By working to eliminate body image and confidence issues, we want people to be free to embrace all of life, without being constrained by limiting beliefs often imposed by the media.
Similar to when we are at Women of the World Festival at Southbank Centre, these workshops will include demonstrations by prearranged models – some will be professional life models and others may be first-timers. To accompany their poses, recorded interviews of previous Spirited Bodies models will play, and in these voices may be heard the complex reasons that women come to try modelling with us, and what they gain from it.
Many find this a moving spectacle that reaches far into the interior of some models, going beyond familiar and traditional life drawing standards. The artist is halted in their sketching, arrested by unexpected revelations of peculiar intensity. They had a set out to draw a body – in itself, not simple – but are suddenly forced to confront a deeper reality. The model they are drawing is completely still… but had they considered that perhaps she is always so? She may not be a professional life model, though you might not realise it if you just walked in the room and found her in pose. At other times her paralysis is more evident as she is only without her wheelchair when reclining.
This is just one example of myriad stories behind the women who have posed at Spirited Bodies. The aim is to reach women who would otherwise not have the opportunity to model. They might be ill, very shy, anxious or somehow disabled, and this is a chance to experience their bodies as part of the creation of art, to be appreciated by drawing artists in a safe and guided environment where there is no pressure except their own desire to challenge themselves.
The atmosphere is totally supportive and respectful and every effort is made to accommodate different and unusual needs where appropriate and possible.
The London event is on Saturday 12th November and takes place at St Thomas’ Hospital.
The Manchester event is on Saturday 19th November and takes place at The Studio.
Our workshops will be from 2:30pm – 3:30pm.
If you identify as female and would like to take part in one of the events as a model, please email me at info.spiritedbodies@gmail.com stating your reasons – there are limited places. This is not paid modelling, but nor would you need to pay to come to the event. Similarly if you are a female life drawing artist in or near Manchester who would like to come and draw at that event, please get in touch. It is great to have some experienced drawers present! It looks like we may not have space to accommodate the same in London unfortunately, however if that changes I shall put the word out. In any case, you can always buy a ticket to the conference and join us that way, as well as seeing lots of inspiring talks. I will be bringing drawing boards and materials.
During the morning at each conference there will be talks and panel discussions that address the subject of improving women’s lives in a range of ways. After lunch there will be practical workshops for attendees to experience some grassroots approaches to enhancing women’s lives. Spirited Bodies naturally fits in here, on the matter of body image, part of our health and well being. There is lots more information here, including how to buy tickets.
Key speakers include Dame Jenni Murray, Journalist, broadcaster and presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Women’s Hour; Baroness Jane Campbell, Co-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Disability Group; Stella Creasy, MP; Caroline Criado Perez, Journalist, broadcaster and campaigner; Gail Heath, Manchester Women’s Aid; and Becky Olaniyi, Sisters of Frida. I am humbled to be among their number, and very happy to return Spirited Bodies to a more political sphere.
© Spirited Bodies 2016, photograph by www.lidialidia.com at Loving Bodies event, April ’16
NB I am not intending to photograph the event at Spirit of Women Changemakers conference.
A few paintings and drawings from one of our recent women’s events, in July at Lewisham Art House – called ‘Sound & Movement with Life Drawing’
Spirited Bodies 