Working closely with Shahida Choudhry (Women’s Networking Hub) and the Muslim Women’s Network, I coordinated and delivered two projects at the Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham. The project aims to give a voice to unheard voices: ‘hard-to-reach’ women previously inexperienced in creative projects were given financial support for transport and childcare, skills tuition and encouragement to develop their ideas. It’s hoped their work will go on display at the MAC in 2011. One is an ongoing year-long videomaking project with 15 Muslim women of various ages, who were offered videocameras and support to make films on any topic. The other was a four-day workshop, delivered with Adrienne Francis and Dilwara Begum, to make ‘story boxes’ using a rich range of materials, about their lives and ideas. Feedback was enthusiastic and highly positive. The video project continues as an unfinanced group activity since MWN’s funding was cut…with films made on the mean streets of Brum, in the heat of Morocco, with refugees, with family members…
(Images by Adrienne Francis)
