Entangling Stories and Bodies Across York
For York International Women’s Week, Cultivate Journal, based at the Centre for Women’s Studies at the University of York, and Curiositas Journal collaborated on a day-long event on March 4th. The workshop, titled “Entangling Stories and Bodies Across York,” invited participants to colour and write on a variety of cut-out figures, ranging in shape, size, and form. Both journals hosted open drop-in sessions at their respective universities, attracting a wide range of participants and generating a diverse collection of figures. Some paid homage to women who have inspired them, while others designed symbols and abstract forms of empowerment. Many participants commented on the calming quality of colouring and expressed how meaningful it was to gather and take part in a collective creative activity. In the evening, Cultivate and Curiositas reconvened at Spark York for a further drop-in session. We also moved throughout the venue, inviting visitors to contribute by colouring and writing on the figures we distributed, extending the collaborative spirit of the event beyond a single space. The following week, in the study space of the Centre for Women’s Studies, we assembled all of the figures produced throughout the day. Pieced together, they formed a mosaic of interconnected bodies and stories, emerging as a polyvocal expression of creativity, memory, and experience. It is hoped this mosaic art piece will be publicly displayed at both UoY and YSJ and at other venues in York.
York International Womens Week Poster
