images: From top:
1. 'The Inivisible Men,' 2019. Smashed in Centenary Square, Bradford, at The March Against the Sex Trade, Filia international feminist conference, October 19th, 2019.
2. 'I'm Not The Criminal,' 2020, in its unbroken state, this was 'The Invisible Men.' The rebuilt - or second state, is 'I'm Not The Criminal,' depicting the March Against the Sex Trade, led by Fiona Broadfoot, who organised it, and other sex trade survivors. (photos: Sylvain Deleu)
3. Me with 'I'm Not The Criminal,' 2020. (photo: Sylvain Deleu)
About the Project:
W@W is a women-only service located in Kings Cross dedicated to supporting women whose lives are affected - or at risk of being affected - by prostitution. They have asked me to make a collection of pots illustrating the stories of the women they work with and then to get both the pots, and the stories they tell, to as wide an audience as possible.
‘And The Door Opened,’ is
my response. In effect, it is a travelling ‘Work in Progress’ show – think ‘Open
Studio' goes on tour. It is not a single exhibition, or any exhibition as
such, it is a series of events with displays of my pots, demonstrations of
pot-making, talks, seminars, and conversations that, together, will illustrate
the stories of women wanting to leave, ‘exit’ prostitution.
The aim is to enhance the public's understanding of what
prostitution is and to show that, with the right support, girls and women do not need to
live and die exploited in the sex trade – there are ways out.
When and Where - latest updates and current schedule:
Postponement to March 2021 expected depending on social distancing situation:
Ceramic ArtLondon, Central St Martins, Granary Building, 1 Granary Square, London, N1C 4AA
'And The Door Opened' is part of the Claytalks lecture series.
Postponement to 2021 expected, or possibly later in 2020: readings and pot smashing ceremony at Wood Green Library, 191 High Road, Wood Green, N22 6XD as part of Women’s History Month.
Postponed until 2021 - same dates expected: May 1st-September 30th Beyond the Streets and St.Botolph’s without Aldgate,
Aldgate High St, London EC3N 1AB
Beyond the Streets, an exiting service in East London, leads a walking tour in Whitechapel in opposition to the ‘Jack the Ripper’ tours, on the last Thursday of each of the five months. The tour talks about the lives of the women who were murdered, stopping at the places they lived, and also talks about the lives of prostituted people now. St. Botolph’s without Aldgate will have a display of pots from the project from May to September.
See Beyond theStreets website to book a place on the walking tour.
Postponed to 2021: Major event being planned for the end of September with St. Botolph's without Aldgate and Beyond The Streets. Updates as they come - discussion in progress.
Beyond the Streets, an exiting service in East London, leads a walking tour in Whitechapel in opposition to the ‘Jack the Ripper’ tours, on the last Thursday of each of the five months. The tour talks about the lives of the women who were murdered, stopping at the places they lived, and also talks about the lives of prostituted people now. St. Botolph’s without Aldgate will have a display of pots from the project from May to September.
See Beyond theStreets website to book a place on the walking tour.
Postponed to 2021: Major event being planned for the end of September with St. Botolph's without Aldgate and Beyond The Streets. Updates as they come - discussion in progress.
Cross Bones is the burial site of the ‘outcast’ people of the 17th and 18th centuries, including prostituted women.
Display of pots -no date set but last communication was that postponement was definite. This is not a cancellation.
Updates on this when I get them: Filia Conference, Portsmouth, 2021
Display of And The Door Opened pots.
Display of And The Door Opened pots.
Updates when I get them: And the Door Opened
will continue in 2021 in Stoke on Trent, Bradford and Leeds.
Past Events 2020:
Jan 23rd 2020: Talking about 'And The Door Opened,' at Zuleika.
Informal talk, discussing the project with Q&A.
Jan 14th-31st 2020 Zuleika Gallery, 6 Mason's Yard, London, SW1Y 6BU
Display of four pots from 'And The Door Opened,' as part of a gallery artists show, 'January Edit.' Zuleika's official launch of the project
Past events 2019
November 7thth-December 31st 2019 with Collage-arts at Collage Artspace 4 and Wood Green Library, Library Mall, 191 High St, London, N22 6DZ
Window display and display in library Nov 7th 2019 -Jan 6th, 2020
Window display and display in library Nov 7th 2019 -Jan 6th, 2020
Launch with speakers and pot-breaking ceremony: Nov 25th (to coincide with UN 16 days
campaigning to eliminate violence against women;) Details of event available here
Photos and brief summary here.
Photos and brief summary here.
Demonstration of mending a pot with talk: Nov 30th 12-4pm;
How to mend a pot - workshop for participants Dec 7th 12-4pm.
Brief description and photos of both events here.
Brief description and photos of both events here.
October 30th 2019: a talk about the project at Soho Farmhouse, Oxfordshire
October 19th 2019: unofficial launch - Filia Conference, Bradford, 'The Invisible Man' was smashed as part of the March against the Sex Trade. Pictures and description of the event here.
