Collage Arts Community
This month, we took some time to reflect on our community activities and the body of work, stories and artwork, created in 2020 by women who shared their stories and experiences in many creative ways and responses. Words, thoughts, reflection and ideas by women, young and old, mainly from the African and Asian diaspora.
When Lockdown hit earlier this year, our workshops, performances and exhibitions came to an abrupt stop. A key purpose of Collage Arts is to give the platform and resources to those who need it most in Haringey and surrounding areas. Coronavirus held our community in a tight grip and we soon realised that Black, Asian and dual heritage women were struggling. Either fighting on the frontline as key workers and caregivers, or waning in isolation. With the help of Arts Council England funding, ‘Creative Futures: Picking Up the Threads’ took shape. Working with 75 women from diverse backgrounds, we created five sub-projects for written, performative and digital exploration. We paired up our budding artists with professional actors, directors, visual artists, writers and other creative practitioners. As always, it has been our intention to facilitate these local women to chronicle their own experiences. The result of this project is a rich and authentic constellation of stories and artworks of life during the pandemic.