Art

Art as Activism Against Sexual Violence
Visions Against Violence
Breaking the Silence Art Exhibition

Art as Activism Against Sexual Violence - 2010

To mark Sexual Violence Awareness Month (SVAM) and Reclaim the Night 2010 BRISSC is holding a series of art workshops. The workshops will be held fortnightly in September then weekly in October as part of SVAM. The aim of the workshops is to create art that speaks out with a message against sexual violence while providing a safe and supportive space for women survivors to connect with other women.

For more information about upcoming workshops download a flyer here or contact us on 3391 2573.

Visions Against Violence - 2007

In early 2006 BRISSC workers undertook community consultation with women attending an informal, weekly art afternoon at Women’s House at Woolloongabba, (hART Space).  The consultation was to look at ideas to further develop art based programs for women survivors of violence.  Women’s responses showed a great interest in the idea of facilitated workshops that had a social action component involved.   With this in mind, and with a spate of attacks on Brisbane women in 2006 (notably on bike tracks), workers looked to provide an opportunity for women to build their art skills, as well as to explore their roles as activists in their local community. Workers were successful in acquiring a community grant from the BCC in early 2007 for the Visions Against Violence Project.

Over the months of August, September and October 2007, the Visions Against Violence project presented 6 free art workshops for women survivors of violence and women interested in using art as a medium to take a stand against gendered violence.   The workshops were facilitated by community artist Nancy Brown.

Women were invited to design and print t-shirts, banners, bags and other textile based items with their own messages about women and violence against women. Women learnt a variety of printing techniques in each 3 hour workshop including screen printing, lino cutting, silk painting and photo printing.  Banners and shirt designs were created for the Reclaim the Night (RTN) March.  A selection of the project’s creations was also displayed at RTN in order to gauge public feedback regarding the projects and the artwork created.

Feedback from the 22 women who participated in the workshops was overwhelmingly positive.  Women identified that participation in workshops had contributed to their confidence as artists and activists.  They also indicated that the workshops provided them with the opportunity to widen peer networks through meeting and connecting with other women.

Breaking the Silence Art Exhibition - October 2002

Alison Lee speaking at Launch

The Breaking the Silence Art Exhibition was held from the 16 to the 18 of October, 2002 in the Parliament House Annexe with the highlight of the event being an auction of donated artworks on the evening of Friday 18 October. The initial aim of this project was to generate much needed funds for community education, Reclaim the Night and an emergency accommodation relief fund with the broader goal being to support women in our community to initiate and participate in creative forms of social activism.

Conceived by a woman from the community who asked the BRISSC Collective to support her in realising her dream, the Exhibition and Auction provided an opportunity to involve a broader range of the community in fundraising and community education.

The generosity of contributions from professional artists and women in the community was inspiring with the real success of this activity being the interest generated amongst a diverse mix of people from the community.

The launch of the Exhibition and Auction also proved to be a suitable platform to launch the anticipated third edition of “Facts on Rape” now known as “FOR Women”.