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Teaching, Practicing, Researching for a Feminist Future
No full textConference:
Have Some Imagination: Towards a Manifesto for Arts Education
7 - 8 February 2025
Presented by Baltic and Northumbria University
Paper title:Teaching, Practicing, Researching for a Feminist Future
Prof Rebecca Fortnum (Central Saint Martins) and Dr Marita Fraser (Glasgow School of Art)
As part of the panel: Learning from Feminist Archives
Prof Rebecca Fortnum, Dr Marita Fraser, Prof Catherine Grant, Althea Greenan
What strategies and methods do feminists use for arts-based practice and research and how do they teach or share them? This presentation/performance from members of the Feminist Futures research group explores ways artists and researchers can excavate and articulate women’s creative practices and legacies. Working across a range of disciplines it will expand on the lived experience of a group of researchers, working closely to generate new knowledge for feminist histories and contemporary feminist art practice. By developing methods such as correspondence, re-enactment, embodiment and fabulation, these projects have been able to reanimate discourse around voice, experiment, form, and sexual difference that characterised earlier feminist art, whilst developing new diverse creative ways of undertaking research from feminist perspectives. These methods are enriched through the imagination of artists, break down the artificial divides between art practice, history and theory, leading to the possibility of a recalibration of value within arts education.
Roundtable Workshop
Representatives from the Feminist Futures Group along with Althea Greenan and Catherine Grant will lead a roundtable workshop that will include reflections on the methods explored in the papers. Depending on size of audience, there will be a range of possible activities to activate the discussion. The audience’s input on how we can learn from feminist archives is welcom
Introduction: Queer Art in Britain since the 1980s
Get PDFThis special issue seeks to intervene in the influx of writing and exhibitions on queer art in Britain over the last decade. Many different histories and different timelines have been constructed through these projects, yet in several the 1980s, a period of queer culture and politics shaped by Section 28, the HIV/AIDS crisis and the consolidation of neoliberalism, constitutes a touchstone that connects the recent past with the political struggles of the present. Over the last ten or so years, landmark survey exhibitions such as Queer British Art 1861–1967 (Tate Britain, 2017), Coming Out: Sexuality, Gender & Identity (Walker Art Gallery, 2017), and more recently Women in Revolt (Tate Britain, National Galleries of Scotland, Whitworth Art Gallery, 2023–25) have marked a new period of visibility for queer artistic production in Britain, even as artists and scholars have critiqued the imperative to be visible and advocated for practices and histories that resist “queer” as an institutional interpellation. Alongside these larger exhibitions, a broader queer revival of interest in and reappraisal of historic canons and works of art from this period is taking place. Projects like these demonstrate how the ongoing project of assembling a history of queer art in Britain—both before and since the 1980s—has necessitated creating a critical context through which artists and practices can be positioned and understood. It is to this developing critical context that this special issue, and the articles and responses within it, makes its contribution. An animating impulse for this special issue is frustration with the dominance and deployment of histories of queer practice and models of queer theory and politics developed in scholarship produced in and focusing on the United States. Our interest as editors in the potential of art and art history in Britain to challenge such cultural imperialism and reinvigorate queer thought stems not from a parochial or nationalistic desire to centre British art therein. Many of the contributions to this special issue foreground the divided, decentred, and devolved nature of artistic, political, and intellectual debates and practices in “Britain” since the 1980s rather than any national unity. This heterogeneity is what we believe a return to the critical contexts of the 1980s offers
The Holographic Brain: Interactive Holography for Engaging Young People with Anatomy Education
Get PDFWorldwide, young people’s interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education declines around pre-teen and early teenage years. Research shows that belief in one’s own scientific ability likely reinforces scientific ambition and effort, suggesting knowledge acquisition should not be neglected when encouraging scientific engagement. Educational tools harnessing three-dimensional (3D) visualisation technologies can increase engagement with science and facilitate knowledge acquisition, often proving more effective than traditional approaches. These educational tools prove particularly beneficial for anatomy education, as complex 3D structures and spatial relationships can be difficult to visualise and understand when learning from 2D materials. Hologram-based educational tools offer considerable advantages over 3D approaches such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) as they do not require a head-mounted display or handheld equipment. Building upon pr
3D Printed Vulva: An Educational Tool for Adolescents
No full textMass media outlets are perpetuating an ever-narrowing norm of vulval appearance, one that is unrepresentative for many individuals. Consequentially, women who unavoidably consume this media are increasingly self-conscious of their genital appearance, which in turn can affect their self-esteem. Protruding labia minora (inner lips) are usually the vulval anatomical structure which varies most widely compared to media portrayals and is the most common area of insecurity. In an attempt to quell their vulval anxieties, women, and increasingly adolescents, are using surgical interventions to alter their vulvas in accordance with what they believe to be ‘normal’. Labiaplasty rates increased 73% between 2015 and 2019 (Kalampalikis and Michala, 2021). Whilst there is wide commentary about the need to tackle these rapidly increasing rates, little scientific research has been initiated to address the underlying problem. Conversely, artists have produced visual representations of vulval diversity, believing that an increase in awareness of vulval diversity may ease anxiety. Unfortunately, due to their artistic nature they tend to lack scientific rigour. 3D resources show promise in anatomy education through their interactive, tangible element which gives them an enhancement over the current artistic offerings and school curriculum.
This research has produced a 3D printed resource of a ‘normal’ vulva for use as an educative tool about vulval diversity, via digitally creating a 3D model from creatively reconstructing CT data. Interviews with four clinical professionals were conducted prior to the digital creation of the model to gauge aspects of inclusion that would render the resource correct and useful for educating adolescents. Data selection on 1389 vulval images, from numerous sources, was conducted to understand the most common vulval characteristics and how those characteristics interact with each other. The most common characteristics were protruding, asymmetric labia minora, and a visible clitoral hood. Reference images with such characteristics were selected to help create the digital model, so that it would be as anatomically accurate and representative as possible. A mould of the digital model was 3D printed and casted using silicone.
Face and content validity tests were performed on anatomical experts to assess the anatomical accuracy and potential usefulness of the resource for the education of adolescents, respectively. Test results found the resource to be both anatomically accurate and potentially useful for its intended purpose. Future development of the development should explore the production of additional resources showing differing appearances of each structure, in a variety of ethnicities
Three Studies of Inside Cylinder Brass Locos
Get PDFThis is a series of three articles on a common theme, toy brass locomotives made in the second half of the 19th century. The approach is close object analysis and, being written for specialist collectors, experiential and connoisseurial. All three locomotives discussed are rare for being inside-cylindered, a fact that puts them at a premium in the collecting world.
'Converted' considers a rebuilt locomotive. 'Where There's Muck -There's Brass' considers a comparatively large locomotive requiring some intervention. 'Good Things Come In Small Sizes' discusses its near opposite
Enjeux et apports de la patrimonialisation des usages vestimentaires scolaires : l’exemple de l’exposition S’habiller pour l’école présentée au Musée National de l’Éducation
No full textIn relation to the project “Dressed for School”, co-Is (Aude Le Guennec and Nicolas Coutant) have been invited to present “Dressed for School” in the conference “La loi du 15 mars 2004, 20 ans apres”, organised by the University of Toulouse-Capitole (France). This knowledge exchange activity will provide a rare opportunity for museum professionals and fashion anthropologists to interact with the key advisers, researchers and policy makers currently working on the aftermath of the Bill of the 15th March 2004 which defines the notions of secularity in the French public space from a clothing perspective. Museums will be identified as forums to collect, disseminate and generate knowledge on the effect of public policies on social and individual behaviours. The communication will emphasise on importance of clothing to document the school environment and of dress codes to inform social mechanisms.
S’il est inhabituel pour un musée d’être invité à intervenir dans un champ relevant du droit et de l’expertise juridique, il n’est pas rare que les musées d’histoire et de société apportent leurs contributions à l’actualité et à ses débats. Le cas du Musée national de l’Éducation est, à cet égard, particulièrement significatif.
Héritier du Musée Pédagogique créé en 1879 par Jules Ferry et Ferdinand Buisson à la veille des grandes lois qui structureront l’école de la IIIe République, il conserve aujourd’hui une collection riche de 950 000 objets et documents, témoignages de la culture matérielle de l’éducation et plus largement de l’enfance, du XVIe siècle à nos jours en France et dans ses anciennes colonies . Si l’histoire de l’école y occupe une place importante, elle n’y résume pas les différentes facettes de l’éducation, entendue au sens large et intégrant aussi la dimension familiale et les relations entre enfants, sans oublier l’éducation populaire. Ses fondateurs avaient accordé au Musée Pédagogique une double mission de conservatoire et de lieu de ressources pour les acteurs de l’école, sur le modèle du Conservatoire national des arts et métiers . Fidèle à cette perspective, le Musée national de l’Éducation est aujourd’hui un musée d’histoire et de société, qui englobe les problématiques contemporaines. En témoignent plusieurs expositions récentes : 50 ans de pédagogie par les petits écrans, L’école en Algérie- l’Algérie à l’école, Métier d’enseignant(e), métier d’élève… ainsi que divers projets menés sur des sujets d’actualité questionnés à partir de l’héritage historique comme les jeux vidéo, la construction des genres et l’école ou encore les questionnements liants entre éducation et LGBTI+. C’est dans cet objectif de mise en perspective historique du fait contemporain que cet article abordera les enjeux liés à l’application de la loi du 15 mars 2004 sur la laïcité dans les espaces publics, dont la patrimonialisation a fait l’objet de questionnements spécifiques dans l’exposition S’habiller pour l’école
Surface Landing
Get PDFThis symposium lecture and paper highlight the remarkable versatility of vitreous enamel, a material that transcends time and tradition, finding its place in a broad spectrum of Art, Design, and Architectural applications, both traditional and modern.
The slides not only showcase the challenges of contemporary enamel art but also present a forward-looking perspective, exploring future applications by drawing inspiration from past uses.
A reviewer from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in China commented that the title 'Surface Landing' demonstrated cutting-edge, innovative ideas and practices in enamel and materials, as well as philosophical interconnectivities between Space travel, Stars, Moon Landings, and Enamel dust as a composite material. The concept of 'Surface Landing' refers to the intersection of space exploration and the materiality of enamel, creating a unique platform for artistic and philosophical exploration.
The "Beijing International Enamel Art Creation and Exchange Conference and Exhibition" is a recent event that took place from October 17 to 31, 2025, at the Beijing Union University Handicraft Museum. Co-organised by the Beijing Union University, the Beijing Arts and Crafts Industry Association, and the Beijing Arts and Crafts Society, the exhibition featured various enamel art pieces. It was also timed to coincide with the 13th Beijing Arts and Crafts Academic Symposium.
An aim of the conference was to establish a high-level dialogue platform for the exchange of enamel crafts and the inheritance and innovation of non-heritage heritage between China and international partners
'The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods': A Surrealist Awakening
Get PDFI am a painter and writer who has lived in Glasgow for more than twenty-five years. My ongoing interest in fairy tales and Surrealism has been nourished by that context—notably through dialogue with the Scottish writer and art historian, Catriona McAra, who has written extensively on these genres. In her exploration of the work of Leonora Carrington and Dorothea Tanning, McAra has explored how surrealist art was influenced by literary fairy tales. For McAra the ‘surrealist fairy tale’ is a hybrid genre that subverts the reader’s expectations, bringing about a contradictory relation of text and image.
In the summer of 2024, I began making a series of 25 illustrations to Charles Perrault’s ‘La Belle au Bois Dormant’— the frequently censored baroque version of the story more commonly known as ‘Sleeping Beauty’ (first published in 1697). Intended for both an exhibition and an artist book, these works stage a material encounter of surrealist aesthetics and the literary fairy tale. Taking the form of watercolour paintings derived from collages of 1980s-era magazine-images and film-stills, these works are intended to subvert and expand the reader’s familiar response to the well-known tale.
Perrault’s ‘Sleeping Beauty’ is a text which played a key role in the (imperfect) historical process of ‘civilising’ fairy tales. According to the Marxist folklorist Jack Zipes, the bourgeois appropriation of fairy tales (undertaken by writers such as Perrault, from the late 17th century onwards) sublimated their erotic and political content (their latent ‘revolutionary’ fantasies). The idea of a repressed content lurking within fairy tales, which has the potential to be surfaced through close reading or interpretation in other media, has further informed queer and feminist studies of this story; my own project is a direct response to Lewis C. Seifert’s essay ‘Queer Time in Charles Perrault’s “Sleeping Beauty”’ (2015)—concerned with how Perrault’s tale disrupts notions of chronological time and ‘compulsory heterosexuality’.
In this proposed paper I will describe the methodology and critical context underpinning this project, beginning with Hal Foster’s analysis of Max Ernst’s surrealist collage-novel Une Semaine de Bonté (1934). As Foster observes (in his book Compulsive Beauty, 1992), Ernst’s process of cutting and re-assemblage ‘articulates’ the psychological and political content repressed in his source material. This paper will examine whether (in our current moment) an equivalent method can have a similar effect when deployed as illustration. The paper will describe what configurations of image/ text occur when a method of surrealist collage is used to illustrate Perrault’s tale; and how these configurations might allow the viewer access to the story’s subliminal content (as identified by Seifert and other critical commentators)
Street Tattoo
No full textPhotograph 21 x 17 inches
In criminology, the ‘Broken Windows Theory’, introduced in 1982 by social scientists Wilson and Kelling, proposes that visible signs of disorder create an urban environment that encourages further disorder. There is an implication that the urban landscape allows a communication of lack of authority and this, in turn, proliferates a disregard for social norms and law. A new social geography emerges leading to a continuous deterioration of culture and community, as disorder becomes more common. The works scrutinize the nuanced relationship between causality and correlation and advocate a complex response to how the urban landscape ultimately can become a site of resistance of marginalised communities and how disorder reflects the complexities of class dynamics. Disorder is reframed as a complex phenomenon, imbued with transformative potential and latent opportunities for societal renewal and magical opportunities.
Work was shown in Brussels Street Photography Festival.
BSPF presents a diverse range of activities, including exhibitions, photography contests, workshops, guided photo walks, panel discussions, film screenings and portfolio reviews. The festival highlights street photography not only as a way to capture spontaneous urban moments but also as a powerful tool for cultural and social documentation. Through these activities, BSPF fosters engagement between photographers, artists and the public, creating a vibrant space for creative expression.
A key highlight of the festival is its international photography contest, where participants can submit their best work in two main categories: ‘Singles’ and ‘Series’. The finalists’ images are displayed in curated exhibitions across Brussels, offering valuable exposure to a wide audience. In addition to the prestige of being showcased, winners also receive cash prizes, further recognising their talent and dedication to street photography. The competition draws thousands of submissions annually, showcasing the creativity and skill of the global street photography community.
BSPF collaborates with Leica Camera France and Magnum photographers, who serve as jury members, guest speakers, and workshop mentors. Their involvement brings invaluable expertise and inspiration, allowing participants to learn from some of the most influential voices in contemporary street and documentary photography
The Olive Tree – Symbol, Icon, Object of Dispute
No full textA talk on the historical background on the relocation of Palestinian Olive Trees from Gaza.
The systematic uprooting of Palestinian olive trees by Israeli forces and settlers is more than an act of environmental destruction—it is a calculated strategy of oppression that exemplifies the broader framework of Israel’s green colonialism. This phenomenon, which integrates ecological policies with settler-colonial objectives, serves as a mechanism of dispossession and control. The regulation and destruction of Palestinian olive groves highlight how environmental narratives are manipulated to justify land appropriation, surveillance, and the erasure of Palestinian identity. This essay explores how green colonialism operates by targeting olive trees, illustrating the intersection of ecological rhetoric and settler-colonial ambitions. The olive tree is deeply rooted in Palestinian history, culture, and economy. These trees, some of which have stood for centuries, symbolize resilience and an enduring connection to the land. Beyond their cultural and symbolic value, olives provide a major source of income for Palestinian farmers, with olive oil production accounting for a significant share of agricultural livelihoods. As such, the destruction of olive trees is not just an environmental or economic issue—it is an attack on Palestinian identity and self-sufficiency.
The talk was made as part of the Reading Landscape Exhibition held in the Annex Gallery of The Glasgow School of Art
22 April – 16 May 2025
and delivered on the opening April 22nd 202