I choose the Glasgow Women’s Library as organization for my placement due to my research interest during my studies. My Bachelor-thesis engaged with the Women’s Movement in America during the 1960s. As it was mainly dominated by white middle- and upper class women, working class and especially black and other minority women were excluded. Furthermore they also faced difficulties in the male-dominated black-liberation movement and therefore carried – as Bell Hooks calls it – a double burden: being female and being black.

My Master thesis engaged with discrepancies in political participation of young men and women. Here I analyzed two different parties and concluded that instead of sexist stereotypes and ideological prejudices, structural difficulties based upon centuries upon centuries of patriarchal party politics are the main barrier for female participation.

Therefore the approach of the women’s library interested me: emancipation through education and creativity. Developing confidence in a safe environment but also making space for inspiration and self-defined research activities. The political significance of this form of encouragement and the resulting development of active citizenship should not be underestimated.

As outlined in former blogs on the GWL website, I worked on two main projects. One of them was to research and contact women’s libraries all over Europe to establish a partnership and enable us to exchange information etc. We have contacted them and received already some feedback, which I am finally going to file and I hope that somebody will be able to take over, deepen the contact and establish a sisterhood – partnership.

My second project was to prepare and establish a digital oral history resource. I managed to transcribe quite a lot of interviews that have been conducted. Eleftheria, one of our volunteers is now taking over and she is going to filter interesting parts of the interviews, process the extracts and prepare them for publication on our new upcoming website.

Apart from these two fields, I also worked at reception once a week, helped out on exhibition stands, went with Morag to a couple of events and visited groups that are working on their own women’s history projects.

Most importantly though was to experience the day-to-day activities of the women working and volunteering in the Glasgow Women’s Library. The influence of their feminist values underlies their work and social interactions. This has left a deep impact on me personally and I believe it will also have an impact on my future research.

It was interesting to engage with a more open – not overly structured group of colleagues. Which – to be honest – I found very challenging at the beginning. From my former work experience in Germany, I was used to a more defined and maybe also more narrowed, top-down structure. So I found it difficult to orientate myself at the beginning, but eventually found it very refreshing. I now feel enabled to see office structures from a different angle and hope that I can make use of this experience in future jobs. Furthermore I have developed more confidence in an English speaking work- environment and improved my language skills once again, thanks to “the word of the day” :-)

One of the things that struck me most (continuous astonishment!!) was the way women are treated here. The incredible positive approach towards women with very diverse backgrounds, the focus on creating a welcoming and safe atmosphere and the effect of highlighting the positive features of individual women was overwhelming and very inspiring.

Thanks a lot to all of you who are involved in the Glasgow Women’s Library, especially the staff but also the volunteers and numerous visitors.

It was really great meeting all of you and I hope we will keep in touch! xx

Cutting the 100th anniversary cake

As part of our activities around International Women’s Day, Nisha and I were invited to Dunoon to deliver the F Word workshop at an event for the Engender Women into Public Life project in Argyle and Bute.

Women into Public Life aims to support women in the Argyle and Bute area in having their voices heard and engaging in politics locally and nationally. An event was held where local people could come along, participate in workshops and find out more about the project and about Glasgow Women’s Library. There was also a delicious celebration cake to mark the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day.

We asked people to describe what feminism meant to them and showed them the F Word DVD, where a group of young women explore feminism, it’s history and what it means for them today.

The F Word workshop

We had lots of interesting reactions and comments, including “Promote feminism awareness for men!” and praise for the F Word film, the event organisation and the food! Thanks to Lorna Alquist for inviting us out and thanks to all the participants who made their way through the spring blizzards to come along…

On the topic of Storytelling, I was recently sent some information about an event at the start of November in the Ramshorn Theatre that reinterprets some classic tales with a feminist twist.

Louna Productions in collaboration with STG
Wednesday 3 to Saturday 6 November at 7.30pm
GRIM(M) TALES/ BLUEBEARD

Think you know your fairy tales? Think again…drawing on their Fringe sell-out success, ‘Grim(m) Tales/Bluebeard’ is Louna’s second production, this time in collaboration with Bruce Downie and Strathclyde Theatre Group at the Ramshorn Theatre in Glasgow.

Merging the lesser known, darkest tales by the Brothers Grimm and the tale of the devilish bridegroom, this brand new production is a double bill of European folklore with a twist. Using elements of physical theatre and traditional storytelling, making use of only minimal staging and props, ‘Grim(m) Tales/Bluebeard’ relies on the power of words to enthral its audience in a nightmarish take on fairy tales.(Please note that this show is not suitable for anyone under the age of 14).

‘Grim(m) Tales/Bluebeard’ takes place from Wednesday 3rd November – Saturday 6th November, 19:30 pm at The Ramshorn Theatre, 98 Ingram Street, Glasgow G1 EX.

Tickets are £9(£6 concession).

Louna Productions is a new Scottish-German company founded by Anna Lehr and Louisa Thornton. The two actresses met in early 2010 and founded their own theatre company to specialise in storytelling with a twist for an adult audience. Their current production is being performed as part of the IETM (Informal European Theatre Meeting).

For more information visit The Ramshorn Theatre Events Page

Click here for info on Helke Sanders from Wikipedia

Both politically and artistically, this pioneer of the German women’s movement and of filmmaking has always been far ahead of her time. She began to examine social structures and political visions consistently
from the perspective of women and children and has continued to follow this principle to the present time. The radically unconventional films evolve a new, experimental filmic language and elude simple readings.