What superb speakers Ally and Maggie from Rosie's Plaques were in May. Vicki our President had heard them on Women's Hour some time ago, and when she realised they were based in Norwich and had a great story about women to tell, we were very keen to invite them to our meeting to tell us all about it.
Rosie's Plaques was inspired when the Common Lot Theatre group learned that out of 300 blue plaques in Norwich, only 25 mention non-mythical women. The team started to research great Norfolk women which led to great debates about what constitutes a radical woman. And then they decided to do something to rectify the situation. Learning how to make plaster cast plaques using Plaster of Paris, backwards letters and cake tins followed. Subsequently they disguised themselves as Rosie's Riveters (an allegorical cultural icon from the USA who represented the women who worked in factories and shipyards during World War II). Cannily looking just like some of the artistes from Norfolk and Norwich Festival, they gadded about with a ladder, wearing boiler suits and head scarves in May 2019 to hang up their first plaques and waited to see what would happen. And so Rosie's Plaques was born as their guerrilla art project went viral with TV and press coverage. They won awards, and woman the country over started getting in touch to ask if they'd help them put up blue plaques for gutsy women in their town too. We loved these feisty ladies with so much to say. Many members had been to see some of their Common Lot Theatre productions out and about in Norwich. And much discussion followed about what great women future plaques could mention.
0 Comments
|
Swallowtail WIGet the inside scoop on the life of a WI member. Archives
March 2024
Categories |