Girl Power? We'll see...@ The Scottish Storytelling Centre
Girl Power? We'll see...
The Scottish Storytelling Centre's season of gender exploration, motherhood and family.
The Scottish Storytelling Centre is exploring women and social issues this October, with an interactive theatre experience investigating the suffragettes and a drop-in day of activities celebrating birth stories.
On the 8th and 9th October, the Centre explores the stories of two contrasting campaigners for women's rights. Flora ‘the General' Drummond and Chrystal Macmillan, are introduced in Chrystal and the General, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Women's Suffrage Movement.
General Drummond was a pugilistic Scots militant, tartan swathed and imprisoned nine times for her passionately direct activism. Chrystal Macmillan was a committed internationalist and peace campaigner with the quiet, steely determination of a woman possessed by a razor-sharp legal mind who believed in campaigning within the law. Chrystal and Flora's stories are told by two present day women's rights campaigners, Suzanne Dance and Clunie Mackenzie (with the script co-written by Jo Clifford), who place stories of the past in the context of our present struggles. Combined with Rachel Amey's vision of women's future, this interactive theatrical event is dedicated to the memory of Sue Innes (writer and feminist campaigner).
The Centre continues to draw on women's issues on 10th of October with three free drop-in events under the title Love, Create, Heal: Women and Birth, in association with the Pregnancy and Parents Centre, Edinburgh. The day is an opportunity to remember, celebrate and commemorate stories of birth, motherhood and family in a fun, participative day for women from all communities and their families to get involved with. Join in with some free creative activities to get you thinking about your own experiences of birth.
Birth Stories at 10.30am, is an opportunity to hear stories of birth from around the world, and share your own experiences. Then enjoy our interactive session of Family Stories at 2pm, bringing together parents and children to explore relationships and celebrate memories.
The Centre's monthly storytelling event, the Storytelling Café on the 14th October is hosted by Judy Paterson and explores the theme of Women and Men, a topic that's sure to get a reaction! Judy's entertaining storytelling often incorporates stories of diverse cultures.
The Scottish Storytelling Centre is the national body for the support and development of the storytelling artform. The organisation is a partnership between the Scottish Storytelling Forum and the Church of Scotland, and is supported by the Scottish Arts Council, the City of Edinburgh Council and a wide range of charitable donations. www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk SCO11353
Pregnancy and Parents Centre (the new name for the Birth Resource Centre) is a charitable organisation which has grown and developed over twenty years in response to what women have told us that they and their families need during pregnancy, childbirth and beyond. Many of those women continue to be involved as volunteers, making it possible to maintain our work of providing emotional and practical support, and information.
GUDE CAUSE was formed to mark the 100th anniversary of the Women's Suffrage Movement Procession along Princes Street in 1909. The culmination of this celebration will be a re-enactment of this march on 10th October 2009, with a series of events in different parts of Scotland, not only to remember, but also to mark what has changed in the past century to improve women's position in society and to draw attention to what still needs to be done. http://www.gudecause.org.uk/
Jo (formerly John) Clifford is a writer, performer and teacher who lives in Edinburgh. Until recently, Jo was Professor of Theatre at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh. http://www.teatrodomundo.com
Suzanne Dance is an actor with extensive experience in theatre, film and TV. She is also a community work facilitator and teacher of well-being.
Clunie Mackenzie trained in Edinburgh and has been in numerous productions throughout her professional career, including Tamlane and The Shepherd with Theatre Alba.
Rachel Amey is a writer and performer based in Edinburgh. Reviews for previous work include: "A tight snappy piece...artful, intriguing and often highly comic" (The Scotsman) "As riveting as it is entertaining" (The Big Issue).
