I have been commissioned to deliver the first public artwork in Manchester to celebrate Emmeline Pankhurst -international icon and famous Suffragette: A photo-mosaic – created by collecting photographs of inspirational women sent in by the public.

The portrait was exhibited at Manchester Art Gallery attracting an audience on a national and international basis – it will shortly go on tour please watch this site for updated information.

Reproduction Posters/Greeting Cards and Postcards of the portrait are available via The Pankhurst Centre.

More information about ‘Women Like You’

• Link to feature on BBC Manchester People and Places
• Women Like You profiled on Radio 4 Woman’s Hour January 2nd 2010
• View the Manchester Art Gallery Exhibition slideshow (PDF)

Background

‘Women Like You’ – developed from “What Manchester Women Want” an exhibition in 2008 for International Women’s Day. I was commissioned to celebrate the 80th year of women gaining the vote by working with 14 women’s groups across the city and looking at what women want now in comparison with the suffragette movement/issues. The exhibition of the work profiled at Manchester Town Hall on March 8th for International Women’s Day 2008

International Women’s Day 2009 – a consultation process took place regarding the creation of a contemporary portrait of Emmeline Pankhurst which developed into the current commission.

Medium: Charcoal Drawing

Dimensions: 112cms x 86cms

The Lowry – set design and costumes. A production by the performance company Aqueous Humour; Set in a cutlery factory the work was a parody of the way people behave towards those who are perceived to be different, in this case focusing on disability.

The performers were from ‘Proud & Loud’, a group of disabled young people who engage with theatre/performance skills.

I worked with ‘Aqueous Humour’ (Performance Company) to design the set and costumes for their Production “Forkin Hell” at The Lowry. Set in a cutlery factory the work was a parody of the way people behave towards those who are perceived to be different, in this case focusing on disability.

The performers were from ‘Loud & Proud’, a group of disabled young people who engage with theatre/performance skills.

Links

• http://www.thelowry.com/
• http://www.aqueoushumour.com/

Whitworth Art Gallery. The content of the project posed questions about women’s identity within social and cultural constructs. I facilitated the women over a period of six months, through workshops and photography. The group explored identity through gender, fantasy, aging, scarring and celebrities.

Whitworth Gallery contacted The Pankhurst Centre with information about ‘Relocation’ a project to house an artwork from their collections: ‘relocating’ them out in the community.

I was asked to work with women from the centre’s ‘Drop in Group’ to facilitate the discussion and selection of an artwork. The group selected a contemporary artist that would reflect contemporary images of women. A series of Tracey’s Ermin’s life drawings interested the group with their simplicity and emotive use of line and materials. The tiny figures that sprawled across an expanse of paper emphasized a sense of vulnerability and insignificance which resonated with some women in the group; opening up discussions around individual experiences and issues.

The final choice however was Lynn Hershman Leeson’s piece “Roberta Breitmore – “Roberta Construction Chart No.1”. Their were several reasons for this: the artwork itself reflected a strong bold image of a woman’s face; a disturbing portrait with demarcation lines drawn onto areas of the face, almost as thought this women had been stitched together; which immediately drew women over to the portrait to ask questions.

The content of the piece also posed questions: about women’s identity within social and cultural constructs with the use of make-up emphasizing the falseness and pliability of women’s identity. The whole notion of forming another identity fired the imagination of the women and they began to explore the many ways in which they modified themselves to cope with, survive and flourish in the multiple roles they all had. The discussion widened into a debate that focused on the moral code women felt they were under pressure to adhere to, that this code is devised by a paternal hierarchy and creates roles for women that would seem to be at odds with other; e.g. a mother and a person with sexual needs, a carer with a career, an independent ambitious woman : a person who must conform to ideas of beauty and worth that are applied to them, a sense of worthlessness with age and overall a sense of judgment and disempowerment whilst continuing to perform all these roles.

‘Each workshop aimed to build layers of a new identity for the women, planning and exploring their ideas around restrictions, disempowerment and empowerment; this was process was enabled through my extensive experience of working with vulnerable women.’

I facilitated the women over a period of six months, through workshops and photography. The group explored identity through gender, fantasy, aging, scarring and celebrities. I led and delivered the workshops and photographed the women. ‘Wigs up North’ delivered the make-up.

There are some very disturbing images which developed in the final workshop – I asked the women to locate a place in their bodies that had been hurt – we worked together to visualize and record this.

There is a full evaluation report written by myself, available to clients I work with on request. Click on the link below to download the report as a PDF:

Evaluation Report: Whitworth Art Gallery

Links

• http://www.whitworth.manchester.ac.uk/

I worked with Manchester Rape Crisis and Women’s Aid initially to facilitate women who have experienced domestic abuse and rape. A sad fact that emerged is most women are harmed by someone they know and often in their own home. I began the project with a question – a technique I often employ and offered a title to the group

ME & MY HOUSE

• Is this the house you have come from?
• Is this the house you live in now?
• Is this the house you are going too?

I provided a template for the house and a series of materials. Using my skills I enabled the group to build their house.

I was asked to develop this work with women from The Pankhurst Centre who had requested that they became involved; all three organisations are based in the Centre and the houses had gained their interest.

The project developed into a street rather than individual houses – with gardens and alternative road signs. © In November 2009 we engaged with the international campaign “16 Days of Action against Violence against Women”

The project is currently being filmed by M.A. students from Salford University.

I hope to upload the film in 2010.

I am currently writing an evaluation report which will be available to organisations I work with on request.

Links

• http://www.manchesterrapecrisis.co.uk/
• http://www.womensaid.org.uk/

This piece of my work is an interactive, audio-visual installation which I produced for the International Symposium of Electronic Art, to explore the notion of technology within the natural world.

The installation poses a debate: without five basic ingredients of life – air/water/sun/seeds/earth –would there be nothing else? If any element of these ingredients are damaged or absent is there a technology that can replace these elements of our environment? If not, then technology is still dependent on these life systems.

The focus is the five glowing images, designed to be tactile and to have an inherent dialogue with the materials that hold and surround them, wool, wood and water. A soundtrack of reverberating heartbeats and breathe filled the quietness. The installation can be experienced on both a sensory and intellectual level.

Commission – The International Symposium of Electronic Art –an audio visual installation exploring the notion of technology within the natural world

Supported by

• Manchester Metropolitan University
• British Wool Board

In 2008 it was the NHS (National Helath Service) 40 year celebration of its birth. I was commissioned to design the costumes and float for 100 participants in Manchester’s Pride Parade, working with the LGBT community. I themed the float on a giant silver birthday cake and designed nurse/doctor costumes that reflected the different fashions from the 1940’s – 2008.

Links

• http://www.manchesterpride.com/gallery/2008/parade/photos?page=4&pic=89
• http://www.manchesterpride.com/gallery/2008/parade/photos?page=5&pic=131
• http://www.manchesterpride.com/gallery/2008/parade/photos?page=28&pic=781

2008 marked two important anniversaries in the history of women’s suffrage; 1918 saw the introduction of limited suffrage (90th anniversary) and 1928 saw the introduction of full voting rights for women (80th anniversary).

Manchester City Council was keen to recognise these important anniversaries as part of its ongoing work to promote gender equality and women’s involvement in public life. Charlotte Newson was commissioned to manage and deliver the exhibition. She worked with 14 women’s groups.

The exhibition

The exhibition was entitled “What Manchester Women Want” and aimed to recognize the struggles and achievements of Manchester’s women, past, present and future. The exhibition was planned and influenced by local women working with a professional and made comparisons between what mattered to Manchester’s suffragette women of the past and to the women that live and work in Manchester today. The result was a unique record of women’s achievements, thoughts and comments on working and living in this vibrant city. The work was described as:

“…Charlotte’s way of working to produce the art exhibition What Manchester Women Want for International Women’s Day inspired the women who use the Centre to produce something exceptional and educational. She went on to repeat this process with every group she worked with. What Women Want are more opportunities to be involved in such exciting, visual, accessible and inclusive projects.”

Norma Turner, Chair of the Pankhurst Centre Management Committee.

The above is an excerpt from the Evaluation Report prepared by C. Newson©

Click on the following link to download the report as a PDF: Evaluation Report: What Manchester Women Want

Focusing on a specific age range and locality.

Input from families at the refuge, via drawings, informed the final design.

“Frill of the Frock” was a giant 6 metre high frock. I designed the frock and the participant’s costumes with an Opera-Diva theme. The designs, final products and workshops took approx 8 months to complete.

On the day of the parade 80 – 100 participants from the LGBT community danced their way across Manchester as the ‘Frill of the Frock’ – with Company Fierce dancers and a big sound system.

Links

http://www.manchesterpride.com/gallery/page.aspx?ID=41&page=6&pic=152