Mujeres Disruptivas collective arpillera unveiling
Date: 20 June 2023
Venue: Void Education Space, Void Gallery, 10 Waterloo Place, Derry, BT48 6BU
Mujeres Disruptivas collective arpillera unveiling as part of Refugee week 2023
On April 27th, arpilleristas Pilar López and Manoli Garcia Conzalez, from Fundació Ateneu Sant Roc group, Catalonia, facilitated a workshop in Void as part of their wider visit to Northern Ireland in association with the Mujeres Disruptivas exhibition to share their expertise in arpilleras.
Local Derry attendees were joined by participants who journeyed from London, Dublin and Donegal. The workshop brief was to make an arpillera doll themed on the ‘Mujeres Disruptivas’ exhibition which would contribute to a collective arpillera to show solidarity with refugees who have had their lives disrupted. It started with a short walk to the Tower Museum, led by Conflict Textiles curator Roberta Bacic, to view the exhibits displayed as part of Mujeres Disruptivas / Disruptive Women: Exhibition trail.
Once back in the workshop space, under the guidance of Pilar and Manoli - and with translation provided by Roberta - participants created arpillera dolls from scraps of material. There was conversation, concentration and space to reflect as the dolls themed on disruption took shape. Conflict Textiles Fabric Artist Deborah Stockdale, who also took part in the workshop, stitched the completed dolls on a hessian backing.
To mark Refugee Week 2023 (19-25 June), we will be unveiling the final artwork which was created during the session, Mujeres Disruptivas collective arpillera, to the public on Tuesday 20th June at 2pm in Void's Education Space. Everyone is welcome. Refreshments will be provided. A number of pieces from the Conflict Textiles collection will also be exhibited as part of this event.
For more information and to book a free ticket, click here.
Image credits - Mujeres Disruptivas, Collective arpillera, 2023 . Photo Martin Melaugh, © Conflict Textiles
Void Gallery is supported using public funding from Arts Council Northern Ireland, Arts Council National Lottery Fund, All Island Fund, Austin and Hope Pilkington Foundation, Arnold Clarke Foundation, Bank of Ireland Begin Together Arts Fund, Community Foundation Ireland, Derry City and Strabane District Council, Enkalon Foundation, National Lottery Community Fund, The Ireland Funds, Ragdoll Foundation.