Everyday Heroines – Portraits of Ourselves is a new Women’s Development and Creativity programme, as part of The Glens Centre’s Across the Lines programme. The over-arching aim is to support skills development and personal development of women through creativity. The course will bring women together, empower women as image makers, and to support women play an active part in the community through creativity.
Ruth: We are delighted to have Róisín Loughrey work with The Glens Centre as the creative facilitator for this programme work which will in part be about cascading out creative image making skills to other women. Róisín, tell us what will women taking part get out of this 8 week programme?
Róisín: What I hope that women who are taking part will get is the time to explore their creative ideas, however small, and the confidence to develop them through the practical use of video, photography and a little bit of creative writing. I also hope they’ll have a bit of fun!
Ruth: The creative writer Monica Cornish will be joining you for two of the sessions. How do you think this will add to the programme?
Róisín: Images and words are all part of the language of creativity. I want the participants to be able to develop their ideas and stories in different ways. Monica is an excellent facilitator and her workshops allow people with no previous experience of writing to draw on their own words and find their own stories.
Ruth: Why the theme of ‘Everyday Heroines’?
Róisín: We wanted to look at women, either in our everyday lives or ones that have touched or inspired us, and the way they have affected our lives. We will also be exploring the idea that we are our own heroines! It’s about playing with ideas of identity. We can be our own super-heros. We’ll be looking at some female photographers and filmmakers who have inspired me and looking at ways we can use the camera to further our ideas of the heroine, both within and outside of ourselves.
Ruth: What are you most looking forward to in delivering the programme?
Róisín: I’m really looking forward to meeting a bunch of women to go on a creative journey with. The idea of the ‘everyday heroine’ is new to me too so I’ll be exploring it alongside the participants. I’m looking forward to us all creating some new work together and having a bit of craic along the way!
Róisín Loughrey is an award-winning filmmaker and visual artist. Her film and video work has been shown both at home and internationally at film festivals, symposiums, galleries and on network television. She lives in Manorhamilton, North Leitrim with her husband and two sons.
Everyday Heroines: Portraits of Ourselves is a new 8-week photography, video and creativity programme for 12 women in the North Leitrim area and Fermanagh border region. Starting every Wednesday from the 7th of February from 7.30pm to 9.30pm. Places are limited. If interested in taking part please send a short email before Tuesday 30th Jan 2018 – stating why you are interested to: ifiadmin@theglenscentre.com
