Consciously Rising
Consciously Rising was the name of a participatory printmaking project and the collective name for the group of women* who took part in it. It was the practice-based component of my PhD research project. Consciously Rising was formed of four core parts: online discussion sessions, in-person making sessions, public events showcasing the outcomes, leading to finally depositing the project in the archive at Glasgow Women's Library.For the first part of the project, the group met online and used the practice of feminist consciousness-raising as a structure to facilitate discussions relating to their lives. These discussions occurred alongside creative activities such as collage, drawing, mark-making, and writing, allowing participants to explore their creative responses to the discussions within the online sessions.
When the group began meeting in-person, creative making became the main activity, and work started on a series of prints for an exhibition at Glasgow Women’s Library. Elements of the different creative processes explored in the online sessions were employed in making Riso prints.
The prints were exhibited at Glasgow Women's Library and the Community Gallery at Dunfermline Carnegie Library and Galleries. The prints and other material associated with the project have now been deposited in the Glasgow Women's Library archive, making it accessible for viewing and a resource for future research.
*The definition of ‘women’ for this project includes trans, intersex women, non-binary and gender-fluid people.
Women in the group made the Riso prints below.
Thank you to all Consciously Rising members who participated throughout the process. Each member's contribution to the circle discussions enriched the process. It allowed members to learn from each other and appreciate the different life experiences that have brought women to where they are today.
