Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) have recently concluded an important participatory research project around creativity and the menopause. Over 30 women from across the south of England participated, with the centrepiece of the project being the creation of a quilt made by the women over a series of wight workshops.
The project was organised by Pauline Ferrick-Squibb, a Senior Lecturer of BA (Hons) Commercial Photograph and MA Photography at AUB, with funding from AUB and Research England.
Pauline, commenting on the project, stated; “I wanted to find out if the creative process of producing a quilt in collaboration with others would enable them to collectively and individually articulate their experiences, foster a sense of community, and enable them to have a greater agency in advocating strategies to improve their experience of the menopause”.
The quilt is made up of 78 individual squares around a central panel. A variety of creative processes and techniques were used including printmaking using a letter press to make statements, painting and drawing digitally printed onto the squares and embroidery.
The research data is evidenced in the quilt itself as well as in a short video that captures the voices of the women talking during the workshops, which was shown at the launch and will be available at future exhibitions.
Further information on this project is available here.
The short video produced as part of this project is available here.
20/03/2025
