In January of this year, Women’s Creative Company put on a storytelling event where we each spoke about a woman, who was either a historical figure, or someone who played a significant role in our lives. Women whose stories we felt it was important to tell.
The event was really well received by the audience. The women involved all had great passion in telling their stories and are all natural born performers!
I chose to talk about a suffragette named Rosa May Billingshurst. I chose to talk about her because the moment I first heard her story on a podcast I was captivated. As a woman who is also a wheelchair user and been involved in activism, I am amazed and in awe of how courageous she was. This event gave me the perfect opportunity to share her story .
The workshops leading up to the event were led by storyteller Alice Fernbank. We had weekly workshops in which Alice helped us find our storytelling voices. I found this very difficult. I did not feel confident in my ability. I worried a great deal about being able to communicate Rosa May's story, because it meant so much to me and the more I learned about her the more I felt I needed to include. I was starting to feel overwhelmed and panicky about it. Through all this, the women in the group were extremely kind and offered me words of encouragement and advice. Finally, with only a few weeks to go before the event, we were rehearsing our stories and I was still reading mine from the page when Alice asked me to give her my book and just to tell the story without worrying about the details.
I dug deep and found the courage and strength to just breathe and tell her story. This was my favourite part of the whole experience. The love and strength and encouragement given to me from Alice and all the women of The Women’s Creative Company.
I have been involved since 2016 and the confidence I have gained since joining has been amazing. It has become a huge part of my life. It has been a solice and safe space for me. I have found comfort in being involved during difficult times and I would recommend joining to any woman looking to explore their creative side in a nurturing, encouraging and supportive environment.
By Ruth, Member of Women's Creative Company
If you are interested in joining Women's Creative Company, contact Kirstin on kirstin@amomentspeace.co.uk