They Came Before Us - ebook by Collage Arts

The History of BAME women in the UK

CONTENTS PAGE

TCBU PHOTOGRAPHY:

p. 3 - 11

CATALINA DE CARDONES TCBU SPOKEN WORD:

p. 12 - 16

ZAHA HADID TCBU SET DESIGN:

p. 17 - 24

SEAMAN WILLIAM BROWN TCBU FILM:

p. 25 - 29

QUEEN PHILIPPA OF HAINAULT TCBU VISUAL ARTS:

p. 30 - 40

LILIAN BADER TCBU EXHIBITION

p. 41 - 52

FEEDBACK / IMPACT

p. 53 - 55

Catalina De Cardones

Catalina De Cardones Who ? Lady-in-waiting to Tudor Queen Catherine of Aragon Her story Catalina migrated from Spain to London with Catherine of Aragon She became Lady of the Bedchamber to the Queen She was known as one of the main trusted ladies-inwaiting to Queen Catherine of Aragon

We are often taught about King Henry VIII and his wives in school, but rarely taught about black women within Tudor history. Being a lady-in-waiting meant that she was the main person that advised and attended to the Queen, the role itself was very high profile which meant Catalina was seen as a noblewoman within society. The photography in the exhibition explores the intimate relationship Catalina may have had with Queen Catherine of Aragon

PARTICIPANTS & PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP IN PROGRESS

FINAL EXHIBITION PIECES

Women of this world This is about women, and our own language. Our organicity and instincts, the spontaneous melody of our presence. About sisterhood and womanhood. About femininity, and about our delicate and powerful bodies, individually, together. It is about our most intimate secrets, about our cycles and the undeniable and immediate connection to mother nature, to earth, fire, moon, life. It is about our blood and our suffering, our fights and our achievements. This is about our sensuality, and us as a complex universe of meaning. It’s about our passion and intensity as driving forces along history. This is about our similarities more than our differences. It’s about how we perceive and capture the world with just one look. This is about Catalina and Catherine's special bond, all that we don't know, all that nobody ever knew, their secrets, their interior life and deepest thoughts. Them, together, individually, seeking for meanings, looking for more. Just like us. Women of this world.

Zaha Hadid

Zaha Hadid Who ? Award winning iraqi born architect Her story Zaha Hadid was the first and only woman to be awarded the Royal Gold Metal from the Royal Institute of British Architects. She won the most prestigous UK architectural award (Stirling Prize) She was also the first woman to receive the Pritzker Architecture prize. ZahaÂ Hadid's work was popular and powerful, the shapes and colours of her designs really made her stand out in what was and still is a very male dominated industry. Zaha's work was said to have liberated architectural geometry, she was quoted to be "Queen of the Curve". The Zaha Hadid section of the exhibition includes four audio pieces and one video written and made in response to her work. The viewer is encouraged to relax on the bed, put on the headphones and listen to some of the Zaha inspired spoken word.

PARTICIPANTS & SPOKEN WORD WORKSHOP IN PROGRESS

FINAL EXHIBITION PIECES

ClickÂ link to Four poems produced by the Spoken Word Participants

Seaman William Brown

FINAL PIECES

Seaman William Brown Who? Black woman who dressed as a man to join the Royal Navy. Her Story Said to be the first biological female to serve in the Royal Navy Was rumoured to have served for 11 years disguised as a man Skilled sailor aboard the British Flagship during the NapoleonicÂ Wars. Seaman William Brown's story reflects her boldness and courage within a time where society's views regarding the capabilities of women were very warped. Although it is not entirely clear on how long Seaman William served in the Royal Navy, her serving at all is powerful The Seaman William Brown section of the exhibition featured elements of HMS Queen Charlotte in which Seaman William Brown would have been on.

PARTICIPANTS & SET DESIGN WORKSHOP IN PROGRESS

FINAL EXHIBITION PIECES

Queen Philippa of Hainault

Queen Philippa of Hainault Who ? Queen of England in 1330 Her story It is said that Queen Philippa was England's first Black Queen. The British public loved her for her kindness and compassion. The Queens College, Oxford University was founded in honour of her. Queen Philippa's story is somewhat a difficult one as many believe she was whitewashed and certain elements of her life have been missed out in history. In an era in which BAME women are calling themselves "queens" more than ever,Â the exhibition highlights what is said to be England's first official Black Queen. The Queen Philippa of Hainault section of the exhibiton is set in the wardrobe, where one was invited to get cosy and watch our short film depicting the life of Queen Philippa of Hainault.

PARTICIPANTS & FILM WORKSHOP IN PROGRESS

FINAL EXHIBITION PIECES

Click link to. Queen Philippa of Hainault' video produced by the Film team.

Lilian Bader

Lilian Bader Who ? One of the first Black women to join the Royal Air Force during World War II Her story Lilian Bader was orphaned at 9 years old and was raised in a convent. She was fired from a canteen job because of her race, She was one of the first women to train as an aircraft instrument repairer for the Royal Air Force. She became the Leading Aircraftwoman in the Royal Air Force. Lilian Bader's life story represents perseverance and achievements amidst adversity. Becoming a leading technician in the RAF as a black woman is something that is still not highlighted today. With such a powerful story missed out from such a popular era, our exhibition reimagines what it would have been like for Lilian Bader to be included in mainstream. The Lilian Bader section of the exhibition invites us to look at some of the takeaways from a reimagined Lilian Bader exhibition. This section also invites us to check out the magazines made in response to her life and grab a postcard.

PARTICIPANTS & VISUAL ARTS WORKSHOP IN PROGRESS

FINAL EXHIBITION PIECES

Click link to Video produced by the Visual Arts team

FINAL EXHIBITION PIECES

“THE INTERNET TAUGHT ME MORE ABOUT BAME HISTORY THAN I LEARNT IN SCHOOL, LEARNING ABOUT WOMEN I CAN RELATE TO AND THAT ALSO LOOK LIKE ME MAKES ME FEEL RELEVANT” - SARAH BULLER

Click to The 'Why' ' video describing the TCBU project in depth

Click to The Who and What video describing the TCBU project in even more depth

BAME BABES STATION

Feedback

" I loved the interactivity of the exhibition it allowed me to be immersed into another world and learn about new perspectives. " " Super refreshing- a beautifully executed look into women who belong to the BAME society. " " Aesthetically pleasing, great message to uphold & spread. We are beautiful. " " Instantly eye-catching from the outside, love the modern delivery of historical stories. Eye opening, interesting. Leaving the exhibition with lots to think about - Fab!! " " So touched & inspired & emotional. I think this work is so important and I commend you for doing it. Thank you! These stories need to be heard. Loved every bit of it.

IMPACT

Stills from a video exploring a fictional, re-imagined life of a BAME woman in her bedroom.

IMPACT

IMPACT FROM PARTICIPANTS

"Having forgotten our invisible history in mainstream education/history my culture isn't reallyÂ highlighted. So like Queen Philippa , people from my background are not really represented." "It taught me the importance of recording your history & the history of your time." "I've loved it! Met some really amazing women and great friends." "This has given me the confidence to apply for my photography development programmes!" "It taught me more about moorish culture and untold history of BAME women." "It taught me how to take better pictures and edit. But more importantly team work and collaboration." "I feel more confident, especially more artistically speaking." "I can relate to the history I have learnt mainly because my family & ancestors would have experienced similar things to Catalina - so I feel a certain connection."