Outside In BAN Zine 3 – In Tribute

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InTribute

CreativeResearchZine

GoingDeeper,InTribute byDeeVina/DeeLister

Part2 ofthethree-partseriesaboutDee’strauma-informed creativeresearch.

Copyright/permissions:

Thezineseriesandallimagesandwordsfeaturedare owned DeeVina /DeeLister©

Allworkrelatingtothecreativeresearch,includingthezines, weremadewiththepermissionandsupportofOutsideIn andthe BritishArtNetwork.

TheMuseumoftheMindkindlyprovidedaccessand permissionstouseBethlemHospital’sarchivedmaterials.

Acknowledgements:

Thankyoutoeveryonewhosupportedme.Specialthanksto SarahKetalaars,DavidLuck,KirkSummerwill,Naomiand Emma,Morag,Dolly,Teddy,andNorri,andmyOutsideIn mentorsJoDollandCharlotteGraham-Spouge.Finally thankyoutoyoureaderforbeinganaudienceformy work. TriggerWarning:

IntroductiontoPart3

Thisfinalzineofthethree-partseriessharesastandalone collectionofpoetry-artcreatedwhiledoingtraumainformedcreativeresearch.Itisarawseriesofsocially engagedart.

ThiszinebringsintheissueofprocessasI’veadded contextoverthepagesoyoucanunderstoodhowand whyImadethesepieces.

Myplandidn’tincluderespondingtocaserecordsbut onceI’dseenthemonlineviatheMuseumoftheMind’s website,Iwascalledtocreateandprocessmyrageand despair.

Thisworkallowsmetoextendaninvitetoyoutoconsider thenewdialogues*thatshareswordsandimagesfrom Bethlem(infamouslyknownasBedlaminthepast)in VictorianBritain.

ThanktoyoutotheMuseumoftheMindforgranting permissiontousematerialsfromtheBethlemRoyal Hospitalarchivesforthiswork.AlsotoDavidLuckfor attentiveandthoughtfulsupportwiththisresearch.

*I’mborrowingthistermfromthe NewDialogues researchgroupwhoawardedmearesearchbursary.See https://britishartnetwork.org.uk/research/new-dialoguesart-created-historically-in-mental-health-settings/

DidAnyoneListenToHer?

TheseriesthatfollowsI’vetitled DidAnyoneListenToHer?

Thesearepoetry-artassemblagesofre-orderedwordswith photographsfromsevenwomenpatients’caserecords. Thewomen’snamesare:

FrancisEveBenjamin,FrancesSophiaBurroughs, HannahBensusan,AdaJaneWarren,HildaSmart,Mary EmilyWickham,andSarahJaneMay.

TheywerepatientsattheBethlemRoyalHospitalbetween 1892-1888.Onesetofcaserecordsabouteachpersoncan beviewedfreelyontheinternetviatheMuseumofthe Mind’swebsitehere:https://museumofthemind.org.uk/ learning/explore-bethlem/patients

Thisseriesisintendedtojuxtaposere-imaginedaccounts ofhowthewomencouldhavespokeninanswertothe wordswrittenaboutthemandtheirbehaviourintheircase records.

Therearetwoversionsofthreeofthetributes.Itook breaksbetweentheseandtheothers.OnreturnIwantedto dothemagain.Idon’tunderstandfullywhy,butitdoesn’t matter. Thesewomenalldeservedmorespaceintheworldwhen theywerealiveduringthesedifficulttimesoftheirlives.I’ve sharedallthetributesintheorderImadethem.

Epilogue:IsAnyoneListening Now?

Ihopeyoufoundthepoetry-artmovingandthatyoutookit inatyourownpace.It’sadifficultread,isn’tit?

Thedehumanisingandemotionallydetachedjudgements madebymalealienists–themale-dominatedindustryof earlypsychiatry–andaccountsofeachperson’sdistress evenwhenthewordsarejumbledup,areveryupsetting.

Ifounditchallengingtocreatethisworkbutfoundawayto makesenseof,andartfullyrespondto,whatIsawandhow itmademefeel.

Tofeelsafedoingthisemotiveandtriggeringmentalhealth artgivenmyexperiencesofabuse,Ineededtoexclusively centremyeffortsonthewomen’srecords.

IwroteaboutthisandthewayIcraftedandnegotiatedmy boundariesasaresearcheractiveinthecreativeresearch processinzinepart1, StayingOpen,StayingSafe.

Ifocusedonthefemalepatientsbecausemyfeminist consciousnesswasstirredbythecaserecords.Thereare amplecluesinthelanguageofthealienistsastothe historicalandculturalcontextofmentalhealthcare.

Alsotohowthewomen’sbehaviourwasseenina genderedway,sometimesobviouslywith“supposed cause(s)ofinsanity”being“afterchildbirth”(Ada)and “over-study”(Mary).

Epilogue:IsAnyoneListening Now?(continued)

Thegoalinthelate19th centuryandyearsleadingupto it,wascontainmentofthe“insane”fromcivilisedsociety.

Didlockingthesewomenup,sometimesinpaddedcells, protecttheworld,aswashoped?

Didthe “staterefusebodilyhealth” ofthesewomen,as theirsufferinginthecaserecordsandthepoetry-art piecessuggests?

Whataboutthestrongclothesdesignedtorestrainand preventpatientsfromhurtingthemselvesorothers,did thisdoanythingbeyondstoppingpeoplemovingfreely*?

Ican’tknowthisorwhetheranyofthepatientswould consenttohavingtheirphotographsandcaserecords publishedonline.Wouldthewomenconsenttohaving theirsensitive‘data’usedinmysociallyengagedcreative research?

Idon’thaveanswerstothesequestionsandfeelthere’s workyettobedone.

DeeLister(August2024)

*Foraninterestingcounterpointaboutstrongclothessee thislinkaboutJaneFradgely’sphotographyexhibition: https://museumofthemind.org.uk/blog/held-guys-hospitalexhibition-by-jane-fradgley

Thankyouforreading! Ifyou’dliketogetintouch: Emaildeevinaart@gmail.com

Instagram@deevinadoodles

Alllinkshttps://linktr.ee/deevinaart

GoingDeeper,InTribute is part3 ofthethreepartseriesaboutDeeVina’strauma-informed creativeresearch.

Eachzineoffersmentalhealthart–artworkmade byDeewho’satraumasurvivorwholiveswith mentalhealthissues–andwordstoexplaintheir creativeresearchprocess.

Thiszinesharesrawandemotivepoetry-artand discussestheethicsofusingsensitivematerial fromtheBethlemHospital/MuseumoftheMind archives.

Accessingthezines

Adigitalversionofallzinescanbereadforfree https://issuu.com/outsidein_uk/ Printcopiesareavailableonrequestforafeeby emailing deevinaart@gmail.com

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