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Women artists Rise to the cultural challenge during lockdown


Women artists are responding to the Coronavirus lockdown in an online project coordinated as part of Liverpool’s RISE programme.

A dozen micro-commissions are being brought together under the RISE banner, which aims to celebrate the talents of extraordinary women.

They include Liverpool’s Karen Gallagher, former chief of MDI and who has now launched Karen Gallagher Associates, who uses dance to lighten the mood and has created a whole diary – And This is What Am Doing! - using only TikTok videos.

Liverpool’s Cath Rice has joined forces with fellow actor Stephen Fletcher to create Virtual Insanity, a short film featuring her comedy character Bev and shining a light on lockdown life.

Cath Rice in Virtual Insanity


Lockdown sees Yemeni-Scouse writer and performance artist Amina Atiq uses photography to tell her own story, while Still is a photographic collection by Liverpool artist Amber Akaunu who has been inspired by how she has used lockdown to reconnect with herself and others.

Playwright and songwriter Lizzie Nunnery’s Little Bird is an audio snapshot of a mother and daughter separated, and LIMF Academy graduate LUNA has produced Lucent, a track created using voice notes from Liverpool women about how they are coping with the pandemic.

Clare Brumby’s 45k features mobile phone photography and explores how the gender divide has been further exposed during lockdown, Introspection: Introspección sees Colombian artist Erika Diettes using self-portraits to empower herself in the midst of the pandemic, and Mothers Who Make Liverpool in Lockdown is a film by Claire Bigley documenting the daily routine of women.

RISE Together - banana bread


The 12 commissions are completed by Home Alone Together from artist Sharon Bailey – a short film challenging ideas about ageing and showing how culture can have a role in supporting the vulnerable and isolated; And Still We Rise, a short video from Tmesis Theatre, and an Oh hun Women’s Hour podcast.

Liverpool’s director of culture Claire McColgan said: “These commissions give us a strong, female commentary on the pandemic – a commentary which so far seems to have been dominated by male voices.

“The 12 women have used lockdown as a way to tap into their creativity and produce empowering, thought-provoking and diverse pieces of work.

“More than ever, it’s essential we shine a spotlight on incredible creative talent and make their work as accessible as possible and it’s fantastic that we can achieve this by building on the success of last year’s RISE programme.”

The commissions can all be seen on the Culture Liverpool website HERE

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