Wigtown 'Her-story' Workshop
Overview
This workshop involved a partnership between the Wigtown Women’s Walk group (which has recently launched their Women’s History Walk) and Glasgow Women’s Library (GWL) National Lifelong Learning group. A key aim was to raise awareness of local women from the past and engage more of the community – especially girls and younger women – with the walk group and in storytelling activities.
The session was publicised as a “bring and tell” session, with community members encouraged to bring objects connected to a female relative or a local woman. Participants told their stories, and these were recorded using ‘netbooks’ or digital recorders. Additional activities for young people included creating ‘a map’ of local women, and a storyboard or writing a story, poem or drawing.
The group also brought archive recordings, films and photographs for viewing. It was an all-day informal drop-in session with refreshments provided by the local ‘ReadingLasses’ bookshop.
Success Factors
- The session attracted younger women and girls aged from 6 to 15 years who brought their knowledge of local women.
- Local women and visitors brought beautiful objects, from hand-made christening caps to toys and photographs – stories were shared and cake was eaten!
- The event raised awareness of local women’s history and introduced residents to both the Glasgow Women’s Library and to the Wigtown Women’s Walk.
- Participants gave permission for recording and these are now part of GWL archive. Some of the stories and video footage is available on the website. To see a YouTube video shot at the Wigtown Community Festival workshop, click here.
- A key factor in the workshop’s success was help from the walk group members in publicising the event.
Quotes
“I enjoyed recalling past memories.”
“The best bit was bringing my daughter and having her hear me relate ‘Elsie’s story’. We need more of these events!”
“The best bit was learning about what the local women did and hearing everyone’s stories.”