Dolly
I’ve always written things, about how I feel or what has happened in my day, but those were more my younger days. I’ve never done anything with them, just got things off my chest. In this group I feel my words are valued, like what I write matters. I feel heard. I feel seen. I feel like every woman in this group I can relate to, in one way or another. We feel like sisters. Our stories connect dots to each other, find comfort now to things we thought we were alone in.
Writing pieces leading up to this performance was at times challenging, being so vulnerable can be daunting, but with my sisters by my side, it gave me the strength I needed to deliver something we are so desperately missing out on.
I’m not sure how to put it simply, how I felt straight after our performance. I was incredibly proud of all of us & what we had done. I felt so raw, but also a little more healed. I could feel waves of strength flow through the room as each of my sisters delivered their stories. I was seeing something different within them as the night went on. The oozing of passion, depths of pain that they held onto for so long. Words were really beginning to lift off the page as each word was spoken, like a humming off bees one after another, getting louder as we united.
You really started, I mean really started to realise how much this meant. Not just to us, but our audience, our community. A sea of comments as we poured out our truths, thanking us for making them feel heard and seen too. Grateful for highlighting the injustice we have and continue to face in a new light. Commended our bravery to do the unthinkable. Appreciative for being let inside the safe space we made for us, all of us.
It doesn’t stop here for me now. I’m no longer afraid of our truths being heard, I’m afraid they’ll try to stop us. It’s not about trying to find the words; it’s about running out of pages to write on. My fear is no longer being heard; it’s being forgotten.
I want to write into culture, with my sisters. In solidarity.
“We are massively proud of the impact of ‘Write into Culture,’ and even more so of the women who have trusted us to support them to develop and grow in their creative voices. The project has gone from strength to strength, and we look forward to the future,” said Co-founders Dee Cooper and Lisa Smith.
Write into culture class of 2023/24 for Travellers’ Times
(All photos belong to members of Write into Culture)
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