Artists As Parents At VAI Get Together Irish Museum of Modern Art
Friday MAY 23 2014
For this event The Mothership Project has invited artist Pauline Cummins to give a presentation on WAAG. Pauline was the founding chairperson of the Women Artists Action Group (WAAG), which from 1987–1991 organised exhibitions and conferences in Ireland, and promoted exchange and dialogue internationally. Specifically, Pauline will discuss the actions that WAAG took during its existence to highlight the issues that affected women and parents in the art world at that time.
This will be followed by a 30 minute ‘Open Spaces’ discussion led by artist Aine Ivers where The Mothership Project will decide on steps forward and actions that could be taken to address the difficulties faced by artist parents in Ireland today.
Pauline Cummins‘ performance and video work examines identity, gender and socio-cultural relations connected to different communities in society.
Aine Ivers is a visual artist based in Dublin. She has facilitated Open Space meetings and workshops in Dublin and Belfast, and is particularly interested in the potential applications of Open Space Technology within visual arts practices and amongst artists.
Open Space Technology (OST) is a process for facilitating complex meetings. It is people-centred and result-orientated. Participants in Open Space meetings are empowered by being made responsible for their own interests, desires and actions. Based on the philosophy of self-organising systems, OST invests in the concept that people do best when they represent themselves.
The Mothership Project is a network of Irish parenting visual artists and arts workers which aim to open up discussion on the logistics, economics and status associated with being an artist / parent. Areas of interest include alternative childcare models, support networks, perception of mother / artist, time and money and child friendly residencies. Central to the discussion is the notion that retrograde attitudes and practices in relation to artists and parenthood are an inherent part of the art world.
THE MOTHERSHIP PROJECT 