extraORDINARYwomen: Supporting Communities (1965-today)
extraORDINARYwomen is a groundbreaking collections-based community driven heritage project of engagement, creativity and skills development. This project will digitally preserve and make accessible unique materials in our archives about women and collect new stories relating to issues affecting women of all generations in Northern Ireland. It will highlight activism, change, influencing and the experience of ‘ordinary’ women during the ‘extraordinary normality’ of the time. Examining roles and attitudes in Northern Ireland during a momentous period of recent history, the project focuses on women supporting and raising each other up!
Utilising culturally and historically significant collections – including political, literary, theatre, Traveller and LGBTQ+ archives – this project will illuminate and celebrate the lived experience of women. It will drive inspiring community engagement programmes, develop skills and creativity, curate exhibitions, and capture oral reminiscence, and responses to contemporary issues affecting women of all generations in Northern Ireland.
Here’s a glimpse of what’s to come:
Images used in video:
1. Women’s Place is Everywhere poster [Northern Ireland Women’s Rights Movement] Held in NI Political Collection.
2. Betty Williams of The Peace People poster. Held in NI Political Collection.
3. Northern Ireland Abortion Law Reform Association campaign poster. Held in NI Political Collection.
4. Belfast Gay Liberation Society at QUB poster. Held in NI Political Collection.
5. ‘Tea in a China Cup’ by Christina Reid, programme for world premiere at Lyric Theatre. Held in Theatre Arch
Funders:
The project is funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund Northern Ireland, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Reconciliation Fund (Ireland), and The Foyle Foundation.
#extraordinarywomenni
Contact:
Tríona White Hamilton, Project Manager: t.whitehamilton@linenhall.com
Contact Tríona for project management queries
Rachel Brady, Curator: r.brady@linenhall.com
Contact Rachel for details about upcoming exhibitions and archive/ artefact loans
Alistair Gordon, Senior Archive Assistant; a.gordon@linenhall.com
Contact Alistair about donations to the collection
