The stories so far…

So, the website has been live exactly 2 weeks today, and we have already had OVER 800 STORIES SUBMITTED!

We've been tweeted by the likes of Caroline Lucas and NoMorePage3 and had this feature written on us in the Independent on Sunday:  

In short - we're excited. 

Thank you so much to all those who have already submitted - there is so much fantastic material on there.  From bull-fighting grandmothers to thwarted witch-ambitions and over-plucked brows...it's all happening over at www.threegenerationsofwomen.co.uk. 

Get involved! Read some stories and answer as few or as many questions as you would like. 

BLT X 

(See below for more press articles)

BLT in the press

11th Feb 2014
The Argus (double-page spread)


31st Jan 2014
The Brighton Independent

28^th Jan 2014
The Shields Gazette

26^th Jan 2014

The Independent on Sunday

22^nd Jan 2014

News Shopper

20^th Jan 2014

Meridian Magazine (p41)

Website launches today!

Three Generations of Women will draw on the experiences of real women growing up in the UK over the last 100 years.  From the best advice your mother ever gave you, to the moment you first became aware of your gender, we want to hear your stories!

Our website officially launches today and plays a key role in the research, to enable women to submit stories remotely.  www.threegenerationsofwomen.co.uk is intended to be a growing resource, which women can continue to contribute to, creating an archive of real life stories to be shared, producing a legacy for the project.

A bit more on the project and what we're setting out to achieve:

We're keen to develop a piece of theatre which is drawn from real experiences and that represents as wide a demographic as possible and so we have been working with the following partners up and down the country in order to speak with lots of women of various ages and backgrounds, many of whom may not normally engage with the theatre.  By capturing real voices and real experiences we are aiming to appeal to people of all ages who have grown up in Britain.

We have so far met with some wonderful women in London, Leeds and Brighton with the support of the following partners:

Leeds City Council

Hey Days project for over 55’s – West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds

The University of Leeds

OWLS (Older Wiser Local Seniors), Leeds
St Thomas' Hospital midwives, London

Serica Court - Sheltered housing, London

Greenwich Theatre, London
Hollingdean and Preston Park Children's Centre

New Writing South, Brighton

The distribution of postcards also plays an important role in this project - to reach people who may not have internet access. The postcards, inviting women to pen their stories, are being placed in targeted locations in Brighton, London and Leeds.

Three Generations of Women is intended to be a realistic refection of women growing up in Britain. Its success relies on listening to the women who are engaging with the research, and using the feedback received at the three readings to further strengthen the piece. Although the play will ultimately be written by Broken Leg Theatre, those who have taken part in the process will have contributed to the overall story.

The project will, in the first instance, be staged as three rehearsed readings in Brighton (The Marlborough Theatre, 18th July 2014), Leeds (location tbc, 5th Sept 2014), and London (Greenwich Theatre, 26th Sept 2014).  Participants will be invited to these readings and transport provided for those with access difficulties.

We are working with a producer, Beccy Smith, and intend to tour the final production in spring 2015 to venues in the south east in the first instance.

So get involved, and please spread the word! 

Visit www.threegenerationsofwomen.co.uk - and whilst you're there check out our brand spanking new company website - we're right pleased with it.

London forums

Brighton forums...

It's amazing how supportive a group of women who are relatively unknown to each other can be, and the groups we've met in Brighton are no exception.

We met with two different groups at The Writer's Place, home of New Writing South. The women, ranging in age from 2 months to 67 discussed everything from being a role model to their sons, to breaking convention when it comes to the place of the woman at home. 

We had our list of questions and prompts to refer to but they soon went out the window as everyone chipped in, encouraging one another to speak and open up. 

We all spoke about the 'glass ceiling' when trying to progress at work, how sexism at work is still often very much apparent for women when trying to climb the career ladder. One women said she had always worked for herself for that very reason. It was also very interesting to draw parallels between the experiences of women in their 60s and 20s. 

Anna also met with a group of women at the mother and toddler group on Florence Road, Preston Park. Talking to mums when they have their little ones with them is a bit of a challenge to say the least! But we chatted in fits and starts, the women talking about how their roles had changed since having children. How they were perceived by their peers, especially those without children, as well as how, for many of them, they felt a loss of identity once they'd had their children. 

The one thing that came through during all the discussions was how generous the women were with their time and with their thoughts. 

Next stop, London! 

BLT on the road- Leeds forums...

So.  Operation-Three Generations of Women is officially underway.  No, this doesn’t involve taking out the Kardashians (although who knows, maybe eventually - aim high I say), but instead, talking to women about their changing role in society.  Three Generations of Women is our brand new play in development funded by the Art Council England – that’s right; the bid was successful - exciting times!  But it’s a bit of a case of, “oh blimey, what did we say we’d do again?”  We are basically travelling up and down the country speaking to women in London, Brighton and Leeds about what it’s been like to grow up in England over the last 100 years.  Small task then....

This week - Anna and I took the first steps on that journey by visiting our old stomping ground up north.  Anna lived in Leeds for several years and I studied there as an undergrad so it was a real nostalgia trip, with us both offering en-route comments such as, “Ooh, I remember when that was a Morrison’s”, and, “I had sex here once”, profound historical insights like that…(and no, I’m not revealing which of us or where).

Our first groups have proved inspiring and in some cases awe-inspiring, such as an 102 year-old we met at a ‘Silver Samba’ group who had grown up in the workhouse with her three sisters.  So many different women with so many tales to tell - from traumatising backstreet abortions to the many grandmothers who were unable to attend higher education – so much food for thought already.  Many thanks to the West Yorkshire Playhouse and Leeds City Council for partnering with us on this venture – their support has been invaluable.

We also went back to Leeds Uni to give a talk and hold a research group with English and Theatre studies students on the course I once studied there, which was a pretty weird experience! But they were a really engaged and friendly group and, as well as asking them about their experiences of growing up, they asked us about our experiences of setting up a theatre company; hopefully we had a few bits of helpful advice. We certainly had a cracking session with them on 3Gen, and emerged with some of my favourite ‘pieces of advice your mum has ever given you’ to date: from the sensible advice “Never re-freeze”, to the down-right grim “Some days you’re the pigeon, other days you’re the statue” – good to know I’m not the only one suffering that disgusting affliction.

So, a great couple of days kicking off our research in Leeds, and more to come – next week we are down in Brighton for our first groups there on the 28^th.  Do get in touch if you haven’t already and would like to attend a session.  

 

Find out more here – www.facebook.com/threegenerationsofwomen - and on our new website once it launches in the next few weeks. 

Alice

The next thing!

So it's Friday night, I should probably be out doing something fun like THE REST OF THE COUNTRY, but no, I'm reading through our funding application for the hundredth millionth time. 

It's good though, our idea. Actually, it's better that good, it's totally brill.

But I won't say anything more about it now, just in case I jinx it.

Other than it's going to be about women. And we're going to talk to lots of women about the play before we write it. 

And it's going to be brill.

I already said that.

But it is.

EEEEEEEEK.