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Wild Wild Women: Intergenerational projects at The Women’s Library

Sue Mayo designed and led six 3-4 month long projects between 2008 and 2013 at The Women’s Library, East London, funded by ACE and Charitable Trusts. Through Mayo’s role as Associate Artist at Magic Me they built on four earlier projects from 2004-2007, and tackled a series of research questions: How is intergenerational arts practice distinct from reminiscence or community theatre? What does contact with a cultural collection allow in terms of impact on the group and the work that they make? What does the women only nature of the group allow?

Working with local women aged between 14 and 92, each project drew on elements of the Women’s Library collection, developing a distinct research methodology and aesthetic. Using a cross-artform approach the PaR emphasized the act of meeting, and the diversity of group members and through shared, accessible themes, explored the value of disrupting age-related differentiation. The blending of interaction with official records of Women’s History, personal testimony and experience, allowed for deep exchange between women of different faith and ethnic backgrounds in a way that drew on, and affected, their understandings of belonging in East London.

The work developed new understandings of intergenerational practice, and generated innovative approaches which were disseminated (via a Creativeworks AHRC grant) through public performance, publications, workshops and conference papers. The events, including audio and film, live performance and installation, experimented with audience relationships and allowed for a dialogue with audiences that extended the impact.

The research produced a still-emerging methodology for Magic Me, explored further through work with other artists, six student placements and workshops for other artists in the UK and Brazil. The 2012 piece was presented as part of LIFT 2012, and the whole decade of work is the subject of a report, conference, and a series of short films.