Last summer at Ventnor Fringe Festival, one of our favourite places to visit was The Women’s Bureau of Rebellion tent in the park.
A brilliant and inspiring installation had been created inside the green canvas tent by Isle of Wight illustrator, Sarah Redrup. The exhibition included film, poetry, photography and installation art celebrating rebellious women. It was great.
Illustrated book exploring women’s history
Sarah is now working on another project related to women, this time a book of stories and illustrations exploring Women’s History on the Isle of Wight, similar to the book ‘Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls’.
The book is being produced thanks to funding from the Mike Howley Trust.
Share your stories
Sarah has been gathering stories about interesting Isle of Wight women, but wants to hear yours too.
She says to readers,
“I want to hear your stories! I want to hear about women and girls who are relentlessly themselves, pursuing their dreams against the odds and empowering those around them.
“All stories are welcome, past and present, from women and girls of all ages. They don’t have to have been born on the Island or live here, but they have to have some connection with the Island.”
To give you an idea, here are some of the stories already on Sarah’s list.
Firstly there is Joe Carstairs, a queer speedboat racer named the fastest woman on water in the 1930s.
Secondly, the Ventnor Women for Life on Earth, a group of Ventnor mothers who protested nuclear weapons in the 1980’s and took Ronald Regan to court in the US.
Then there is Ferguson’s Gang, a group of eccentric and playful young women in the 1930s who hid their identities while raising money for the National Trust.
If you would like to get in touch with an idea you can email Sarah on [email protected]
Read more about the Women’s Bureau of Rebellion on Sarah’s Website.
