Glasgow Women's Library: What's On!

What’s OnGlasgow Women’s LibraryJune to August 2014

Visit our website womenslibrary.org.ukFind us on Facebook and follow @gwlkettle on Twitter

Glasgow Women’s Library, 23 Landressy Street, Glasgow G40 1BPTel: 0141 550 2267 Email: [email protected]

Website: womenslibrary.org.uk

Glasgow Women’s Library is No Ordinary LibraryIt is unique in Scotland and a national treasure!

Glasgow Women’s Library (GWL) celebrates the lives and achievements of women and champions their contributions to Scotland’s culture. Our vibrant information hub is open to all. An Accredited Museum and home to a lending library and archive, GWL also provides an exciting range of events, activities and courses through its various learning programmes.

You can join the Library for free. Information on joining and borrowing can be found in the ‘Getting Involved’ section of this programme, along with details about volunteering at GWL.

In this programme you will find lots of events and activities, all of which are linked to the materials we have in our library, archive and museum artefact collections.

Visit our Shop Our shop is available online at womenslibrary.org.uk and at our home at Landressy Street. We have a range of items including beautiful tote bags designed by Sophie Dyer and Maeve Redmond, 21 Revolutions limited edition fine art prints, zines, postcards, books and more.

You can also buy copies of our new 21 Revolutions publication.

“Buy it for your daughters, mothers and grandmothers, but make sure

your sons read it too” Dr Elspeth King, Director, Stirling Smith Art

Gallery and Museum

All money raised from the sales helps to keep GWL running and providing our unique service for women in Scotland. You can also support us through our Women on the Shelf initiative and by becoming a Friend of the Library: details are on our website womenslibrary.org.uk

Commonwealth Women

Women’s Words

GWL Events Calendar at a Glance

Women Make History

Women’s Visions of Scotland

Out & About

Getting Involved

Commonwealth Women A tapestry of words & heritage around the Commonwealth

Glasgow Cycle Festival Friday 13th June to Sunday 29th JuneThe Glasgow Cycle Festival is a partnership with GWL, Free Wheel North, CTC and the Glasgow Bike Station. Thanks to funding from Celebrate, the festival will showcase a wide range of cycling groups and opportunities around the city, offering plenty for existing, new and returning cyclists. To coincide with the forthcoming Commonwealth Games, we have a full programme of events, rides and social events to help celebrate the Commonwealth Games coming to Glasgow.

Led rides followed by Creative Writing Easy paced group bike rides suitable for those new or returning to cycling including a tea, cake and creative writing “pit stop” at Glasgow Women’s Library inspired by your ride.

Tuesday 17th and Tuesday 24th June, 10.30am to 1.30pm

Friday 20th and Friday 27th June, 10am to 1pm

If you don’t have your own bike, ask us about how you can borrow one on the day. Rides start from FreeWheel North on Glasgow Green.

Read, Relax, Recharge Specials

Thursday 19th June, 12.30pm to 2.30pm, or 5.30pm to 7pmThese Read, Relax, Recharge Special sessions will explore writings by women about bicycles, cycling, its joys and its challenges. Non cyclists welcome!


The Carbon Cycle with Kate Rawles

Thursday 26th June, 5.30pm to 7.30pm Kate Rawles is an outdoor philosopher, writer, lecturer and campaigner. Her book The Carbon Cycle is the story of her 4500 mile bike ride from Texas to Alaska along the spine of the Rockies during which she explored North American responses to climate change.

Join Kate to hear about her trip first hand and how it influenced her ideas on how we should tackle climate change.

Women’s Heritage Cycle Trail Launch, Saturday 28th June, 2pmCycle gently along the Clyde from the Riverside Museum in the West to the Velodrome in the East and learn from our tour guides about some of the women who made, and are making, Glasgow cycling history. Please bring your own bike.

More information about Glasgow Cycle Festival can be found on glasgowcyclefestival.wordpress.com

Empire Café During the Commonwealth Games an exciting Culture 2014 project, Empire Café, will be activated in the centre of Glasgow. It will be the focus of talks, readings, a café and a range of other activities exploring and uncovering the dark history of slavery and the slave trade in Glasgow.

Women and the Abolition Movement Heritage Walks: Saturday 26th July, 2pm or Monday 28th July 2pmGlasgow Women’s Library ‘s contribution to Empire Café will be a specially developed new walk that reveals the connections between women and slavery, the female role in the abolitionist movement and the fascinating links between womens fighting for an end to slavery and women campaigning for the Vote.

Suffragette Rosette Making Monday 28th July 11am Glasgow Women’s Library will also be hosting a rosette making workshop in the Café in honour of the firebrand campaigners against slavery and for the Vote, so come along and create your own stirring adornment.


Celebrating Commonwealth Women’s Writing

Read Aloud!

Fridays, 13th June to 29th August, 1pm to 3pm (£2/free) In the year that Glasgow hosts the Commonwealth Games, GWL is exploring contemporary writing by Commonwealth women. In these weekly sessions we read aloud together stories and poems reflecting women’s experiences from Antigua to Sri Lanka, from Australia to Jamaica. In particular we’re looking to discover writers we haven’t heard of before, and along the way we’re learning about women’s lives in the many Commonwealth countries. A relaxed and supportive group where you can develop basic research skills, enjoy writing, and grow confident in reading out loud. Led by Reader in Residence, Magi Gibson.

Blog Writing Workshop

Friday 6th June, 1pm to 3pm (£2/free)Writer Magi Gibson will lead you through the basics of creating an effective and entertaining blog post. Learn how to make your post appealing and enjoyable, then have a go at creating your own. Don’t worry if you are not a confident writer, everyone has a distinct voice, and Magi will help you find it.

Review Writing

Fridays 15th & 22nd August 1pm to 3pm (£2/free) Ever read a book and fancied writing a review, but don’t know where to start? At this workshop, professional writer, Magi Gibson will help you sort out what kinds of details to include, as well as how to make your review lively and engaging. She’ll also help you find your own unique writing-style. Glasgow Women’s Library often posts book reviews by readers on our website. Take this workshop and maybe yours could be online soon!

Please read a book you’d like to review before you come to the first workshop. It might be a book of


poems, it might be fiction or non-fiction, but it must be by a woman writer. We can show you what’s on offer at the Library. If it’s by a Commonwealth woman, all the better! You’ll leave the workshop with a rough first draft.

At the second workshop Magi will show you how to become your own editor, with tips on how to make your review the best it can be.

Threads

Friday 6th June, 12pm to 2pm (free)Over the last couple of months, we have been working with learners to create their own tapestry of words around the theme of the Commonwealth. Taking inspiration from the textile-rich history of Bridgeton and using resources in our collection, the aim is to weave together a number of different threads with our learners. Using paper and fabric in colours of the many flags of the Commonwealth, this workshop will inspire you to create your own colourful tapestry of words – fiction, poetry, history. You don’t need to be able to sew, and there will be support for women who need additional help with reading and writing.

“A wonderful, supportive, fun atmosphere. Very well thought out activities to encourage everyone to take part and write something.

Really enjoyable!”

Participant on a Magi Gibson writing workshop in 2013

Read, Relax, Recharge!

Thursdays, 12.30pm to 2.30pm or 5.30pm to 7pm at the Library from 5th June to 26th June* and from 17th July to 28th August (£2/free)Bring along a bite to eat, grab a cuppa, sit back and listen to live readings of selected short stories, novel extracts and poems. With plenty of time to chat too about the many issues and topics they cover. Whether you’re an avid

reader, or just wanting to explore writers you may not have heard of before, Read, Relax, Recharge! provides a wonderful opportunity to dip into the wealth and variety of women’s literature world-wide, and in particular the amazing books in Glasgow Women’s Library. Led by our Reader in Residence, Magi Gibson.

*Please note that there are 2 special evening events Poetry in the Park and Kate Rawles that the Read Relax Recharge group will be participating in.

Women’s Words A world of women’s words , written, spoken and heard

Read, Relax, Recharge Special: Picnic Poetry 2013Read, Relax, Recharge Special: Picnic Poetry 2013

Women’s Words A world of women’s words , written, spoken and heard

Poetry in the Park

Thursday 12th June, 7pm to 8.30pm at An Clachan, Kelvingrove Park, GlasgowAs part of the West End Festival GWL presents a selection of poems from Magi Gibson and the best of Glasgow’s women poets, including the lively and lovely Wild Women Writers. Enjoy a latte from the cafe while you relax in the sunshine. (Event will be in the café should the sunshine fail to appear.)

New GWL Young Critics Group!Calling young art, film and culture lovers aged 16 to 24 who want to share their passions with others!

This new project, funded by the Big Lottery, will offer young women who want to explore art and culture in Glasgow a programme of training, support and mentoring to allow them to grow and practise their reviewing and writing skills and publish their work in a range of media.

Please contact us for more information on 0141 550 2267 or email [email protected]

Hens Tae Watch Oot Fur Issue 5 Launch Event

Tuesday 22nd July, 5.30pm to 6.30pmJoin us for the launch of Issue 5 of Hens Tae Watch Oot Fur! Hens Tae Watch Oot Fur is a queer feminist zine collective based in the Women’s Library, and includes a host of emerging LGBTQ writers and artists working in Glasgow. Pick up the latest copy of the zine, and come and see some showcased treasures from the Lesbian Archive.

Read, Relax, Recharge Special: Picnic Poetry 2013Read, Relax, Recharge Special: Picnic Poetry 2013

For more information or to book onto any of these events contact the Library on 0141 550 2267 or email [email protected] or visit womenslibrary.org.uk

Women Make HistoryWorkshops & activities exploring the hidden histories of Glasgow’s women

Those Were The Days

Friday 25th July, 12.30pm to 2.30pm and Friday 8th August, 12pm to 2pm (free)A lovely, welcoming opportunity for women of all ages to share their reminiscences, lives and experiences - schooldays, games played, fashion and beauty, going to the dancing, family life, experiences growing up etc, over tea and cake. You can have your stories captured in writing, audio and film. Join us for a blether, or just to listen to other women’s stories. There will be plenty of opportunities to rummage through GWL’s archive of knitting patterns, sewing patterns, Girls’ Annuals, cookery books, old movie magazines and mementos of women’s lives and histories.

The Pageant of Great Women: In the Steps of the SuffragettesThose of you who have come along to our Drama Queens sessions know how much fun we’ve been having exploring some of the plays in GWL’s collection, including our collection by Suffragette playwrights. We’re now expanding this programme in an exciting partnership with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Our aim is to unearth and re-evaluate the hidden biographies and living monuments of Glasgow women past and present, using Cicely Hamilton’s play A Pageant of Great Women - a theatrical and entertaining performance where women from history provide the evidence in a court case to demonstrate the energy and commitment required to survive as a woman in today’s world.

The Pageant is a lost art form and we want to bring it back and to recognise and celebrate the work of the Suffrage movement, and to involve women across Glasgow in a variety of different events, building up over the next few months to a procession and performance of the Pageant itself.


Suffragette Rosette Making Workshop

Friday 6th June, 3pm to 5pm (free) At this craft workshop you can find out about the battles fought by the Suffragettes and other campaigning women, discover some of the fascinating materials from Glasgow Women’s Library’s unique archive and create your own beautiful suffragette style rosette with your own personal message for today. A creative, fun workshop where you can chat over glue and ribbon about how much and how little, things have changed for women over the decades.

Drama Queens (£2/free) Our fabulous Drama Queens sessions explore some of the all-women plays we have in the archives – from powerful suffragette plays to light humorous sketches.

Wednesday 18th June, 5.30pm to 7pm

Wednesday 23rd July, 5.30pm to 7pm

Thursday 21st August, 2.30pm to 4.30pmNo acting skills required. Simply sit with a cup of tea and participate in an informal play reading without the stress of learning the lines or the goosebumps of actually having to perform on stage. And you don’t even need to read out loud; just come along and listen. Whether you come to just one session or to all of them, we guarantee fun for everyone.

For more information on the Pageant of Great Women or to book onto any of these events contact us on 0141 550 2267 or email [email protected] or visit womenslibrary.org.uk


Suffragette Jewellery Making Workshop

Thursday 24th July, 2.30pm to 4.30pm (£3/free)At our paper jewellery making workshop you can find out about the battles fought by the Suffragettes and other campaigning women, discover some of the fascinating materials from Glasgow Women’s Library’s unique archive - including our beautiful suffragette brooch - and create your own necklace or brooch in suffragette colours using paper quilling techniques. Take home a unique memento of your time spent with the Suffragettes at Glasgow Women’s Library. No experience or artistic flair required! All materials will be provided.

To book on to any of our Pageant of Great Women activities please call 0141 550 2267 or email [email protected] or visit our website at womenslibrary.org.uk

The Pageant of Great Women is a partnership project with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland funded by Creative Scotland.


Sound-Off for WomenCome along to one or all of our five Sound-Off for Women workshops in June and July at the Library as part of our Pageant of Great Women programme. With the Referendum debate hotting up, these sessions are an opportunity to think about what the Independence vote means to you.

There is more information on these sessions, including the dates and the topics that will be discussed in the Women’s Visions of Scotland pages of this programme.

Hannah Frank: Cultural ConnectionsGWL are acting as occasional host to three interns for the next few months, who are working together with the Maclaurin Gallery and with the niece of artist Hannah Frank to plan a festival of Jewish arts and culture in Ayr which will take place this summer. ‘Cultural Connections’, runs from 26 July to 22 September, will be held at the Maclaurin Gallery, Ayr. Visit www.hannahfrank.org.uk for more information.

Fragments and Living Monuments

Friday 8th August, 2.30pm to 4.30pm (free) Spot-light on Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797)

Presented by Dr Anna Birch, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Dr Susan Manly, University of Saint Andrews.

Anna and Susan explore and celebrate Wollstonecraft’s life in very different ways. Anna produces large scale performance and film events and Susan publishes and teaches about this remarkable woman.

A fragment of text written by Wollstonecraft found posthumously titled ‘Lessons’ focusing on the conversation between a mother and her young daughter and Anna’s experience of producing a living monument to Wollstonecraft provide the basis for this informal research share.


Women Make History Heritage WalksJoin us on one of our pioneering women’s heritage walks. Each walk has been researched by GWL learners, volunteers and sessional staff and are designed to enhance life, health and learning.

Women of the Necropolis (£7.50) Sunday 1st June, 1pm Experience this fantastic women’s history walking tour that digs the dirt on Victorian society, unearths women’s achievements and exhumes the history of some of the women buried in the Glasgow Necropolis. Our tour guides will tell the stories of both the notorious and the forgotten women who are buried in these atmospheric and ethereal surroundings, one of Glasgow’s most fascinating Victorian garden cemeteries.

East End Women’s Heritage Walk (£7.50) Sunday 15th June, 1pm If you are interested in finding out more about the women who worked in the Templeton factory, Suffragettes who were held in Duke Street Prison, or the woman who set up the Barras (and many more) then this is the perfect way to spend your afternoon.

West End Women’s Heritage Walk (£7.50) Sunday 29th June, 2pmThe original women’s heritage walk developed by women historians at GWL, reveals a hidden history of the West End: pipe-smoking forewomen, revolting schoolmistresses, and the unique car made by and for women. An intriguing, inspiring insight into the hitherto unsung women who made the West End.

Start points for each of the walks will be given once booking is confirmed (approximately one week before walk). Booking in advance is essential as guides cannot take payment on the day. Visit our website to book at womenslibrary.org.uk or call us on 0141 550 2267


Women of the Merchant City (£7.50) Saturday 9th August, 2pmUncover the Merchant City’s hidden history during this walk around Glasgow’s cosmopolitan hub. Join Glasgow Women’s Library tour guides in the Merchant City to discover the female stars that stud the fabric of this famous quarter. Scandal, vice, radicalism, regeneration and revival are topics highlighted by this original tour.

Hidden Gems of Garnethill (£7.50) Sunday 24th August, 2pm Within Garnethill’s confined boundaries we spotlight the women who pioneered European art movements, designed the banners for suffragette processions, created the first women’s library in Scotland and made Garnethill into the most exciting cultural and multicultural hotspot in Glasgow.

Children under 16 go free. Please note we are not able to offer any other concessions on our walks at this time. See our website for more details on this and our cancellation policy: womenslibrary.org.uk

We also have two further walks on Women and the Abolition Movement walks taking place as part of the Empire Cafe programme. Check out the Commonwealth pages in this programme for more information.

Women’s Visions of Scotland Staking your claim on Scotland’s future

Dream Time

Thursday 26th June, 10.30am to 12pm

Thursday 17th July, 5.30pm to 7pm

Thursday 7th August, 10.30am to 12pmIn a supportive, reflective way women can dream about their ideal society. What kind of community do you really want to live in? Many of us have never explored that question so now’s your chance. Once we dispose of the things we know we

don’t want, we can spend time dreaming about what we do want.

So whether you choose to write a wish list or draw your ideal neighbourhood or sketch a mind map, this workshop will create a rough guide to your own, genuine desires. We’ll discuss them, briefly, in the group. But what you do with your ideas is entirely up to you.

Dreaming is free and this Dream Time session is strictly not political! There is no coercion to tailor your thoughts to suit any vote you make on 18 September! But a Dream Time session might give you new thinking on that decision.


Dearest Scotland

Tuesday 19th August, 4pm to 7pm (free) Dearest Scotland invites you to write to the future of Scotland. 2014 is the year we decide, as a nation, our future direction. But where are we going? What should our future look like? What do we who live in Scotland actually think? The Dearest Scotland team will be at the Library holding writing workshops giving you the space to write your letters visioning Scotland’s future with a focus on women.

The writing workshops will be at 4pm and 5.30pm and you are welcome to stay in the library until 7pm to spend time writing your letter.

Dearest Scotland is an apolitical campaign, focused on crowdsourcing a future vision for Scotland by the public for a common good. A place where visions for the future of the country are collected then published to be shared with the world and ultimately aim to give a platform to citizens’ voices from all over Scotland. We’re aspiring to collect letters from each of Scotland’s regions, and farther afield from Scots who live abroad. From the Central Belt to the Shetlands, from our Highlands to our hamlets, we hope to receive visions via every nook and cranny.

There is more information on Dearest Scotland on their website: www.dearestscotland.com

For more information or to book onto any of these events contact the Library on 0141 550 2267 or email [email protected] or visit womenslibrary.org.uk


Sound-Off for Women

Wednesdays, 2.30pm to 4.30pm (free) With the Referendum debate hotting up, this is an opportunity to think about what the Independence vote means to you. Sound-Off for Women is a series of five workshops:

Session 1: 18th June Vote! Vote! Vote! How the vote was won - a history of women’s suffrage

Session 2: 25th June Everyone is entitled to my opinion.An opportunity to have a blether

about the issues that are important to you.

Session 3: 16th July What can you do for us? What do the manifestos of the major political parties say about independence.

Session 4: 23rd July This is what we want. Developing our own manifesto.

Session 5: 30th July To be confirmed.

These sessions are part of The Pageant of Great Women programme, details of which can be found in the Women Make History pages of this programme.

Photo by Howard Lake on Flickr.com Photo by Howard Lake on Flickr.com


Artist in Residence for the Women of Glasgow: The Franki Raffles ResidencyIn June a brand new residency will start with an artist working between Castlemilk Community Centre and Glasgow Women’s Library. Initiated by Glasgow Arts and hosted by GWL, the residency will use the Zero Tolerance archive collection housed at the Library as a focus for a body of new work that will be developed by an artist in connection with women in Glasgow around the issues that affect them. This project will contribute to the wider aims of Glasgow as a White Ribbon City. More information about this exciting project will be posted on our website and feature in our programmes.

Save the Date

Wild West meets Wild East Friday 13th June, 7pm to 11pm*Buckle up and join us for a rootin’ tootin’ fundraiser as the Wild West meets the Wild East to raise funds towards securing the future of Scotland’s only Women’s Library.

*Subject to licence.

Out & About Bringing GWL learning to a location near you

Harpies Fechters and Quines Monday 9th to Saturday 21st June at Edinburgh Central LibraryThis festival of talks, exhibitions and workshops is organised through a partnership between Glasgow Women’s Library, Edinburgh City libraries and the Bonnie Fechters women’s group and is now in its third year. The theme is women in the arts. All events are free of charge. To book, go to edinburghreads.eventbrite.co.uk

Events can also be booked directly on 0141 550 2267 or email [email protected]

The following Harpies, Fechters and Quines events all take place at Edinburgh Central Library.

21 RevolutionsWe recently celebrated our 21st anniversary as a unique lending library, archive and learning centre. As part of this year of celebration, 21 woman writers and 21 artists were commissioned to produce exciting new stories, essays and works of art inspired by the women’s library’s collections.

This exhibition is on throughout the Harpies, Fechters and Quines festival and is a unique chance to see a selection of the artworks and items from the GWL collection which inspired them. Including artwork from Sam Ainsley, Claire Barclay and Shauna McMullan.

My Journey with Women’s AidThis exhibition from Scottish Women’s Aid displays the meaningful belongings, poetry and art work of women, children and young people who have experienced domestic abuse, alongside their stories of how Women’s Aid helped them.


Through the exhibition you will witness the voices and stories of women, children and young people talking about domestic abuse and their journeys with Women’s Aid services across Scotland.

Exhibition Launches:

21 Revolutions & My Journey with Women’s Aid

Monday 9th June, 2pm to 4pm on the Mezzanine Find out about these 2 exhibitions and meet some of the people involved. Artist Helen De Main will be talking about 21 Revolutions and the development of her own artwork for the project. The 21 Revolutions book will also be available to purchase. Refreshments will be served.

No Wealth to Leave Us?

Monday 9th June, 6.15pm to 7.30pm, The Conference RoomA Matrilineal View of Scottish Women’s Writing, talk from Lesley McDowell.

Lesley McDowell is an author and

literary critic for a number of newspapers, including The Herald, The Scotsman and The Independent on Sunday. Her latest novel, Unfashioned Creatures, portrays the Scottish childhood friend of Mary Shelley, Isabella Baxter Booth. She has also published on literary partnerships from a feminist perspective, in her book ‘Between the Sheets: The Literary Liaisons of Nine 20th Century Women Writers’ which was shortlisted for the Scottish Book Awards (non-fiction) 2011.

“Scottish Literature has long been viewed as patrilineal: its history passes from father to son, from Burns to Scott to MacDiarmid to Gray and so on. I want to argue for a matrilineal heritage instead: one that passes from mother to daughter, from Elizabeth Grant to Susan Ferrier to Marion Angus to Janice Galloway. What happens when we view Scottish literature in this way? And are we starting to see more of a matrilineal trend in current Scottish Women’s Writing?”

More Harpies, Fecthers and Quines events at Edinburgh Central Library are listed on the following pages.

Mixing the Colours: Women Speaking About Sectarianism

Monday 16th June, 1pm to 3pm, The Boardroom Between November 2013 and March 2014 writer and GWL Reader In Residence, Magi Gibson, supported and facilitated women’s discussion and creative writing on the theme of sectarianism and how it affects women in Scotland, their families and communities.

This body of work is of particular importance being that there has been very little written by women on a subject that goes right to the heart of Scottish religious and political history.

Rachel Thain-Gray and Morag Smith will read stories and poems, which brim with women, the protagonists of their own lives who observe, feel and fight the imposition of intra-christian sectarianism in childhood and adulthood.


Zine Workshop

Thursday 12th June, 1pm to 3pm, The BoardroomGlasgow Women’s Library invites you to attend a workshop about zines and zine-making. Zines are small self-made publications and can be about anything - from what you did last week, the music or art you like or personal political and social polemic. Come along and explore fanzines from our unique collection, learn about how they are made and even make your own.


An Orkney Collaboration

Monday 16th June, 6pm to 7.30pm, Conference RoomJoin Orcadians Diana Leslie and Morag MacInnes to hear about Diana’s work as a practising artist and her recent collaboration with Morag on Street Shapes – a collection of poems on Morag’s childhood in Orkney. They will also be sharing their stories and memories about growing up in Orkney. A Glasgow School of Art graduate, Diana has exhibited widely and featured as one of the 21 Scottish finalists in the 2013 Sky Arts TV series Portrait Artist of the Year.

Poetry Workshop with Morag MacInnes

Tuesday 17th June, 1.30pm to 3.00pm, The BoardroomJoin Orcadian poet Morag MacInnes for a kickstart session to get you going with your poems, whatever stage you’re at; no messing, no fol-de-rols, just input, stimulus, hard

work, support, and fun. At the end you should know what your own voice sounds like, and how to shape your thoughts.

Morag is a lecturer, poet and short story writer. Her most recent publication is Street Shapes – a collection of poems about her Orkney childhood.

Mixing the Colours: Women Writing About Sectarianism

Saturday 21st June, 1pm to 3pm, The BoardroomWriter and GWL Reader in Residence Magi Gibson will facilitate this free workshop for women, with the aim of producing writing about women’s experience of sectarianism. Whether you feel you have ever been affected by sectarianism or not, you probably have stories to tell, poems to write. Did you ever see an Orange March or go to a Celtic or Rangers game? Are there ‘mixed marriages’ in your family? Through its Mixing The Colours project Glasgow Women’s Library aims to uncover women’s thoughts, voices and experiences and will produce a publication that your writing will be considered for.


Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life Saturday 5th July to Sunday 14th SeptemberThis is a unique opportunity to discover some of the treasures from GWL’s museum and book collection as part of Summerlee Museum in Coatbridge’s exhibition The Perfect Machine about the bicycle. Inspiring books telling the stories of pioneering women cyclists, along with objects from our archive highlighting how cycling contributed to women’s activism and fight for freedom will join other collections about cycling culture and history in Scotland.

For more information about Summerlee Museum and The Perfect Machine exhibition visit culturenl.blogspot.co.uk or follow @SummerleeMuseum on Twitter.

The Tenement House Group Visit (£4.50)

Meet at GWL, 9.30am to 11am, Wednesday 6th AugustThe Tenement House provides a rare glimpse into life in Glasgow in the early 20th century, in the faithfully restored four-room house lived in by Miss Agnes Toward for over half a century. See what it meant to be an ‘independent woman’ in the first half of the 20th century. An exhibition on the ground floor features items from Miss Toward’s extensive personal archive, providing a valuable time capsule for visitors today.

This visit is being offered exclusively to Glasgow Women’s Library and is outside normal opening hours. Places are limited and booking is essential so contact us on 0141 550 2267 or email [email protected] to book.

Did you know we have a monthly email bulletin? You can receive the most recent news and events direct to your email inbox by joining our mailing list. Just visit womenslibrary.org.uk to register or send us an email to [email protected] and request to join.


Mixing The Colours: Women Speaking About Sectarianism Our Mixing The Colours project continues to gather new and exciting writing, film and audio by women attending our workshops across Scotland.

Since July 2013, we have been inviting women from Bridgeton, Greater Glasgow, Lothian and Sutherland to share their experiences on sectarianism and how it impacts them, their families and communities as part of our Mixing The Colours project.

In June we will share some of these insightful and emotive

accounts, generated in workshops, that have inspired women with the courage to speak out. Some of this work will be shown at the Harpies, Fechters and Quines Festival. There is also the opportunity for you to explore and uncover your own stories with writer and GWL Reader in Residence Magi Gibson in her creative writing session during the festival.

There are many ways to get involved in the project and with the Mixing The Colours film project underway our GWL volunteers are ready to interview you about your experiences. If you would like to share your stories, opinions, photographs or objects please get in contact with Rachel Thain-Gray on 0141 550 2267.

Mixing the Colours workshop, Brora 2014Mixing the Colours workshop, Brora 2014

Getting InvolvedHow you can take part and contribute

Volunteering and Internships at GWL Over 70 volunteers help out at GWL, supporting us to deliver every aspect of our work, including many of the activities in this programme, while gaining skills, experience and confidence, meeting lots of new people and making a huge contribution to their community.

If you too would like to get involved as a volunteer or find out about our internship opportunities please get in touch to find out more about how you can help.

Contact Gabrielle for more information on volunteering at the Library on 0141 550 2267 or visit our website womenslibrary.org.uk


‘Seeing Things’ with Glasgow Women’s Library (free)If you would like to be getting out to see more things in Glasgow, this group might be for you.

Seeing Things gives women the opportunity to see and try new things, such as art exhibitions, music, theatre or comedy, together with other women who are also interested in exploring some of the many free cultural events Glasgow has to offer.

Recent trips included:

Speaking In Tongues exhibition at the CCA.

Louise Bourgeois exhibitions in Edinburgh at the National Galleries of Scotland and the Fruitmarket Gallery.

Sarah Lucas exhibition at Tramway.

Scottish Opera Unwrapped production of Don Pasquale.

Citizens Theatre production of The Glasgow Girls.

Glasgow International events and exhibitions at McClellan Galleries, GOMA, the Underground Carpark and the BBC.

There are many more exciting events, exhibitions, talks and performances coming up in Glasgow in 2014 which the group will be attending too!

The group is open to all women. If you are interested in joining the group please contact us at info@womenslibrary org.uk or telephone us on 0141 550 2267.

We’d also love to hear from venues and artists who are interested in having the Seeing Things group attend their events. For more information on the group or to tell us about your event please email [email protected]


Joining and Booking

How do I book an event? To attend an event or course we ask you to join the Library: this is really easy to do and is completely FREE! Just complete a form to receive your borrowers card and we will post this out to you. Forms can be completed online, or you can call in and see us to fill one out. Joining gives you a unique GWL number that you can then use to register on events.

Do I need to pay? While a lot of our events are free, we do ask for a small contribution towards some of our learning events. Where you see prices listed against an event these generally fall under two categories: Full Price for people who feel that they can afford to pay a small amount to attend events and want to contribute to the library’s work, and Subsidised Rates (usually free) for students, people on a low income, unemployed or in receipt of benefits. We do not ask for proof of this: it is done on a trust basis and you self-evaluate your situation.

GWL Friends can access all our learning programmes for free.

All the money we receive helps us to keep providing events and courses, and directly supports the work of Glasgow Women’s Library.

Why is it important to book first? It is important for us to know how many people to expect at all events as this affects the spaces we use and how many staff and biscuits and teabags we need!

It is also important so that we can ensure you have all the details you need about an event including the venue, especially if there are any last minute changes.

It is also just as important for you to cancel a place in advance if you can’t attend as we often have waiting lists. So don’t let someone miss out on an event they would have loved to attend, give us a call.

If you have any questions about this or anything else you have read in the programme please contact us on 0141 550 2267 or email [email protected]


Help with Reading, Writing and Numbers Our Adult Literacy and Numeracy Project supports women at every stage of their learning journeys. Women sometimes want support with all areas of literacy and numeracy. Others need help with just one aspect: for example, writing job application forms, being more confident about studying, or doing creative writing.

It is up to you what you would like to learn and practice. We provide a safe learning space and value each learner as an individual, working with them to tailor learning to meet their needs and improve their confidence. It is a free service and you can get support in a group or 1:1 with a tutor, or both, it’s up to you!

If you would like more information, or just want a chat about how we can support you, please contact our ALN Development Worker, Donna Moore.

Learning EnglishEnglish as a Second or Other Language (ESOL) classes take place every week in the Library in partnership with Glasgow Clyde College. If you would like more information please contact us.

For more information on any of our projects or services please contact us on 0141 550 2267, or email [email protected]

For more information on anything in the programme contact us on 0141 550 2267 or [email protected], visit the Library online at womenslibrary.org.uk, find us on Facebook or follow @gwlkettle on Twitter

GWL Events Calendar at a Glance Full details listed throughout the programme

JuneMon Tues Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun

30 1 Women of the Necropolis

2 3 4 Book Browse & Swap

5 Read, Relax, Recharge

6 Read Aloud /Threads /Ro-sette Making

7 8

9 HFQ Launches 10 11 Illuminated Letters

12 Park Poetry 13 Wild East! 14 15 East End W

16 MtC 17 Poetry 18 Sound Off! 19 RRR Bikes 20 RA/Led Ride 21 MtC 22

23 24 Led Ride & Creative Writing

25 Sound Off!

26 RRR /Dream Time

27 Read Aloud/Led Bike Ride

28 Cycle Trail Launch

29 West End Walk

JulyMon Tues Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun

1 2 3 4 Read Aloud

5 GWL at Summerlee Museum

6

7 8 9 10 11 Read Aloud

12 13

14 15 16 Sound Off

17 RRR / Dream Time

18 Read Aloud

19 20

21 22 Hens 5 Launch

23 Sound Off /Drama Qu

24 RRR / Pageant

25 Read Aloud/ TWTD

26 Empire Cafe Walk

27

28 Empire Cafe

29 30 Sound Off

31 RRR

Harpies, Fechters and Quines at Edinburgh Central Library

Harpies, Fechters and Quines at Edinburgh Central Library

Glasgow Cycle Festival



GWL at Summerlee Museum




GWL Events Calendar at a Glance Full details listed throughout the programme

AugustMon Tues Wed Thur Fri Sat Sun

1 Read Aloud 2 3

4 5 6 Tenement House Visit

7 RRR / Dream Time

8 Read Aloud/ Pageant/ TWTD

9 Merchant City Walk

10

11 12 13 14 RRR

15 Read Aloud 16 17

18 19 Dearest Scotland

20 21 RRR / Drama Qu

22 Read Aloud 23 24 Hidden Gems Walk

25 26 27 28 RRR 29 Read Aloud 30 31






Join Our Mailing List You can receive the most recent news and events direct to your email inbox by joining our mailing list. We have recently revamped our email belletin design so visit womenslibrary.org.uk to register or send us an email to [email protected] and request to join.

Glasgow Women’s Library23 Landressy Street, Bridgeton, Glasgow G40 1BP0141 550 2267 [email protected]

Registered Company No: 178507 Charity No: SC029881

This programme is distributed widely across Scotland. If you would like to support its production or are interested in sponsoring our learning programmes please contact Sue John at [email protected]

Learning and Events Programme supported by:

Documents

Glasgow Women's Library: What's On!