Friday 8 March 2024 Burlington House: Stories of Women and the Past: International Women’s Day 2024.
Talk by Julia Pascal: 19th century Bloomsbury Women who changed our lives.
Julia welcomed the opportunity to thank Amara Thornton, co-investigator of Beyond Notability for her willingness to share her knowledge, contacts and research of 19th century women archaeologists for Women for Women.
She reflected on the similarity of archaeology and dramatic writing: both dig deep and have no idea what will be found. Clues for what has been concealed are followed and findings revealed.
Julia talked through her journey transforming research into a community performance exploring the lives of three 19th century women: Sophia Jex Blake, a leading campaigner and doctor, Helen Cox, an accountant and Eliza Orme the first woman to earn a law degree in England.
Different questions presented themselves:
These women had never met, so how do you make a theatrical event from women who had never met?
An answer: A court case: from the patriarchal point of view of their society, the women were all committing the crime of wanting to own their own bodies and decide on their own lives. This format allowed the women to speak to the audience to plead their cases. A chorus of women represented women who were destined to be men’s servants.
How can you unify all the disparate elements? Hugely political points had to be made in an entertaining and accessible manner.
An answer: Draw on the work of Joan Littlewood, Ariane Mnouchkine, Sophie Treadwell, Hilde Holger and Pina Bausch.
How can you work with a cast of amateurs and professional theatre-makers from different disciplines?
Answers: Using body language as well as text as weapons against misogyny, women mouthing woman-hating texts uttered by men with humorous and satirical result avoiding polemics.
Julia ended by expressing sadness that young women performers said little has changed in their generation. However, taking part in the dramatic protest of the performance emboldened them. They could recognise the struggle of women trailblazers and be inspired to continue their fight.
Further information:
Sophia Jex Blake 1840 – 1912 – Pascal Theatre Company (pascal-theatre.com)
Helen Cox 1860 – 1930 – Pascal Theatre Company (pascal-theatre.com)
Eliza Orme 1848 – 1937 – Pascal Theatre Company (pascal-theatre.com)
An interview with Amara Thornton discussing College Hall and Chenies Street Residences: College Hall and Chenies Street Chambers – Pascal Theatre Company (pascal-theatre.com)
Beyond Notability: Beyond Notability – Re-evaluating Women’s Work in Archaeology, History, and Heritage in Britain, 1870 – 1950