womenclan

A multi-media arts initiative amplifying the voices of Māori women around Aotearoa is touring the country. 

 

“We carry a lot as Māori women, but in saying that, we can lead change as well. Change is needed for those following behind. I think about the power we have as a Māori women, and I say that in the physical and spiritual realms, we have power that most of us don't even realise is there.” – Ngawaina Joy (Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Rārua, Ngati Kuia and Ngāti Koata ki Te Tau Ihu)

 

The Woven Women is a touring multi-media arts initiative amplifying the voices of women around the world. Through personalised sound stories and photography portraits, Woven Women creates immersive exhibitions where communities can come together and hear the stories of local women. By holding a sacred space for women to exchange experiences, the project hopes to inspire compassion and ignite a wider sense of belonging and kinship, unity and togetherness.

 

Wāhine is Woven Women’s current exhibition touring the country, growing one woman at a time. At the exhibition, you can immerse yourself in the stories of Māori women. Showcasing personal stories, Wāhine combines candid interviews, soundscapes and portrait photography to present a unique series of meditations on being a woman in Māori culture.

 

If you can’t get to an exhibition near you, there are beautifully produced podcasts of each woman’s story that are up online to listen to. Or, if you’d like the exhibition to head to your home and a woman from your iwi to share her story, get in touch with Loren Pasquier, the creator of Woven Women who’d be more than happy to kōrero with you. 

 

Find the project: thewovenwomen.org 

(Photos: Loren Pasquier)

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Find the full story, The Woven Women, in Womenclan: Journal One available now.