Repeat, Repeat, Repeat, 2021.

In 1983 I started at the University of Bradford as an undergraduate reading a BSc in Social Science (History and Politics) in was in the wake of the Yorkshire Ripper who’s shadow was still cast on women in the north e.g., all the car parking spaces near to the University buildings where for women only.  Peter Sutcliffe’s reign of terror had prompted the first ‘Reclaim the Night’ protests in the UK 1977 – these protests where not only sparked by his atrocious acts but by the reaction of the police and other authorities who encouraged women to stay in after dark (Smith, 2020).

Jump forward 38 years to 2021 and here I am starting my first week at DJCAD as an undergraduate and what dominates the news? The conviction of Wayne Couzens for the murder of Sarah Everard, which followed the months after her death, including more ‘Reclaim the Night’ protests.  Yet again we hear banal statements from figures of authority, including the police, many with a reluctance to make Misogyny a hate crime never mind understand its real meaning, I’m talking about you Dominic Raab…WTF! Has nothing changed?

What lessons have been learnt from the past?  This presents a unique opportunity to tell this story in visual form, drawing on personal history and the context and times I have lived, whilst combining my interest in visual representation, history and politics.

I am a 2nd year undergraduate student at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design. In 1983 I started my first undergraduate degree as a BSc (Hons) Student reading Social Science (History and Politics at the University of Bradford, West  Yorkshire in the UK.

This was in the wake of the serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, also known as the Yorkshire Ripper. He murdered 13 women and attempted to murder 7 more. Their names of the murder victims were:
Wilma McCann; Emily Jackson; Irene Richardson; Patricia Atkinson; Jayne McDonald; Jean Jordan; Yvonne Pearson; Helen Rytka; Vera Millward; Josephine Whitaker; Barbara Leach; Marguerite Walls and Jacqueline Hill.
I grew up in Yorkshire as a teenager in his shadow and remember how fear was pervasive amongst my friends, other teenage girls and women at that time.

When I arrive at Bradford University 2 years after his arrest the University was still allocating all parking spaces close to the University Building to women only and the spot where he murdered Barbara Leach, a student at the University was 200 yards from where I live in my second year!

If we go forward to 27th September of this year, I have started mysecond undergraduate degree in Fine Art and what I am reading about in the newspaper every day is the murder of Sarah Everard and the conviction of Wayne Couzens, a serving Metropolitan police officer.

The response to this crime (and may I say the response or lack of it in relation to the 79 other murders of women that had happened since Sarah’s murder in March of the previous year, never mind all of the domestic violence that is happening every day) from the Metropolitan Police and government is farcical.

With advice like waving down buses if a woman feels at threat and following the murder of another woman, Sabina Nessa the police handing out leaflets in the area that she was murdered suggesting that women walk assertively and stick to well-lit areas. As we know if you push the onus of women’s safety back on women then you take no responsibility for it. What is clear to many from the totality of these events in the UK is the poisonous culture of misogyny in the ranks of the police. And I would also add in parts of government and the judiciary process.

So in the intervening 38 years between me starting at Bradford and Dundee it appears that nothing has changed.

My corporate career specialized in Human Resources and I know that cultural change, if taken seriously can take 5 tops 10 years. 38 years is long enough. WTF. As I begin to create and evolve my artistic practice this is what I am concerned about. Not just to represent these injustices , but participate and share my POV in the pursuit of change and improvement.

The images I have shared with you are my designs made into banners, that I will use tonight at the Re-claim the Night March in Dundee. My research and references came from Counting Dead Women by Karen Ingala, the Suffragette Movement, Protest art, Malcolm McClaren, Tracey Emin, John Stezaker and the Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz to name a few. Inspiration can come from the strangest places.

An interesting fact, did you know that the first reclaim the Night March in the UK happened in 1977 in Leeds in response to the Yorkshire Rippers deeds,when the police requested that women in Yorkshire stay in-doors rather than put themselves at risk! Here I am 38 years later standing shoulder to shoulder with other women asking for the same.

The Banners are components of a body of work that explore these themes. They will be complemented with digital designs on enamel, screen prints and images from the March. It doesn’t stop here I’ve decided to start a campaign called, “ The Education of Dominic Raab” and the first thing I will be doing is sending him a Christmas Present with a Christmas card and letter enclosing a copy of a book called,  ‘A Brief History of Misogyny’ by Jack Holland, it was recommended to me by Dr. Helen Gorrill as part of my research for my work – it is essential reading.

It’s time to agitate, activate and educate through my artistic practice. As a 56 year-old postmenopausal artist I say, why not!