On Wednesday I handed my essay in - one day early! Imogen had signed off all the paperwork, the previous day, and I had planned to stay with Darren for 2 nights. (Darren, a trained chef, had cooked us a wonderful butternut squash risotto the previous night). This gave me a spare day to get the thesis copied and bound, before hand-in. But I grind my teeth severely at night and had left my retainer at home. So I checked whether I could change my hand-in appointment, and dealt with that a day early - so I could go home and save my teeth!
On Thursday evening, I went to the EEWM summer party. This was in the heart of Barking. Lovely to see some old contacts, but most useful of all was that I could float the idea of my samplers being part of the opening exhibitions for the EEWM when it opens next year. For the first time, I met some of the Trustees, all intelligent, capable young women. Just the way they came across, they were women not to be messed with! Very inspiring. And two of them - I could see their faces focus with attention when I suggested my work was about unknown women of the area, and that outreach work could draw attention to women 'known to you' in art workshops. Focussing on the ordinary and mundane. It appeared this was something not mentioned before in their plans. And Rachel and Fani (Director and admin) did not rule it out of hand either. Rachel was ok with me using the EEWM in my Viva, for how my work might be used.
I also met Darren Rodwell, leader of the council, and the Mayor and Mayoress. I am often cynical about the top brass at these type of events, but they certainly seemed to walk the talk about representing their community. Despite my cynicism (learned from experience!) I was impressed with this event.
So it was a productive evening.
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