From Friday 21 October, the free exhibition entitled ‘Positive ID: Stories of Women around the World’ showcases the work by 15 young women from the Leeds Getaway Girls project in response to objects and stories from Leeds Museums and Galleries as well as the experiences of local women in they met and interviewed.
The group split the stories they heard and objects they discovered from visits to Leeds City Museum and the Leeds Museum Discovery Centre into three themes: ‘women and beauty’, ‘women who have moved here’ and ‘women who inspire us’.
They then worked with artists Jake Gardiner, Nick Halahan and Marcia Brown to produce large graffiti art and canvas pieces reflecting their responses to what they had learned and heard. These works will now be on display in the public corridor display space at the museum off Millennium Square until January 8 2012.
The project was organised by Leeds City Council and Getaway Girls, a programme which has been running in Leeds since 1987 offering young women the chance to explore and develop skills and friendships through creative projects and experiences.
The project was also supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund’s ‘Young Roots’ programme, and is part of the Precious Cargo and Stories of the World elements of the Cultural Olympiad for the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games, which focus on giving young people the chance to explore and have a role in developing local cultural attractions.
