Futurist Women (2018) — Social Art Library

By Eelyn Lee

A photograph of a woman wearing a brightly coloured headpiece with pom-poms and chains and a large, structural neckpiece. Her face is obscured by her costume.

A futurist re-imagining of three womens' past struggles set in a world where women are equal, there is no abuse and you are free to be who you want to be. A short film poem made in collaboration with 13-year old girls and a group of women who have experienced domestic violence.

Over 12-weeks Eelyn Lee and her collaborators, including an all-female production team, devised the film through collective action research exploring marginalised voices and women’s activism through poetry, costume design and fictional characters. Through this process the collaborators transposed stories of migration, struggle and achievement to create a new local mythology.

Eelyn was commissioned by the Barbican to devise a project for their Art of Change season which, marked 100 years since some women received the right to vote.

Collaborators:
Year 9 Photography GCSE students at Sydney Russell School
Nia Huggett Women's Centre

Poetry by Annetha Mills & Women from Nia Huggett Centre
Poetry Facilitated by Rachel Long
Cinematography by Laura Bellingham
Costume by Amy Beth Addison
Music & Sound by Eleni Hassabis
Vocalist - Gloria Adereti
Colourist - Sarina McCavana

More information:

https://www.eelynlee.com/item/futurist-women-of-barking-dagenham

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Eelyn Lee

Eelyn Lee is an award-winning artist and filmmaker who has exhibited across UK including Barbican, Tate Modern, National Portrait Gallery and Whitechapel Gallery as well as internationally in Paris, Berlin, Bogotá and Toronto. Eelyn’s socially engaged practice combines collective research, devised theatre, screen writing and filmmaking to create frameworks for ensembles of collaborators to work together. Her Chinese/English heritage motivates her interest in race, identity and ’othering’. In 2016 Eelyn co-founded Social Art Network who convened the inaugural Social Art Summit [2018], an artist-led review of socially engaged arts practice in the UK and beyond. Eelyn has extensive experience of working in collaboration with young people.

https://www.eelynlee.com