A Coruña, November 9, 2024.- The Government Delegation in Galicia joins the Coruña illustrator Bea Lema to reflect on gender violence and give visibility to the victims of machismo through community embroidery with the workshop ‘Embroidery against violence’. It is an action that turns around the traditional concept of embroidery as a domestic activity that women did inside their homes. Thus, ‘Bordado contra la violencia’ turns this traditional activity into a combative weapon against male violence and to give visibility to the victims of this violence.
This workshop #replicate the previous work of the Mexican collectives ‘Boramos feminicidios’ and ‘Fuentes Rojas’. Under the premise, ‘a victim, a cloth’, both use sewing not only to denounce the macho murders committed in this country. They also create spaces for women to reflect and express their personal experiences with machismo and also to report situations of personal violence. Sometimes, some of the participants gave an account of their personal situation of violence by knowing and embroidering the stories that talk about how men treated the women who later, finally, murdered.
‘Embroidery against violence’ has its origin in the meeting held by the government delegate, Pedro Blanco, and the Coruña illustrator Bea Lema on September 23, on the occasion of the award of the National Comic Prize 2024. From that meeting came the possibility of collaborating in the 25N program through the work of the Corunnese illustrator, who uses embroidery and fabric as a support to move images and ideas. He did so in ‘The Body of Christ’, by which he attained this national distinction.
Create from the dialogue
The ‘Embroidery against Violence’ class will take place next Friday, November 15, between 11 and 13 hours at the headquarters of the Government Delegation, in A Coruña (Plaza de Ourense, 11).
During the workshop, Bea Lema will direct the participants, inviting them to talk about the violence that women endure in our society and, based on this dialogue, will show them the basic techniques to embroider their reflection or experience on tissue.
Places are limited and will be allocated in order of registration, which can be requested by filling out this form: https://run.gob.es/owi7y365. The activity is free and people do not need any kind of prior knowledge or to bring material, which will be provided to them during it.
Annual Programming around November 25th
‘Embroidery against violence’ is part of the annual programming of the Government Delegation in Galicia around November 25, International Day against Violence against Women, which can be consulted in this link.
The program includes actions that allow gender violence to be approached from different perspectives and cultural, formative, and restorative tools.
In this programming, the Delegation wants to make visible how the arts and culture can become active tools in favor of equality and against machismo. As a result of this conviction, initiatives emerged such as the action ‘Sisters sonoras’, directed by the poet Yolanda Castaño and which unites poetry, dance and music; the action ‘MAVI, the travelling suitcase against gender violence’, which provides itinerant reading materials, and the program ‘Regueifando en Igualacion’, which is reaching educational centers throughout Galicia using as an awareness-raising technique to traditional Galician improvised dialectic dispute.
The central events of the program will be held in the week of 25N and will culminate in the delivery of the recognition ‘Meninas’ of Galicia, granted by the Government Delegation and which this year reaches its seventh edition.