We are Nasty Women North East a wildly eclectic collection of Nasty Women from the North East of England.
We are based at Ampersand Inventions in Newcastle upon Tyne and are proud to be part of the global art, activism and fundraising movement of the same name. The Nasty Women (NW) movement, which has been likened by some to (and is supported by!) the “Guerrilla Girls”, is fast becoming an important global force in activism and art.
For us being “Nasty Women” (NW) is not a physical, party political or biological definition. No need to be a women, an artist or even particularly “Nasty”
If you:
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Believe in equality and want to protect human rights (in particular women’s rights)
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Would like to use art/ support others to use art (in the broadest sense of the word- poetry, dance, drag, music, knitting etc) to help increase equality and protect human rights?
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And are happy to welcome and support others who also want to do these things…..
Then as far as we are concerned you are a Nasty Women- Hurrah!!!
In April 2017 Nasty Women North East held the first Nasty Women exhibition in the UK! The exhibition featured over 200+ artworks by 80 artists from 23 countries. It was visited by more than 2,500 people.
On November the 16th and 17th we held the first ever:
International Nasty Women Conference
with key note address by founder of the movement, New York based artist, Roxanne Jackson, plus talks /workshops / art by a huge variety of fantastic Nasties from around the world- including:
Political postcard making workshop with award winning artist Sarah Maple (UK). Much of Maple's inspiration originates from being brought up as a Muslim, with parents of mixed religious and cultural backgrounds.
· Art and activism talk from Airco Caravan (Netherlands), founder of Nasty Women Amsterdam
· “Nasty PR” workshop with Kymberlee Jay (UK/USA) Black British Business Awards winner 2017 - an entrepreneur, writer, philanthropist and former dancer for Madonna
· Chi Onwurah MP, Member of Parliament for Newcastle upon Tyne Central and campaigner for women’s rights locally, nationally and internationally
· Plus- The Guerrilla Girls (GLOBAL!), Klaus Pinter (AU), Margaret Harrison (UK), Daria Galeeva (Russia), Trudy Giordano (USA), Joyce Overheul (Germany) and Lady Kitt (UK)
The conference was accompanied by two exhibitions
1 “Are You Still Nasty” an open, art and activism exhibition
2 “TRUMPED” a curated exhibition including work by Nasty Artists who have been prominent in the Movement since it’s inception in Jan 2017
NOTES
*In January over 700 artists from around the world took part in a sell out exhibition in New York- Nasty Women NYC. Named after the Trump slur to Clinton during presidential debates "Nasty Women" offered artists the opportunity to be involved in a visual protest against the Trump administration whilst raising money for women’s charities in the US. Curated by Roxanne Jackson and Jessamyn Fiore, it served to demonstrate solidarity among artists who identify with being a Nasty Woman in the face of threats to roll back women’s rights, individual rights, and abortion rights. It also served as a fundraiser to support organizations defending these rights. Nasty Women has gone on to become a global cultural, fundraising and campaigning movement.
**The Guerrilla Girls are international feminist activist artists. They wear gorilla masks in public and use facts, humor and outrageous visuals to expose gender and ethnic bias as well as corruption in politics, art, film, and pop culture.