Herself- Celebrating local women, nature and Brigid
The Vision
Herself is a collaborative community project about recognising women who connect with place and community, who quietly work away making the world a better place. We came together (Jill Beardsworth, film maker and Shona MacGillivray, visual artist) through a mutual concern for our environment, a desire to seek out those who are doing positive work within it and to make these role models publicly visible.
We searched for reassurance that guidance and knowledge is currently present in our locality and that this wisdom can be used to help heal the earth. We felt a need to collectively relearn how to live and respect the environment we live in, a need to reclaim the legacy of Brigid.
Brigid: A goddess, a saint, a powerful female figure known for her strong connection to nature, her protective qualities, her healing, her artistry, and her wisdom.
We envisioned a large-scale projection of moving portraits of contemporary women who collectively embody Brigid, imbued with visuals of natural elements. We imagined these moving portraits to be screened publicly, in the centre of Gort town on the facade of the neo-classical building of the Court House. Using the centre of Gort as an artistic space, illuminating this architectural landmark would be an opportunity to enhance a sense of belonging, connection and pride in our town.
The Search
We held the idea, honed it and then sent it out into the community. We began searching for local women whose work makes a positive impact on our human connection to the natural world, women who would collectively embody Brigid and all that she is associated with. To help spread this conversation further, we sent out invitations for two informal public gatherings held at the Gort Resource Centre.
The Gatherings
These gatherings were well attended by community members and groups. There were a multitude of different inspirational views and ideas in the room. Through a informal process of workshopping, individuals shared their knowledge of Brigid the goddess, the saint, Irish mythology and heritage, as well as issues concerning contemporary women's health and wellbeing.
Using Brigit’s crosses, Bridógs and natural fibres as props, the group began to identify associations with Brigid, which informed the visual world of the project.
The gathering experience helped us to frame a series of questions that were to go into a nomination form. This would be the method by which community members and groups could nominate a woman to be filmed for the project.
These gatherings and the support that came from them gave our project the legs it needed to start to run.
The Nominations
Through this process of community consultation we received nominations for many valued women. We collated the reasons they had been put forward and honoured. All the women who were nominated were contacted, and it became clear that some women are very happy to nominate each other, but very reticent to take any credit for themselves. We made a considered selection of 12 women from the nominees who for this project embody the attributes of Brigid while representing the diversity and equality within our community.
The Film Shoot
The 12 women were invited to individually attend the film shoot in Gort Town Hall. They were asked to wear something bright coloured that they were comfortable in, and if they wished to bring a relevant object that they held dear or important. We were very conscious to create a space that was as informal and un-imposing as possible.
Our friend Pat Farrell gave herself to this project by meeting the women just before they were filmed and chatting to them about their lives and their connection to Brigid.
They then joined the two of us in the film room. Jill was behind the camera, and spoke gently, directing and assisting the woman to feel comfortable in front of the lens, and to consider their own work in the community, their work with nature. The portraits you see in the film are of these women, contemplating, considering; a special and intimate reflection of their inner thoughts.
This process was most profound. The women brought so many diverse and incredibly strong energies to the space.
It was a true privilege to be present for this interaction.
The Women
Lisa Della Chiesa
artist-maker-Spring-the Maiden
Imaginative observer of shapeshifting rocks and trees; studier of the dichotomy of the hunter and the hunted, of imagined hybrid roles and how we, as humans, prey on the environment.
Lisa was our youngest woman, she brought the confident and dynamic dance of youth, her future dreams shone through the darkened room.
She wore an open-knit baggy jumper, hand knitted and given to her by a friend. She brought her Deer artwork, a white costume that formed part of her recent arts degree graduation project called ‘Solastalgia’ (derived from the Latin word meaning emotional distress caused by environmental change).
“Each day you go to the Burren it's always different because of the weather and nature. It makes me feel so calm and it inspires me for my work and if I don’t go for a walk I will lose my mind”
Lisa is represented as Spring in the film.
Sally Millar
midwife-change maker-teacher-enabler-grower-guardian-Elder
Sally was nominated by several local groups, including the Breast Feeding Support Group that she co-founded over 15 years ago. She is a newly retired community midwife who has assisted at the delivery of over 500 babies, hundreds of them birthed at home and caught by Sally. She has shared her wisdom with many trainee midwives and parents. She is also a passionate organic gardener and grower.
Brigid has always been a role model for Sally, an energy she pulls from for support when strength and resistance is required, particularly when attempting to challenge a system from the inside. Sally considers Brigid to be a bit of a rebel, and enjoys the idea that Brigid loved a bit of worldly enjoyment by brewing beer to help solve a bad drinking water situation.
For the film shoot, Sally brought with her a traditional wooden pinard, used to listen to the baby in the womb, and she talked about how modern technology was moving midwives away from the basic skills, how important it is to know how a baby is presenting and what can be done to facilitate the birth with just the hands.
Sally is represented as Spring in our film.
Ute Peter
sower of seeds-grower-provider-nurturer-Grandmother
Ute was nominated by the Gort farmers market .
“When Ute arrives at the Friday Market, she brings Spring with her”
Ute has great appreciation for flowers that attract the pollinators, the butterflies, bees and birds. As a child she once put hundreds of caterpillars that she had collected through her letter box for her mother. Ute told us that she is highly attuned with the growing season, and sees Winter as a time of reflection. When the sap of Spring arrives, Ute’s energy and enthusiasm rises with it.
She is represented as Spring in our film, with wild flowers and earth.
Ute presents us with handfuls of sweet tomatoes and a pot of echinacea that she grew.
Mary Kinsella
artist-writer-storyteller-advocate-warrior
Mary has an artistic soul. Her art is abstract and inspired by nature. She is a writer, a special olympian and a tireless advocate for many. She has endless energy and finds that no obstacles are too difficult to overcome.
Mary sees Brigid embodied in front line workers and has a huge appreciation for carers. She reminds us all that front line workers are also human, and need to take some time for themselves.
“Bridget cared about people. It didn’t matter if you were rich, it didn’t matter if you were poor, she would help you”
Mary represents equality, strength, arts and crafts in our film.
Mary brought some of her paintings, and we use images of the colorful and textural paint in the film as a backdrop behind her.
Carole Guyette
herbalist-healer-teacher-writer-Elder
Carole was nominated for the healing energies and wisdom she shares with others. Carole is a Medicine Woman who honours the sacred wisdom of plants. Healer, teacher, herbalist, grower and ceremonialist.
Through the wells, healing waters and the flame, she connects to many Goddesses, and to Brigid in particular.
Carole brought with her a large bunch of mugwort, which has many medicinal uses. Its botanical name Artemisia Vulgaris honours the Greek goddess, Artemis. Like its namesake, the plant is associated with the moon, cycles, women’s health, and childbirth. Carole also gifted us with a candle that had been lit by another candle that was lit from the sacred Brigid’s Flame from the Brigidine nuns in Kildare. This is the candle that is seen being lit at the start of the film.
Mara Angélica Cordeiro
poet-healer-spiritual dreamer-protector-Mother-warrior
Mara’s poetry and prose is inspired by nature and hope. She has strong religious faith, and writes about femininity, the soul, despair and the journey of the spirit from the heavens to the womb. Nature gives her the powerful emotions she channels through her work, as does her relationships with others.
Mara comes originally from Brazil where her father encouraged and supported her in her dream to be a writer.
“My dad is not a rich man but he gave me the biggest wealth I could ever have”.
Mara’s daughter attended the film shoot as an interpreter. During the filming there was a very moving moment of recognition, pride and love from daughter to Mother.
Mara is represented by Summer, colour and light.
Mara Elaine O’Grady
earth healer-writer-singer-alchemist-carer of the wells
Mara came into the room and sang, creating an instant and extremely powerful resonation. She connected us all in a way that felt physical, tangible to each other, to our surroundings and to something much much deeper.
In her work she regularly invokes Brigid’s flame for healing and Brigid’s cloak for protection.
She is represented by the elements of fire and water in this film.
“it’s so much healthier to be able to actually love and accept your gifts and yourself, to really stand on them and I think that’s what is being called forth for women”.
Aoife Reilly
poet-teacher-storyteller-organiser-Mother
Aoife is a poet who writes about nature and longing. She connects deeply with the natural landscape around her. Place, the sea, the rocks and the hazel all inspire her writing. As an Irish speaker, she connects to the names of places and plants, which provide a deeper meaning in their original Irish. It is important for her to keep telling and hearing the old stories and songs, particularly the tales of the Fianna, the warriors and poets of old.
The enigmatic folding limestone mountain of Mullaghmore mountain, in the Burren, is a special place for her:
“it’s a silent place, a good place to catch what goes on in the imagination.”
Aoife brought her young son and an ancient ammonite fossil to the film shoot.
Aoife represents earth and Autumn.
Karen O’Neill
activist-changemaker-nurturer-listener-keeper of traditional skills-steward of the water and the river-Elder
Karen brought a length of tactile weaving with her that she created herself in a recent fibre craft workshop and wore a patterned cotton tunic that was made for her by a friend. A retired radiographer, Karen now works tirelessly in a voluntary capacity on a multitude of community projects based on local landscape and heritage.
Karen was at the forefront of a project to create a riverwalk amenity as a response to the threat of industrial scale development in the area.
She says of her work on the project, “Uncovering beauty to counteract that negative, depressive feeling that we have while we are waiting for big decisions to be made for us about the future.”
She is fascinated by the form and process of traditional hay stacks, and we represent this with images of crops. Karen is also represented in the film with water.
Mary Nolan
healer-nurturer-pioneer-change maker-Mother
Mary casts her Brigid's mantle far.
There from the beginning of the Gort Cancer Care Centre and now at its heart, Mary was inspired to build a community support hub for cancer patients and their families, whilst experiencing trauma and loss herself.
Like St Brigid of Kildare who managed a large convent, Mary is known for her tireless organisation skills in the centre.
Mary supports many individuals and families with her listening, her care and her warm presence.
Mary is represented by Winter trees and sunlight.
Mary O’Dea
steward of the land-storyteller-farmer-sharer of knowledge
“If we didn’t have land, we wouldn’t have life”
Mary is a solid force of nature. A hard working 8th generation farmer who nurtures animals and our environment. Mary holds a wealth of knowledge which she shares when it comes to the natural world and in particular her native place, the Burren.
Mary was nominated for:
“safeguarding our unique environment, landscape and stories for future generations”.
Mary was the last woman to be filmed, and brought a grounding presence to the room. She spoke about the need for harmonising the masculine and feminine qualities we all possess to collectively nurture our land.
Maisie Gallagher
warrior-nurturer-carer-wisewoman-Elder
Maisie is our eldest woman. She was nominated by a local cafe and is considered as one of their most beloved of customers. Maisie is full of stories, and knows much of the social history of Gort town from the 1950s onwards. She arrived in Gort as a young woman, on a visit for a month, was charmed by a young man, and stayed 75 years. So far! Maisie ran a merchant shop and talked of the produce and basics sold there, as well as the ceilidh dances that were held in the building we were filming in.
She has seen many changes in her life. Maisie is Mother to four children , three of them had Cystic Fibrosis and she has survived all but one of them.
Maisie has huge reserves of strength and resilience and is represented in Herself as an Elder, the wise one, Winter.
The Soundscape
We decided that an ambient sound scape would compliment the moving images and invited Andrea Breen to create one for us. Andrea is a composer and multi-media artist. For her PhD she explored improvisation, relationships with the land and women's creativity. Andrea was based at the Burren College of Art when Shona met her and she now resides in Tasmania, Australia. We collaborated over Zoom calls.
The Event
This large-scale outdoor event will be held in Gort town from its market square, with the film projected onto the Court House building opposite at 6pm on Saturday 4th February 2023 as part of Brigid and Imbolc celebrations by the newly formed Gort Arts Group.
The project was supported and funded by Creative Ireland, Co. Galway, Burren Lowlands, Gort Credit Union, Gort Resource Centre.
Thanks go to all the many wonderful women who were nominated by the community, also to Pat Farrell, Jack Lunt for editing , Keith Walsh, Susan Meaney, Sally Millar, Annie Rozario, Gort Arts Group, Gort Courthouse, Gorgeous Gort Forum, Marqu at QpopVR, Shelagh Honan, John Galvin, Sound To Light , Dayna Fleming and Fionn Edler with baby Iarlaith.
Contacts:
Shona MacGillivray: shonamacg@gmail.com https://instagram.com/shonamacgillivray.artist
Jill Beardsworth : Jilltwopairfilms@gmail.com
Andrea Breen : http://www.andreabreen.com/
“When Ute arrives at the Friday Market, she brings Spring with her”
Ute has great appreciation for flowers that attract the pollinators, the butterflies, bees and birds. As a child she once put hundreds of caterpillars that she had collected through her letter box for her mother. Ute told us that she is highly attuned with the growing season, and sees Winter as a time of reflection. When the sap of Spring arrives, Ute’s energy and enthusiasm rises with it.
She is represented as Spring in our film, with wild flowers and earth.
Ute presents us with handfuls of sweet tomatoes and a pot of echinacea that she grew.
Mary Kinsella
artist-writer-storyteller-advocate-warrior
Mary has an artistic soul. Her art is abstract and inspired by nature. She is a writer, a special olympian and a tireless advocate for many. She has endless energy and finds that no obstacles are too difficult to overcome.
Mary sees Brigid embodied in front line workers and has a huge appreciation for carers. She reminds us all that front line workers are also human, and need to take some time for themselves.
“Bridget cared about people. It didn’t matter if you were rich, it didn’t matter if you were poor, she would help you”
Mary represents equality, strength, arts and crafts in our film.
Mary brought some of her paintings, and we use images of the colorful and textural paint in the film as a backdrop behind her.
Carole Guyette
herbalist-healer-teacher-writer-Elder
Carole was nominated for the healing energies and wisdom she shares with others. Carole is a Medicine Woman who honours the sacred wisdom of plants. Healer, teacher, herbalist, grower and ceremonialist.
Through the wells, healing waters and the flame, she connects to many Goddesses, and to Brigid in particular.
Carole brought with her a large bunch of mugwort, which has many medicinal uses. Its botanical name Artemisia Vulgaris honours the Greek goddess, Artemis. Like its namesake, the plant is associated with the moon, cycles, women’s health, and childbirth. Carole also gifted us with a candle that had been lit by another candle that was lit from the sacred Brigid’s Flame from the Brigidine nuns in Kildare. This is the candle that is seen being lit at the start of the film.
Mara Angélica Cordeiro
poet-healer-spiritual dreamer-protector-Mother-warrior
Mara’s poetry and prose is inspired by nature and hope.
Mara has strong religious faith, and writes about femininity, the soul, despair and the journey of the spirit from the heavens to the womb.
Nature gives her the powerful emotions she channels through her work, as does her relationships with others.
Mara comes originally from Brazil where her father encouraged and supported her in her dream to be a writer. “My dad is not a rich man but he gave me the biggest wealth I could ever have”.
Mara’s daughter attended the film shoot as an interpreter. During the filming there was a very moving moment of recognition, pride and love from daughter to Mother.
Mara is represented by Summer, colour and light.
Mara Elaine O’Grady
earth healer-writer-singer-alchemist-carer of the wells
Mara came into the room and sang, creating an instant and extremely powerful resonation. She connected us all in a way that felt physical, tangible to each other, to our surroundings and to something much much deeper.
In her work she regularly invokes Brigid’s flame for healing and Brigid’s cloak for protection.
She is represented by the elements of fire and water in this film.
“it’s so much healthier to be able to actually love and accept your gifts and yourself, to really stand on them and I think that’s what is being called forth for women”.
Aoife Reilly
poet-teacher-storyteller-organiser-Mother
Aoife is a poet who writes about nature and longing. She connects deeply with the natural landscape around her. Place, the sea, the rocks and the hazel all inspire her writing. As an Irish speaker, she connects to the names of places and plants, which provide a deeper meaning in their original Irish. It is important for her to keep telling and hearing the old stories and songs, particularly the tales of the Fianna, the warriors and poets of old.
The enigmatic folding limestone mountain of Mullaghmore mountain, in the Burren, is a special place for her:
“it’s a silent place, a good place to catch what goes on in the imagination.”
Aoife brought her young son and an ancient ammonite fossil.
Aoife represents earth and Autumn.
Karen O’Neill
activist-changemaker-nurturer-listener-keeper of traditional skills-steward of the water and the river-Elder
Karen brought a length of tactile weaving with her that she created herself in a recent fibre craft workshop and wore a patterned cotton tunic that was made for her by a friend. A retired radiographer, Karen now works tirelessly in a voluntary capacity on a multitude of community projects based on local landscape and heritage.
Karen was at the forefront of a project to create a riverwalk amenity as a response to the threat of industrial scale development in the area.
She says of her work on the project, “Uncovering beauty to counteract that negative, depressive feeling that we have while we are waiting for big decisions to be made for us about the future.”
She is fascinated by the form and process of traditional hay stacks, and we represent this with images of crops. Karen is also represented in the film with water.
Mary Nolan
healer-nurturer-pioneer-change maker-Mother
Mary casts her Brigid's mantle far.
Co-founder, creator and heart of Gort Cancer Care Centre, Mary was inspired to build a community support hub for cancer patients and their families, whilst experiencing trauma and loss herself.
Like St Brigid of Kildare who managed a large convent, Mary is known for her tireless organisation skills in the centre.
Mary supports many individuals and families with her listening, her care and her warm presence.
Mary is represented by Winter trees and sunlight.
Mary O’Dea
steward of the land-storyteller-farmer-sharer of knowledge
“If we didn’t have land, we wouldn’t have life”
Mary is a solid force of nature. A hard working 8th generation farmer who nurtures animals and our environment. Mary holds a wealth of knowledge which she shares when it comes to the natural world and in particular her native place, the Burren.
Mary was nominated for:
“safeguarding our unique environment, landscape and stories for future generations”.
Mary was the last woman to be filmed, and brought a grounding presence to the room. She spoke about the need for harmonising the masculine and feminine qualities we all possess to collectively nurture our land.
Maisie Gallagher
warrior-nurturer-carer-wisewoman-Elder
Maisie is our eldest woman. She was nominated by a local cafe and is considered as one of their most beloved of customers. Maisie is full of stories, and knows much of the social history of Gort town from the 1950s onwards. She arrived in Gort as a young woman, on a visit for a month, was charmed by a young man, and stayed 75 years. So far! Maisie ran a merchant shop and talked of the produce and basics sold there, as well as the ceilidh dances that were held in the building we were filming in.
She has seen many changes in her life. Maisie is Mother to four children , three of them had Cystic Fibrosis and she has survived all but one of them.
Maisie has huge reserves of strength and resilience and is represented in Herself as an Elder, the wise one, Winter.
The Soundscape
We decided that an ambient sound scape would compliment the moving images and invited Andrea Breen to create one for us. Andrea is a composer and multi-media artist. For her PhD she explored improvisation, relationships with the land and women's creativity. Andrea was based at the Burren College of Art when Shona met her and she now resides in Tasmania, Australia. We collaborated over Zoom calls.
The Event
This large-scale outdoor event will be held in Gort town from its market square, with the film projected onto the Court House building opposite at 6pm on Saturday 4th February 2023 as part of Brigid and Imbolc celebrations by the newly formed Gort Arts Group.
The project was supported and funded by Creative Ireland, Co. Galway, Burren Lowlands, Gort Credit Union, Gort Resource Centre.
Thanks go to all the wonderful women who were nominated by the community, also to Pat Farrell, Jack Lunt for editing , Keith Walsh, Susan Meaney, Sally Millar, Annie Rozario, Gort Arts Group, Gort Courthouse, Gorgeous Gort Forum, Marqu at QpopVR, Shelagh Honan, John Galvin, Sound To Light , Dayna Fleming and Fionn Edler with baby Iarlaith.