Senior Momentum is a group of older women artists working together to promote positive ageing through their own artworks and community art projects.
Barely Female
soft sculpture by Senior Momentum
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When women’s hands are busy tongues are loosened, minds are active and hearts opened without the embarrassment of a formal interview.
After a forum on Supportive Environments organised by the Older Women’s Network, a small group of older people, most of us well into retirement, met at Women Tasmania.
At the forum there had been much discussion about the unique value of informal groups of women meeting regularly to engage in creative activities - traditionally quiltmaking, knitting and sewing.
As textile artists, we decided to start a group project of our own to explore difficult issues. The pilot project was the creation of individual pieces for a textile on domestic violence.
One day when the group was stitching away one of us used the words "having a senior moment", a phrase reflecting the common fear of Alzheimer’s Disease. Somebody remarked that it didn’t matter so long as we had plenty of senior momentum, and when the laughter died down the group had its name.
The incomplete textile, Lift the Blanket on Domestic Violence, was entered for the inaugural Women Tasmania International Women’s Day Art Competition in 2002 and much to our surprise won the Premier’s Prize of $1000. This was too much money to spend on a feast, too little to share between the ten women involved, and its symbolic value too great to give it away, so we used it as seed funding for new projects.
This website showcases some of our achievements since 2001
It includes an interactive web page called In Our Lifetime, which was established in conjunction with a community arts project in which embroiderers from all over the state collaborated. The textile they produced (pictured right) depicts places and events remembered by Tasmanians, and you are invited to log on and share your stories of living and working in Tasmania.
Senior Momentum remains an organic entity with no formal structure or membership. The aims have never been stated, but the following ideas guide selection of projects:
- To promote positive ageing and the challenges of later life
- To affirm the value of older women, retired people, volunteers and artists without formal training
- To provide opportunities for intergenerational activity, sharing of skills and life experience
- To use community art projects and art in a public space to confront and to draw attention to problems often associated with fear and anxiety
About the image at the right of the title bar:
detail from THE REST OF US, a textile created by members of Senior Momentum
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There is the male half of humanity
AND then
there are the women
the leaders, rulers and deciders of fashion, policy, action;
those who adventure and discover;
there are stars and professionals;
there are winners famous and infamous;
there are women with Voices that are heard and heeded;
and there are those upon whom they all depend, every sort of grouping with every sort of member. |
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