IMMA & NCAD present a Symposium, entitled How shall we do this?, that brings together a diverse range of feminist-led practices and voices, to think through the imperatives for a feminist-led art resource centre on the island of Ireland. Contributors include Alex Martinis Roe, Beulah Ezeugo & Joselle Ntumba, Matylda Taszycka, Adele Patrick, Allison Elliott, Êvar Huseynî and Alessia Cargnelli.

Foregrounding new research to shape an all-island feminist led art resource centre

Unlike other settings in the Global North, the island of Ireland still lacks an all-island focused, community-led resource centre dedicated to feminist-informed artistic practices. This is remarkable given the central importance of Irish women’s role both as artists and as activists on the island and beyond, from second wave feminism in 80s/90s, till today. Although some aspects of feminist-led and artist-led scholarship are currently available in public collections across the island, there are many more informal and overlooked archives. These materials exist in an ephemeral, delicate state, and it is a political act to take care of them and make them available for future research and education.

Understanding archives as a site of radical imagination and learning, How shall we do this? investigates the potential of inclusive feminist-informed methodologies for archiving underrepresented her/stories connected with the island of Ireland. Learning from international practices of feminist leadership and community-led, anti-hierarchical approaches from the UK, the US, Europe, and Australia; participants – along with the invited speakers – will initiate discussions around what a viable and long-term sustainable structure could look like in the context of the island of Ireland; as well as what feminist-informed methods of access and preservation are needed.

Invited contributors include:
Alex Martinis Roe: Artist and Researcher, Melbourne
Éireann and I Archive: Beulah Ezeugo & Joselle Ntumba
Glasgow Women’s Library (GWL): Adele Patrick
The Feminist Institute NYC: Allison Elliott
AWARE Paris Archives of Women Artists, Research and Exhibitions: Matylda Taszycka
The West Asian and North African Women’s Art Library (WANAWAL): Êvar Huseynî

The programme concludes with a participatory-led workshop, where attendees will collectively generate a series of proposition on feminist-informed archiving practices of donation, conservation, outreach, and public engagement. The workshop will be practice-driven, focusing on selected materials from the archive of Irish visual artist Patricia Hurl, held in the IMMA Collection.