- DURATION 1 hr
Event Description
A series of talks celebrating Women's History Month shining a light on two very different women from history who tried to make their mark in a man’s world. We will also be looking at how generations of invisible women’s work was integral to weaving the threads of human society – something so commonplace we now barely notice it. The final talk looks at attitudes and beliefs about women and the effect these have had, and still have, on modern societies around the world.
Katherine of Aragon - : Spanish Princess, Princess of Wales, Queen of England, Discarded Wife: History remembers her as the first of Henry VIII’s six wives and probably little else. She left her homeland expecting to be Queen of England for the rest of her life. But how did this highly educated daughter of an independent Spanish Queen fare with the values of an England where men held all the power, and the King was an absolute monarch?
Wednesday 8th March: 2:30pm
Mol Cutpurse: London’s Smoking. Swearing, Roaring Girl!: Tudor and Stuart London was the home of real-life rogues as colourful as any in Shakespeare’s plays. One of the most memorable of these underworld characters was Mary Frith, also known as Mol Cutpurse, who flouted convention at every turn. Far from being a weak and timid woman, who stayed at home taking care of children, as the ideals of the age demanded, she took to the streets and stage, making a spectacle of herself that earned both official condemnation and not a little public admiration.
Wednesday 15th March: 2:30pm
Before the Zip – The invisible history of thread, string, textiles and their makers: Look around you, can you imagine a world without string, thread, rope, baskets, mats and clothes? Things we totally take for granted in the modern world. Yet needles were invented long before the discovery of metal, and the production of all these items, seldom found in the archaeological record, depended for millennia on generations of women working to spin and weave the fabric of human society. Discover the impact of this invisible history.
Wednesday 22nd March: 2:30pm
Wedlocked – Women, know your place!: If you thought that the fight for women’s equality was over and the Sex Discrimination Act of 1975 made it all fair, think again! This talk explores attitudes towards women throughout history which became embedded in western society and now have a global impact. Perhaps societies can never be truly equal unless both men and women act in partnership to make them so?
Wednesday 29th March: 2:30pm
- Duration: 1 hr
- Online Zoom event: Join from your computer, phone or tablet (no replay available)
Meet the Host, Sun Jester
Graham, Towse and Bronwen Harrison have presented a variety of informal talks and musical entertainments for adult groups since 2014. Offering a wide range of topics, their aim is to enlighten, divert and amuse. For over 25 years, Sun Jester have worked in the education, heritage and entertainment sectors with many and varied organisations such as English Heritage, National Trust and prominent heritage sites and museums.
Towse has a degree in History, an MA in Museums and Gallery Education and worked for many years as a Heritage Education Consultant. She has a keen interest in archaeology and social history, particularly how they shed light on the role and position of women in history.
Graham has a passion for military and social history. He also has a particular enthusiasm for the skills and technology of our prehistoric ancestors. Graham has many years experience as an historical re-enactor, interpreter and community artist as well as working for the NHS as a patient simulator, involved in the training of doctors and other medical staff.
Bronwen is a professional performer, experienced in the creation, direction and performance of physical, mask and musical theatre. As a professional musician, vocalist and recording artist, Bronwen currently performs with three groups, a contemporary rock/blues band, a vocal duo performing vintage music and a group playing music from the Medieval and Tudor periods.
Preparing for the Event
For the best experience, you will need to have Zoom downloaded onto your computer. Please ensure you're connected to broadband/wifi rather than using your mobile phone connection (3G/4G).
We also recommend that pets are either calmly sitting on your lap or in another room, and any refreshments you may require are within your reach!
More Information
What if I can’t make the event?
If a recording’s available for the event, you can still register for it and we will send you an email with a link to a recording shortly after it ends.
Will my camera be on and will I be visible to the other people?
Your camera and microphone does not need to be on for you to enjoy the event. The choice about whether to do this is completely yours.
How do I watch the live event?
Rest Less events are hosted on Zoom, a computer application that allows you to attend online events just by clicking a link. For detailed instructions, please go to our "FAQ" page, which you can find a link to in the nav bar at the top of the page.
How do I sign-up for and access the recording? (Recorded events only)
Book the event as normal (as if you are attending live). After the event ends you will automatically receive a post-event email with a link to the recording, as long as the event was recorded. You do not need to do anything else and there is no separate booking process for recordings only. Please note it can take up to 24 hours for Zoom to process recordings.