Bring These Stories Home
A safe place for the undecided in small towns and villages around Ireland in the lead up to the referendum to repeal the 8th amendment.
BRING THESE STORIES HOME was a national tour of NOT AT HOME a durational art campaign by Emma Fraser (Nine Crows) & myself to make visible the experiences of women who travel abroad to access safe abortion services, to highlight the consequences of Ireland’s abortion laws, and to connect women who have travelled in solidarity.
Cliona and Emma also worked with Kev Freeney and Algorithm to create beautiful projections of the words from the experiences we received from the women who had travelled.
Frank Sweeney created a radio show of the recordings of their experiences as part of the campaign.
Emma co-ordinated Election Posters of the women’s words to be hung around Ireland in the days before the vote.
In April and May 2018, in the lead up to the Referendum to Repeal the 8th amendment in Ireland we travelled all around the country;
To Limerick as part of EVA International, Irelands Biennale of Contemporary Art, at Ormston House
To Dublin at Temple Bar Gallery and Studios (see video above) on the day before the vote, where Emma Fraser added the beautiful post it wall installation, where people wrote messages of support to women who had travelled. This installation was featured on International News in America, Australia, South Africa, Germany and the UK.
To Galway at a converted retail venue at Fairgreen Bus Station and to Eyre Square
To Athlone in the centre of the town,
To The Glens Arts Centre, Manorhamilton,
to a converted retail venue on the Main Street in Wexford,
To Ballybofey in Donegal and
to a converted retail venue in Portlaoise, presented by Dunamaise Arts Centre.
NOT AT HOME was performed by myself and Ella Clarke and Jordanne Jones
It was created and lead by myself and Emma Fraser, Video Design was by Cliona Ni Laoi, Frank Sweeney did the Sound Design, Barry O’Connor was the performance Director.
Production Manager - Rob Furey
Tour & Stage Managers - Vickey Curtis and Orlagh de Bhaldraithe
Crew & Transport - Jason Coogans
Executive Producer - Grace Dyas, with support from Emma Fraser, Gemma Collins, Maria Fleming, Joanna Crawley
Support for PR, Marketing, Social Media and Comms - Ben Fraser
And special thanks to our advisors and supporters who helped me find venues, accommodation and solidarity in every town and city we visited and the volunteers who travelled from all over to invigilate the installation.