community projects
Women of Wonder: Greek Myths & Monsters
Concertina Artwork by Maddy Jevon
Greek myths are epic tales of Gods and mortals, heroes and monsters.
But within these stories, women are often side-lined, manipulated or blamed for (literally) all the evil in the world.
It’s time to change the perspective...
‘Women of Wonder: Greek Myths & Monsters’ was a 10-week theatre programme in Spring 2024, supported by Creative Arc and led by Scratchworks, in partnership with an Exeter-based community of women originally supported and cultivated by CoLab Exeter.
Illustrations by Maddy Jevon to document the creative process, while supporting participant anonymity
The project’s aim was to reframe the narrative of women in Greek mythology via theatre-based collaboration. We focussed on the positive impacts of creative expression and skills-building, for the lives and well-being of women in Exeter.
Workshop sessions explored creative writing, movement and song, drawing inspiration from Greek mythology. The project encouraged participants to find their voice, share their stories and develop skills, aligning with Scratchworks’ decade-long commitment to amplifying women’s stories.
Throughout the project, we aimed to positively impact Exeter’s women who have faced obstacles including mental health issues, domestic abuse, addiction, displacement and homelessness.
We worked a core group of regular participants & co-created a 1 hour performance for friends and family hosted at Exeter’s Barnfield Theatre. Drop-in sessions were also hosted with CoLab Women & the Global Women’s Project.
Project Leads + Workshop Facilitators: Scratchworks Theatre Company
Support Worker: Estelle Buckridge
Music Collaborator: Laura Loft
External Artists: Chloe Whipple (Do Your Dance), Emily Howard (Sound Design), Fi Russell (Set + Costume Design)
Evaluation: Emily Williams
Project Illustrator: Maddy Jevon
Facilitators attended Trauma-Informed Training with AVA (Against Violence & Abuse)
