Theatre swap shop is no costume drama
ATHEATRE group is set to host a womenonly ‘clothes and stories swap’ event, to encourage people to wear pre-loved clothes.
Theatre in Flow, a theatre company based on Moss Bridge Road which is committed to the ‘championing of marginalised voices’, is holding the event on Saturday, April 23 at Touchstones museum.
Women are being encouraged to bring their old clothes and share the stories around them in an effort to help people appreciate the clothes they have.
Artistic lead Liz Mytton said the idea came on the back of their Women’s Supper Club, a safe space for women who are marginalised due to poverty, homelessness, mental health, disability, domestic violence, refugee status or other personal circumstances.
She said: “It’s to encourage people to think about how they use their clothes. It’s all about stories around clothes and encouraging people to wear pre-loved clothes.
“We don’t have to wear new clothes.
“We’re a theatre company so we like to tell stories.
“These are my lucky pants, this is the shirt I wore when I met my boyfriend – it’s that kind of thing.
“All clothes have stories so it’s an opportunity to share those stories and swap clothes as well.”
The event will also feature games, bingo and a quiz as well as the opportunity to share the clothes and stories.
Liz added that it was important to have womenonly spaces to discuss issues, as she says there is a lot of pressure on women to look a particular way.
“I just think it’s really important that women sometimes have a space where they can be themselves, where their voices are not drowned out,” she said.
“Some of the women we work with, they feel quite vulnerable at times in shared spaces – particularly women who have suffered domestic violence. Emotionally it feels safe if it’s just all women.”
Liz hopes the event will encourage women to appreciate the important role the clothes they own have had in their lives.
She said: “We just want people to share; it might about body image, pressure to buy new clothes or outfits that have been passed down.
“It’s partly honouring the role that certain outfits have had. It’s helping people to appreciate the clothes they have so we can shed a bit of this disposable culture.”