On our radar: The Body Narratives

On our radar is back – for a very special occasion. As part of Cultural Identity month, we just couldn’t wait to tell you about a project that’s been grabbing our attention for a while now.  Why do we love it? It’s about women’s identities, self-perception and stories (all of our favourite things).

The Body Narratives is, to put it simply, a reclamation. Women of Colour have their bodies and appearances judged and defined by others, and the Body Narratives wants to give a voice to those women, allowing them to articulate their experiences and their selves in their own words: ‘By confronting these crucial questions about the systems or structures that shape our relationship to our bodies, we seek to uncover how our bodies belong to ourselves.’

The Body Narratives welcome contributions through pictures, video, art and words – short stories, articles, essays and notes. To get involved, send them an email at info@thebodynarratives.com.

And that’s not all… on the weekend of 26th and 27th April, The Body Narratives are staging an exhibition, 'A Different Mirror' in Brixton, where Women of Colour artists will explore the conflicts between how they see themselves and how others see them.

A still from Ng'endo Mukii's short 'Yellow Fever', featured in 'A Different Mirror'

There’s a public exhibition of artworks, a seminar, and an afternoon of yoga and meditation to choose from. Check out the website to reserve your place… we’ll see you in the downward dog.

In honour of 'A Different Mirror' and our own mirror question, we dropped The Body Narratives’ founder, Hana, a line to ask her what she sees:

I've spent most of my life hiding from mirrors, hiding from the girl staring back at me - a girl I hated, felt uncomfortable being, a body I didn't know how to own. I finally see a journey in process, a woman who knows joy, love, and transformation, who is learning how to celebrate the person she is, the body she lives in. I still have those days where the mirror is a battleground for anxiety and fear, but each day I grow further into my purpose I come closer to being at ease at the woman I am and the woman I am slowly becoming. I am grateful.

Thank you so much to Hana for such an honest, moving response. To share your story with us today, click here – because projects like The Body Narratives and What I See can really make a difference.

Stay in touch… follow The Body Narratives on Twitter: @body_narratives