jane
Well-Known Member
I don't know about the make-up of the Arts Council board, but I can say that despite the high proportion of female arts graduates, they are not well-represented in positions of academic influence, at least in my area.»»»gancom: solved said:
But actually, the reference to Ireland as a woman, since at least the early modern era, has been, at least in part, because land and nation were the objects of a male gaze. The idea of 'mother earth' producing its earthly fruits is an old one, but the idea of nations personified as female is part of a masculine notion of women needing to be protected. It is meant to instil a sense of patriotic duty. Landscapes are often personified as female because the ideal viewer is male, for the same reason that the subjects of paintings were often female (if they were male, it was to exalt them, if the subjects were female, it was to admire them). Connections between the female body and geography are common ones, though when the State is discussed as a political entity, and connected with a body, I think it is sometimes seen as male (but I have to do more on this before I can say any more about it).
If we think about why the Virgin Mary is held in high esteem, though, isn't it because of her purity?
Women in ancient Ireland certainly had more autonomy than they did in early modern Ireland, but it holds little sway over people's perceptions of women's contributions today. Actually, the English writers about Ireland often pointed to women as the primary corrupting forces in society.
Anyway, yeah, there are lots of women artists, and lots of women involved in creative stuff, and you're right about the idea of Ladyfest (or what it is in my eyes): it's just about celebrating these contributions and encouraging more of them. People can take with them what they want, whether it's about women making cool art and music, or just about people (who mostly happen to be women) making cool art and music.
It's not about citing anyone for discrimination, just about putting on a good festival. And making it fun.
That was me trying to be brief.
