Postcard project inspires creativity in local women for International Women’s Day

Dear Brockley is a local postcard project celebrating International Women’s Day 2021. Women of the South London neighbourhood of Brockley were invited to submit a postcard in response to the theme of WOMAN.

All submissions will be exhibited at the Lewisham Arthouse in the Spring of 2021, but 10 winners will be printed and distributed to 2000 households across Brockley for International Women’s Day on March 8, 2021.

Dear Brockley aims to examine what it means to be a woman today and to celebrate the diversity of perspectives, while showcasing the creative spirit of Brockley and doing what postcards do best – creating a sense of personal, human connection in a time when we feel more isolated than ever.

The idea was first launched as a magazine called fabric in 2018 by Brockley resident Maya Foley, a researcher at LEGO. This year fabric changed format from magazine to postcards in response to the pandemic. No matter its format, fabric is a not-for-profit platform for female creativity inviting women to share their stories, experiences and perspectives on womanhood via creative mediums such as photography, poetry, illustration and collage.

Maya added: “Women are under-represented in galleries and creative industries, so it is particularly important to offer them creative opportunities and support. Engaging women who don’t necessarily identify as artists and offering them the chance to be displayed in a magazine or gallery boosts their visibility, confidence and experience.”

fabric held a launch party in 2020 at the Lewisham Arthouse which was attended by over 100 locals. Brockley resident Lin Van Horsen submitted a collage to the magazine and said: “I had never made a collage before and didn’t know I was good at it! I want to keep creating and see where this goes!” While another Brockley resident Federica Romaniello submitted a short story to the magazine and read her work to the buzzing gallery – Federica said: “I’ve never read my writing out loud before, not even to my boyfriend… Reading my piece at the launch was a really big step for me.”

The magazine sold out online and in local Brockley businesses for two consecutive years. Proceeds were donated to local charities with common values such as the Marsha Phoenix Memorial Trust housing project for homeless women in Brockley, the DIY Space low-cost creative hub in Deptford, and the Feminist Library in Peckham.

If you want to celebrate female creativity, please share the Dear Brockley project, artwork and story with your audience. You can also invite Maya for interviews and panels to discuss International Women’s Day, women’s issues, creativity and socially-conscious arts initiatives. Or get in touch by email if you’d like to help fund fabric via a donation or by purchasing postcards or magazines.