Helena Walsh is a member of the direct action prochoice performance collective Speaking of I.M.E.L.D.A but she is also a successful performance artist in her own right.
She filmed an exclusive short film for the opening of the Festival at the Peckham Pelican yesterday. Watch her stunning video on Ireland’s abortion laws here:
A member of Speaking of I.M.E.L.D.A explains in her own words what motivated her to join the direct-action prochoice performance collective:
What spurred me to join Speaking of I.M.E.L.D.A came from the shock of hearing a close friend’s story. Like me, my friend was born in the UK to an Irish family. We are both in our 20s, living life and enjoying ourselves. However now lives in Ireland whereas I have spent my life here.
After falling pregnant by accident whilst using contraception, my friend wanted to travel to the UK to have an abortion. However, she could not get the time off of work. This led her to buying tablets from the internet to terminate the pregnancy herself. Thankfully she did not fall ill but she did keep this ordeal a secret from her family and friends, telling us only months later. I can only imagine how scared she must have been during this process. The risk she took was high, living in a rural community miles away from a hospital. It could have ended badly.
Hearing her story made me realise that she had been forced to make a decision alone that I would never have to make. Why should my reproductive rights be any different to a woman in another country? Every woman should be able to make such a life changing decision for herself.
Ann Rossiter, writer and prochoice activist, at a recent My Belly is Mine protest
12.oo pm – Amnesty International UK – 17-25 New Inn Yard, EC2A 3EA London
Join us for a film screening, performance and Q&A celebrating Irish and Spanish prochoice activism in London in the 80s and at present. We will be screening three short movies focusing on the issue of abortion and prochoice activism in Spain and Ireland. This will be followed by a short performance by direct action feminist performance group challenging the ongoing problem of I.M.E.L.D.A. – Ireland Making England the Legal Destination for Abortion. We will end the event with a conversation with Irish and Spanish activists and Mara Clarke, founder of Abortion Support Network.
12:00 – 12:05: Introduction by Cristina, from My Belly is Mine
12:05 – 13:15: Film Screening
“The Christening” directed by Oonagh Kearney
“Repeating Histories” – A short film on Irish and Spanish prochoice activism in London in the 80s and at present
“The Freedom Train” (English subtitles) – A film on the prochoice demo in Spain in February, 2014. Introduced by CIMA, Association of Women in Film and Audiovisual Media (via Skype)
13:15 – 13:35: IMELDA performance
13:35 – 14:00: Q&A (chaired by Cristina)
Film director and prochoice activist Oonagh Kearney, current member of Speaking of Imelda
Isabel Ros, activist and poet, former member of the Spanish Women’s Abortion Support Group
Mara Clarke from Abortion Support Network
2.00pm – Southbank, London
Join us on Sunday 28th September to speak out for safe and legal abortion!
Bring something to make noise (whistles, tambourines, maracas, castanets… banging pots and pats is also welcomed!)
#choicefest #Sept28
On September 28, WGNRR calls on her members and allies from all over the world to end the stigma against abortion and demand for women’s right to control their bodies without putting their lives, health and freedom at risk. Along with their global and regional partners they call for a unified effort to demand our governments for Access to Safe and Legal Abortion as a Human Right by observing September 28 Global Day of Action.
Originally being a Day of Action for Decriminalization of Abortion in Latin America and the Caribbean, September 28 was taken global by WGNRR after a 2010 consultation meeting with LAC partners.
Festival of Choice 