Celebration of the feminine form

Women will be encouraged to celebrate their bodies at the Sacred Forms: Beautiful Bodies workshop as part of the 2007 International Women's Conference (26 – 29 September 2007).
 
Conducted by local artist Victoria Royds, the hands-on workshop is designed to allow participants to recognise, respect, love, honour and celebrate her own body.
 
A Research Fellow with the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) Public Memory Research Centre, Victoria said the workshops are part of her broader interest in celebrating the feminine form.
 
'We live in a culture which is more and more obsessed about how we look. We are bombarded with unrealistic images of women, such as 14 year old girls posing as 20 or 30 year olds and even then probably airbrushed. We are not meant to grow old.

'This workshop is an empowering opportunity for women to re-examine their notions of body image and identity, and as a result recognise her individuality and personal beauty.'
 
Held on the Wednesday afternoon of the conference, the workshop will involve creating a safe environment before making a plaster cast or each woman's torso in pairs.
 
'They will take their clothes off as the casts are of their torso, breasts and belly.
 
'Women can feel a bit uncomfortable about that but we aim to create a positive environment beforehand. A lot of it is about making sure they feel safe. 
 
'We will do movement and body awareness activities like talking about body issues and perceptions. We then get into pairs and make the cast using plaster bandage.
 
'It will involve making a thin shell which participants can then take home and decorate and really celebrate their shape.'
 
Participants are advised to dress to get messy.
 
Other workshops and tours will be run during the Wednesday afternoon, with conference delegates given a choice of activities.
 
Tour options include: Cobb & Co Museum, Local Winery Tour, Jondaryan Woolshed, Panoramic and Historic Toowoomba, Art & Antiques, Arts & Crafts, Toowoomba's Garden's, Granite Belt and Queensland College of Wine Tourism Stanthorpe or free time.
 
For more information on the workshop, tours and the International Women's Conference, visit the website or call (07) 4631 5476.
 
Media Contact: Jane Urquhart USQ Media +61 7 4631 2559