Kinetika: Thurrock

Building on 2017’s Silk River legacy, which connected communities along the lower Thames Estuary, Kinetika, led by lead artist Ali Pretty, continued to work with Silk River artists from five communities – Barking & Dagenham, Dartford, Purfleet, Gravesham and Southend – to create five silk batik banners, one for each community. The artists drew up a longlist of inspirational local women, past, present and future, either working in their communities or in the public eye across a range of professions. The public were invited to vote on social media to select the women who would be represented on the final banners.

The inspirational women who appear on the five banners encompass a huge range of experiences, occupations, backgrounds and talents, ranging from a nineteenth century physical-education-for-women champion to a 16-year-old Youth Mayor.

Kinetika is a women-led company specialising in high quality community projects. Through a variety of workshops and programmes Kinetika aims to nurture new artistic talent and engage communities, raising aspirations and building a sense of place.

Thurrock:

For this banner, the following inspirational women were selected for their connection to Thurrock:

Kate Luard was born in Aveley in 1872. She trained as a nurse and served in South Africa during the Boer War and in the First World War. She was awarded a Royal Red Cross and Bar for exceptional service in military nursing.

Fatima Whitbread overcame the difficulties of a turbulent childhood to become a renowned javelin thrower. She was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1987.

“It was an empowering process, to bring so many local women artists together, and collectively discover the powerful line of Estuary women we come from, and simultaneously to look towards the younger generation who are making the most of the opportunities living and working along The Thames Creative Corridor offers to them.”
Kinetika’s Creative Director, Ali Pretty.

Kinetika is a women-led company specialising in high quality community projects. Through a variety of workshops and programmes Kinetika aims to nurture new artistic talent and engage communities, raising aspirations and building a sense of place.