Kinetika: Southend-on-Sea

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.

Southend-on-Sea:

This banner features the following inspirational women:

Rosina Sky (1858-1928) was a single mother of three and an active Suffragette, who led the charge for votes for women in Southend. Running her own tobacconist shop, a woman in a man’s world, Rosina had all the responsibilities with none of the rights accorded to men in the same position. In 1911, she defied authority by refusing to adhere to the census, writing across the form, ‘No votes for women. No information from women’.

Lucy is an international sailing champion. She has won a number of gold medals in international sailing competitions and has proved that nothing is impossible, as Lucy is registered blind. She has been an inspirational sporting figure for many years winning the Rochford District Sports Personality of the Year in 2010. Lucy won two silver and two bronze medals, then going on to achieve her dream of a gold medal. In 2013 she was awarded an MBE in recognition of her achievements both on and off the water.

Maise Riley is a 16-year-old student at Chase High Academy, where she has been a prefect and head girl, sitting on the school’s student council for many years. She also organises and runs many fundraising events in sports, arts, debating and drama. Maise is an active member of the youth council and is currently the elected Youth Mayor for Southend and the LGBT Chair for Southend.

“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.