Another cancellation - ceramicist Claudia Clare

christinarossetti19 · 2022-02-09T20:48:51+00:00

From Claudia's Twitter account - [[https://twitter.com/ClaudiaCeramics/status/1491440135665512450]] Claudia has been a ceramicist for decades. Her Women@theWell work amplifies the voices of prostituted women. She was due to exhibit and speak at Ceramic Art London in April. She has been cancelled by the organisers Craft Potters Association due to threats of 'disruption'. Fucking outrageous.

thinkingaboutLangCleg · 10/03/2022 18:28

My beautiful goose mug has just arrived, and with it the interesting story of why Claudia depicts geese on her pottery. It's a tale of strength, courage and solidarity, and turns an insult into an inspiration.

Therefore I nominate geese as a symbol of Mumsnet's feminism board!

SharonEllis · 25/02/2022 16:08

@thinkingaboutLangCleg

It's winging its way to me now, Sharon ;)

Meanwhile I've been thinking. Up till now, I'd only noticed threats of violence and disruption of events as tactics by transactivists. But there's no explicit transgender link with Claudia's work. Is it just that pornography and prostitution and transgenderism all come under the Queer Theory umbrella? So TRAs are branching out to attack women in other areas, in a kind of all-MRA solidarity?

Claudia is openly gender critical (take a look at her website as well as socials - she is on twitter & insta) & it appears that these beliefs are why she has been banned even though the subject of the talk on this occasion was about this particular group of prostituted women. But, yes, it takes the cancellation to another phase if they won't listen to a woman talk about any subject ecause they object to what she might have said about any other subject.

thinkingaboutLangCleg · 25/02/2022 15:41

It's winging its way to me now, Sharon ;)

Meanwhile I've been thinking. Up till now, I'd only noticed threats of violence and disruption of events as tactics by transactivists. But there's no explicit transgender link with Claudia's work. Is it just that pornography and prostitution and transgenderism all come under the Queer Theory umbrella? So TRAs are branching out to attack women in other areas, in a kind of all-MRA solidarity?

SharonEllis · 21/02/2022 20:41

Excellent! I hope you enjoy it.

thinkingaboutLangCleg · 21/02/2022 19:59

You can support her by buying one of her goose mugs on the website (under shop) They are lovely bone china mugs, I use mine every day.

Thanks Sharon. I’ve just bought one.

IntermittentParps · 21/02/2022 09:35

SharonEllis, thank you. Yes, I'm interested in what the CPA have to say.

SharonEllis · 21/02/2022 09:29

@IntermittentParps

I am taking this with a pinch of salt because a) I don't know who the blogger is/what their credentials are (am very willing to be told) and b) it's isn't a statement direct from CSM. But this is on CC's Twitter: marshallcolman.blog/2022/02/19/claudia-clare-2 Apparently the cancellation of her lecture is about breaching their equal opps policy. The piece doesn't give the details, but one has to assume it's specifically about equal opps as applied to trans people. What worries me is that, as she says, it seems to be simply her presence that would be the problem; she was never billed to talk about trans issues at all.

Marshall is a potter who has got this direct from a contact at Central St Martins. Claudia says on her social media that she thinks its legit as she has spoken to Marshall but is waiting for the CPA to give a proper response.

IntermittentParps · 21/02/2022 08:56

I am taking this with a pinch of salt because a) I don't know who the blogger is/what their credentials are (am very willing to be told) and b) it's isn't a statement direct from CSM.
But this is on CC's Twitter: marshallcolman.blog/2022/02/19/claudia-clare-2
Apparently the cancellation of her lecture is about breaching their equal opps policy. The piece doesn't give the details, but one has to assume it's specifically about equal opps as applied to trans people.
What worries me is that, as she says, it seems to be simply her presence that would be the problem; she was never billed to talk about trans issues at all.

HomeHomeInTheRange · 16/02/2022 17:01

People can support the petition - shame it is a bit clumsily written - as far as I can see it doesn't give the details of the event and what has been cancelled - Dates, name of event etc.

I wish I could afford a Goose Mug.

ScreamingMeMe · 16/02/2022 11:37

The trans community is much more open to sex workers than so called GC feminists

What does that even mean?

"So-called GC feminists" include many women who do work to help sex workers. We don't just chant "Sex work is work" and think that's job done.

IntermittentParps · 16/02/2022 11:29

I'll try emailing Ceramic Review.

SharonEllis · 16/02/2022 10:11

@christinarossetti19

There is also an online petition - find it by googling Claudia Clare's name.

Just came on to say the same thing!!

Original poster

christinarossetti19 · 16/02/2022 09:47

There is also an online petition - find it by googling Claudia Clare's name.

OP posts:

SharonEllis · 16/02/2022 09:31

@IntermittentParps

Yes, but when I emailed them to politely ask why the event was cancelled I got the very terse response I posted above.

They have two boilerplate responses at the moment. But keep the emails coming as it puts pressure on and gives them a sense of the range of people objecting. You can also send your objections to Ceramic Review which is partner for the event. [email protected]

IntermittentParps · 16/02/2022 08:57

Yes, but when I emailed them to politely ask why the event was cancelled I got the very terse response I posted above.

Original poster

christinarossetti19 · 15/02/2022 20:27

Contacting the CPA is very easy through their webpage -

www.craftpotters.com/contact-us/

OP posts:

SharonEllis · 15/02/2022 20:24

👍

IntermittentParps · 15/02/2022 20:14

@SharonEllis

We are trying persuade the CPA with internal pressure within the ceramics community. Please email them directly. If you have ever been to CAL or buy pots that would help. A big public pile on at this stage may only convince they were right to avoid controversy in the first place. At the moment we are trying g to find out exactly what the threat is. And do donate to the HOPE project.

Will do.

SharonEllis · 15/02/2022 18:00

We are trying persuade the CPA with internal pressure within the ceramics community. Please email them directly. If you have ever been to CAL or buy pots that would help. A big public pile on at this stage may only convince they were right to avoid controversy in the first place. At the moment we are trying g to find out exactly what the threat is. And do donate to the HOPE project.

IntermittentParps · 15/02/2022 17:43

@SharonEllis

I know Claudia and she has been given no information about why the talk and associated display has been cancelled. Its definitely nothing to do with covid as nobody else has been excluded and there is still going to be a programme of talks as part of the event. The CPA (who run Ceramic Art London) are refusing to give further information to her or to anyone else who writes to them. She is a well-known, longstanding feminist activist, a lesbian and a gender critical feminist and she would be considered a 'swerf' by sex work is work type activists so there are multiple reasons why she gets attacked. However, the key thing with this occasion is that the only reason that CAL is giving‘the event to be disrupted, leading to possible delay or even closure.’ They haven't said who is likely to disrupt and why, if they have received a credible threat they haven't handed it over to the police or security at the venue, rather than cancelling Claudia. THe project gives voice to very vulnerable women in the sex trade and there is more info here claudiaclare.co.uk/and-the-door-opened/ You can support her by buying one of her goose mugs on the website (under shop) They are lovely bone china mugs, I use mine every day.

Interesting. I love those mugs. I'd like to support her more publically though, by calling out the CPA on what seems to be at best evasive behaviour. Any ideas anyone?

SharonEllis · 15/02/2022 16:44

@IntermittentParps

Is it possible at all that they can’t give proper details because the police are investigating the threats? You’re not meant to talk about ongoing investigations, are you? (These are my straws, clutching them thus keeps them handy when I need to stick them in my hair…)

I thought that. Don't know though. I'll keep an eye on CC's Twitter.

There is no evidence that they have handed this over to the police - as they should have done if there was a credible threat. Enough people, including Claudia have contacted them and if this was the case they would have said that it was in the hands of the police and the police had advised that they cancel the event. In that case you would expect them to have been in contact with Claudia to ensure her safety in the face of threats.

SharonEllis · 15/02/2022 16:42

I know Claudia and she has been given no information about why the talk and associated display has been cancelled. Its definitely nothing to do with covid as nobody else has been excluded and there is still going to be a programme of talks as part of the event. The CPA (who run Ceramic Art London) are refusing to give further information to her or to anyone else who writes to them. She is a well-known, longstanding feminist activist, a lesbian and a gender critical feminist and she would be considered a 'swerf' by sex work is work type activists so there are multiple reasons why she gets attacked. However, the key thing with this occasion is that the only reason that CAL is giving‘the event to be disrupted, leading to possible delay or even closure.’ They haven't said who is likely to disrupt and why, if they have received a credible threat they haven't handed it over to the police or security at the venue, rather than cancelling Claudia. THe project gives voice to very vulnerable women in the sex trade and there is more info here claudiaclare.co.uk/and-the-door-opened/ You can support her by buying one of her goose mugs on the website (under shop) They are lovely bone china mugs, I use mine every day.

NitroNine · 15/02/2022 10:37

Disgusted of Manchester, Virginia (or indeed any of the 32 American Manchesters)?

Because while trans people all around the globe will experience family breakdown, in the UK it is illegal to fire someone because they transition; & illegal to decline to select an applicant, let alone to actually refuse to offer them the job should they be the most suitable, on the grounds they are transgender. Companies of all kinds are advocating the sharing of pronouns (whether in email signatures or on name badges) for the benefit of their staff members who are trans & providing “diversity training” focusing solely on transgender rights. JSA is certainly not generous, but why would trans women, particularly, do sex work to supplement it?

Original poster

christinarossetti19 · 14/02/2022 16:58

I'm not sure that many trans people are open to being prostituted tbh, given that that's the context in pretty much all murders of that community happen.

Not sure if TRAs are involved but it the threats of disruption would seem to be very in keeping with MRAs who want women to STFU, get out of the public domain and stop objecting to being exploited and raped.

OP posts:

DisgustedofManchester · 14/02/2022 16:11

@VelvetChairGirl

A few TRAs/MRAs probably heard that she does art about womens suffering and was due an exhibition so they kicked off, it doesnt seem to take many to frighten organizations into cancelling women.

look at that woman who campaigns against FGM even she got targeted.

What TRAs? Where? The trans community is much more open to sex workers than so called GC feminists. This place is just getting oeverwhelmed with fantasists who smear if it helps their ideology. The history of many trans women involves sex work as they are often denied regular work and cut off from family.