Another cancellation - ceramicist Claudia Clare

[christinarossetti19]

From Claudia's Twitter account -

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.

I emailed Ceramic Art London. Got a response, clearly boilerplate, within five minutes.
Lots of waffle about it having been cancelled, nothing on WHY (I specifically asked what sort of 'disruption' was anticipated).

They have, apparently, offered instead 'an alternative platform in the form of an article in our bi-monthly magazine Ceramic Review which reaches 6,500 subscribers.'

I've emailed again, reiterating that I was asking about what sort of disruption was anticipated ie from what sort of groups/individuals with what sort of issues.
Nothing yet. No boilerplate email available for that, obviously...

Me too, IntermittentParps. Received same text from Craft Potters Association.

Have also written to ask what sort of disruption was threatened, and why a major event had taken the decision to cancel an artist rather than use art as a medium for thought, reflection and discussion as has always been one of its historic functions.

It's definitely just Claudia who has had her exhibition and talk pulled. 91 other ceramicists/potters all going ahead as planned.

Yes, it's the SWERF stuff. Even if you believe that sex work is work and that the women running the HOPE campaign who were prostituted as teenagers on the whole are WRONG to want their historic convictions removed, it's a particularly distasteful capitulating to bullying by the CPA (running the gig) and St Martin's (hosting).

An article in a journal reaching 6,500 subscribers isn't quite the same as a place at a major industry-specific exhibition in the middle of London, is it?

@GeidiPrimes

I just bought a mug from Claudia's website to show my support

It was Goose mugs all round for Xmas presents here!

They are so beautiful. I love drinking from mine.

@christinarossetti19

Me too, IntermittentParps. Received same text from Craft Potters Association.

Have also written to ask what sort of disruption was threatened, and why a major event had taken the decision to cancel an artist rather than use art as a medium for thought, reflection and discussion as has always been one of its historic functions.

It's definitely just Claudia who has had her exhibition and talk pulled. 91 other ceramicists/potters all going ahead as planned.

Yes, it's the SWERF stuff. Even if you believe that sex work is work and that the women running the HOPE campaign who were prostituted as teenagers on the whole are WRONG to want their historic convictions removed, it's a particularly distasteful capitulating to bullying by the CPA (running the gig) and St Martin's (hosting).

An article in a journal reaching 6,500 subscribers isn't quite the same as a place at a major industry-specific exhibition in the middle of London, is it?

How interesting...! No, I thought that about the journal article too

Scuse my ignorance, but does the SWERF stuff intersect with trans activism then?

Had a response:

'I am afraid we cannot give any further details at this time.'

Funny that.

IntermittentParps well, SWERFS and TERFS do get lumped together, although I think SWERF is a misleading term and it's unfortunate that it wasn't challenged when it was first used.

Feminists aren't 'sex worker exclusionary radical feminists' - they don't want to exclude sex workers/prostituted women from their feminism. What they do want to do is keep the focus on the function of prostitution in a patriarchal society and ensure that it's punters and pimps that are criminalised, not the women involved.

Lots of feminists of the sex class based kind do oppose prostitution and seek to shed light on the harms that it causes women. Although there are feminists of the sex class based kind who take more of a 'sex work is work' line.

@christinarossetti19

IntermittentParps well, SWERFS and TERFS do get lumped together, although I think SWERF is a misleading term and it's unfortunate that it wasn't challenged when it was first used.

Feminists aren't 'sex worker exclusionary radical feminists' - they don't want to exclude sex workers/prostituted women from their feminism. What they do want to do is keep the focus on the function of prostitution in a patriarchal society and ensure that it's punters and pimps that are criminalised, not the women involved.

Lots of feminists of the sex class based kind do oppose prostitution and seek to shed light on the harms that it causes women. Although there are feminists of the sex class based kind who take more of a 'sex work is work' line.

Thank you. What I really don't get is where (some) trans activists stand on sex workers/prostituted women. I assume it's opposed to this feminist view, if it's causing friction?

I think many of them simply oppose anything that might impact their access to women's bodies ie use of sex workers either directly or via porn.

Anyone who tries to rein in their rampant sexual entitlement comes in for abuse.

Try expressing concern about choking or anal sex - the usual crowd of enthusiasts will instantly appear to scold women for being vanilla/prudes/controlling what consenting people can do with their bodies etc etc

@FannyCann

I think many of them simply oppose anything that might impact their access to women's bodies ie use of sex workers either directly or via porn.

Anyone who tries to rein in their rampant sexual entitlement comes in for abuse.

Try expressing concern about choking or anal sex - the usual crowd of enthusiasts will instantly appear to scold women for being vanilla/prudes/controlling what consenting people can do with their bodies etc etc

God, really? this is a whole aspect of the trans thing that I am ignorant of. I'm finding it all confusing and overwhelming and still trying to get my head around pronouns/who should use which loos etc, let alone all this. Thanks for the insight.

I think the official line is 'sex work is work'. 'Prostituted women' takes agency away from the teenagers who are pimped.

FannyCann nails it - it's a men's rights movement dressed up with rainbows.

Well I wouldn't profess to have any special knowledge @christinarossetti19 @IntermittentParps
but now that the Trans umbrella covers about 100 identities including kink it seems that anyone who opposes some of those practices also falls under the transphobic umbrella. And as Christina says, it's a men's rights movement.
Mostly men's rights to women's bodies.

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…)

That letter from Amnesty is an absolute shocker. Maybe it’s a signal from someone trapped on the inside - they’re standing over the letter because they can’t stand behind it. Patent absurdity about biologically sexed bodies not existing surely designed to highlight everything said on matter is nonsense. Unless of course over at Amnesty they are in fact disembodied souls floating about the place, being lied to that the whole world vanished in the apocalypse/all humans “achieved the next step” together?! SOMEONE PLEASE CHECK THEIR OFFICES!!! Oop, no, I think we’re probably good: there’s an impressive DARVO loop over disenfranchisement; & the standard wail about taking away trans people’s rights comes with a bonus basically you’re totally violating their human rights [but we’re not going to get into specifics] JUST BE KIND DAMN YOU.

How can Amnesty possibly expect anyone to take them seriously when this is the absolute bilge they produce? I suppose one way to stop staff from burning out in places like the UK, US & Ireland is the change of policy from never campaigning on issues in your own country & letting them focus on this

That's probably wishful thinking NitroNine. They would say if that was the case.

Apparently, there was an internal vote by the CPA committee of bearded men who made the decision to cancel Claudia's exhibition.

The offer of a piece in Ceramic Review is insulting. She's written for that publication for decades. They're not offering to pay her, so it would be free copy for them. Totally exploitative.

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 were some "TRAs" filmed attacking a women's protest against sex trafficking in Spain (the women were sitting on the ground with signs and the persons involved came up, snatched the signs and ripped them while dancing around and pushed the phone/face of a woman filming what was happening.) There were also some attacks on feminists protesting against prostitution in Spain.
I put "TRA" in quotes and am saying "persons in dresses" because there is no way of knowing whether these unidentified persons were people who genuinely believed themselves to be born in the wrong body, or just regular punters/thugs hired by pimps who knew putting a dress on would give them a free pass. Either way, people have figured out the life hack that lets you attack/harass peaceful women protesters and get away with it.

Some more fun facts about Spain: the police were clearly visible nearby watching but did nothing; the people in dresses had their faces clearly visible yet it was impossible to identify them; the video keeps being removed from Youtube (but Karen Davies shows it in one of her blogs)

Sorry:
There were also some attacks on feminists protesting against prostitution in Spain. should read "There were also some attacks on feminists protesting against prostitution in France"

I am sure men attacking feminists who protest prostitution isn't new, but what is new is the use of clothing/identity to force people to change the language they use to describe it, and to flip the narrative on who is actually being oppressed in those instances.

Oh for the love of God. This Stalinist habit of silencing dissenters is never a good look.

@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.

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.

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?

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.

@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

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?

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.

@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.