People use art for all sorts of reasons, to express how you feel, to speak your mind and to even feel more included. SafeSpace London used just that to give a voice to a community who doesn’t get enough chances to speak, Sex workers.
SafeSpace, in association with Fanshawe College, Western University and Anova put together this art exhibit from asking the question “how does technology make you feel.” Dr. AnnaLise Trudell manager of education, training and research and she discussed the fact of where the art is located, on the second floor of the London public library for all to see. Dr. Trudell had this to say about what it means for this art to be so public.
“So the voices of sex workers are often not heard, it’s not safe to be heard but it’s also their not included. So to have this art in the downtown public library on full display there’s nothing for debate this is just their existence is here its righteous its good and hear what their saying about tech.”
This art exhibit is the begging of an even bigger project called “we clic” which stands for women’s empowerment through collaborative learning in community. This project is interested in what helps make people feel more included specifically sex workers and women who experience barriers in participation. This present study is asking in many different ways how people feel about the barriers to feeling included and a part of community specifically in digital tech.
