Drawing a Line Against Gender-Based Violence

Our project draws a line against gender-based violence through collaborative craftivism, and performative action. Inspired by Roman Krznaric, Jeanne-Claude and Christo, weaving and craftivism in general, we sought to respond to the theme of social justice through the lens of gender equity. Began as a broader intersectional project, we narrowed our focus to the safety of women whilst travelling across London. We chose to response to an incident that occurred on the 23rd of February 2020 where a man sexually assaulted a 20 year old woman at 8 am on the Piccadilly line. A body of research proved the issue of gender-based violence is still at large in the setting of public travel and beyond. Research also showed that education proved to be a powerful tool of change. With this in mind, we created a two pronged approach: the first, a series of educational workshops, and the second, a public activist performance to carry out the week of International Women’s Day, to ‘draw a line’ publicly against the issue of gender-based violence.

Through a short series of collaborative workshops where we engaged RCA students to learn weaving with us, we wove over 100m of red rope using a collection of found and dyed materials. These workshops created spaces of dialogue around the subject of gender equity and gender-based violence, discussions that emerged naturally through engagement with weaving with us. We then took these masses of bodily, feminist ropes to several tube stations in early March, documenting a range of public, silent performances.

Outcomes:

• The workshop provided a safe, open space to engage in discussions about gender-based inequality, violence, and the power of collective action.
• Weaving and knotting fabric pieces became a meditative, hands-on activity that symbolized the act of resistance and resilience.
• The workshop was not just about crafting – it was about transforming dialogue into tangible action, ensuring that participants left feeling empowered and supported.
• Art as a medium proved to be a powerful, accessible, and evocative tool for activism.
• Made over 100m of rope to use to ‘draw a line’ against GBV; and were able to almost cover a tube platform which is 130m.
• The installation of intertwined red fabric lines in public spaces (train stations, subway cars, benches) created a striking visual representation of boundaries, resilience and protest against gender-based violence.
• The act of physically “drawing a line” symbolized collective resistance against oppressive systems and behaviors.
• The performance sparked curiosity, conversations and reflection, turning passive bystanders into active participants who voiced support, took photos, followed us on Instagram.
• Solemn, silent performances reflected the hidden nature of gender-based violence, making it impossible to ignore.