Friday 6th March, 6pm – 8pm

Join us on Friday 6th March at God’s House Tower (GHT) as we decide which community-focused, women-led project in Southampton will win a £2,000 bursary and an exhibition at GHT in March next year.

Hear directly from the brilliant people behind creative community projects in your local area. From painting, to singing, cooking and crafting, there are so many groups and gatherings in Southampton that deserve more funding and more support. This is an opportunity for you to find out more about what they do and why they do it. Plus, you can play your part in their future by voting for the project you’d like to see awarded the funding.

Each community leader will have 10 minutes to pitch their project at the event, then voting will officially begin on Saturday 7th March and close on Sunday 15th March.

The pitches will also be recorded and uploaded to the ‘a space’ arts YouTube Channel to give online audiences a chance to watch them and cast their votes.

About Pitch Your Project

Pitch Your Project offers a creative, community-focused initiative in the SO postcode £2000 to fund new activity. Projects are selected by the community, for the community, at a live event where applicants pitch their ideas to an audience who then vote for the projects they’d like to see awarded the funding.

To celebrate International Women’s Day, this round of the Pitch Your Project bursary scheme is specifically for women-led initiatives. The winner will receive £2,000 to initiate a new project, or contribute to the ongoing work of an existing one.

About the Shortlisted Projects

Women’s Soul Soup Collective led by Julia Hall

Whilst working in a local community centre, I have become acutely aware of the presence of women’s lived experiences, associated with feelings of disconnection, loneliness, isolation, and powerlessness.

The Women’s Soul Soup Collective would offer space for connection with self and others, through movement and dance workshops, with the aim to reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness, towards a sense of belonging. The workshops would be offered to women who use the services of the local food bank and pantry, but could also include women who use the support facilities within the community centre.

The project would culminate with an exhibition of photo images and/or performance related to the journey and process of the workshops.

How to Hear Yourself by Sara Borrington (@seramadbless + @how.to.hear.yourself)

Using deep listening, sound, rap, and reflective writing, participants explore their inner voice, build emotional connection, and develop confidence through accessible creative exercises. Piloted at MAST Mayflower Studios and due to be delivered at local community hubs as part of wellbeing days, the workshops are highly inclusive, require no prior experience or equipment, and provide a gentle, low-pressure environment for self-expression and personal growth.

Swimming Community Project led by Rachel Jones, Hampshire Open Water Swimmers and Itchen River Mental Health swim (@HMP_SHE)

This project centres on a women-led wild swimming community in Southampton, bringing together women of different ages who use cold-water swimming to support mental health, resilience and belonging. Participants include neurodivergent women and those navigating anxiety, low mood, ageing and life transitions. Through informal creative sessions, they will share stories, gestures and visual material inspired by water, breath and collective care.

These contributions will shape an immersive projection artwork at God’s House Tower, transforming the space with layered light and movement. The bursary will fund participant sessions, access, software, equipment, artist time and installation, creating a contemplative environment celebrating solidarity, shared strength and women’s lived experience.

(extra)ordinary archives led by @luciesmithart & @they_call_me_gre

A community arts project amplifying the voices of ordinary womxn — a term that includes cisgender women, trans women, nonbinary people, and all who identify with womanhood — by connecting lived experiences with historical archives and contemporary creative practice.

The project centres those whose stories are underrepresented in formal archives, including working-class womxn, womxn of the global majority, migrants, carers and elders. Through artist-led workshops in creative writing, sound recording, storytelling and assemblage, participants become archivists of their own lives, culminating in a publicly accessible, multi-sensory exhibition and creative archive.

Hands Create led by Vicky Barber-Crimes (@vb_deaf_artist)

Hands Create is a six‑month, Deaf‑led visual arts project bringing Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Hearing women together through mindful, playful and creative workshops. Delivered in British Sign Language (BSL) with English interpretation, the project uses visual art to build understanding, confidence and connection across communication barriers. Each monthly session explores themes such as identity, emotion, culture and connection through a range of mediums including fluid art, mixed media, collage, clay, botanical and mini‑installations.

With no BSL‑accessible art courses currently available in Southampton, Hands Create offers vital creative wellbeing space, increases visibility for Deaf artists and strengthens community through shared, accessible creative expression.

Plait School led by Catherine Tarrant supported by Amy Scott-Pillow, Jo Fisher and Nicky Anderson (@plaitschool)

In the 1800s gangs of girls roamed the streets plaiting straw, making more money than their entire In the 1800s gangs of girls roamed the streets plaiting straw, making more money than their entire household. This endangered social order and was negatively judged by many. Plait Schools were where young girls would learn the trade for the hat industry. Today, Straw Plaiting is a Critically Endangered Heritage Craft.

There will be:
– Plaiting workshops and creative sessions as a safe space for women.
– A Podcast with local creative women, teaching them to plait, discussing their work and interesting notes on the history of plaiting.
– A showcase displaying the community work and a recreation of a 1800s Plait School.

International Women’s Day Events

We’re hosting a series of free exhibitions and events to celebrate International Women’s Day this year. Click here to book tickets

Memories of Fear: the Artwork of Gerda Cohen
Pop-Up Exhibition in the Crawford Room
Thursday 5th March – Sunday 8th March
Celebration Event: Friday 6th March, 2pm (Ticket required for Celebration Event – limited capacity).

Pitch Your Project: International Women’s Day
Friday 6th March, 6pm

Artist-Led Tour – Embodied Knowledge: Traces of Our Making with Ren Wooldridge
Sunday 8th March, 2pm