To M•Others is a guest researcher in Molenwijk

Photo ©: Sun Chang

To M•Others is a guest researcher in Molenwijk

to M•Others is a creative publication and art education project centred on the ideology of parenting, especially on M(Other)ing. Using a participatory approach, the publications are made in collaboration with *M•Others** from diverse backgrounds, to share their domestic stories with the public. It also designs pedagogical tools to explore artistic ways of engaging with children and young people.

Text by to M•Others

to M•Others was initiated in Amsterdam-Bijlmer in 2020 and has since expanded to the sister neighbourhood Molenwijk in Amsterdam-Noord.

On International Women’s Day, we collaborated with Buurtzus for a two-week workshop. Inspired by the poster previously made with mothers from Bijlmer, we worked with the slogan “I am more because we are more” to explore women/girl power and group dynamics. We shared women role models and identified the powers with self and/or others in the group.

Photo ©: Sun Chang

We also made spirit masks to express personhood, referencing the idea of chimera, a hybrid creature of lion, goat, and dragon in Greek mythology. This reflected on how women are perceived as both symbols of domesticity and potential threats. We re-imagined, re-explored and re-embraced the self in multiple identities and powers with the sisters from Molenwijk.

Finally, we collectively wore a Sister-Hood to celebrate all the women/girl powers identified during the workshops. It is a three-metre-long cloth with an illustration of an ant-shaped anthill. It represents the spirit of motherhood in the Bijlmer and now in its new context, it crosses Amsterdam diagonally into Molenwijk as sisterhood.

The Sister-Hood workshops are organised as part of talent support given to Sun Chang (initiator of to M•Others) by Mondriaan Fonds for an artistic research series and experiments of queer pedagogy that stem from ideas of M(Other)ing.

*mothers, parents and care-workers regardless of gender and social roles

Do you have a non-nuclear family, and would you like to share your parenting stories to inspire others? Please contact: hi@tomothers.nl or 0644680811 (Sun Chang, initiator of to M•Others).