Juana Francis Bone and Leisy Lorena Valdéz from the Mujeres de Asfalto Collective spent the final days of their UK visit at Northumbria University, after sharing experiences with Latin American and feminist communities in London and Manchester. The RECLAMA team organised two events during their visit: an open conversatorio and film screening followed by Q&A with academics, students, and participants from third sector organisations, and an interdisciplinary roundtable about oral histories and creative methods. Both events included simultaneous translation between English and Spanish.
Thursday, June 20: Conversatorio: Presentation of documentary and artwork with Q&A.
"¡NEGRA, SI! ¡Negra, soy!” On Thursday, June 20th, Juana and Lorena welcomed attendees with Victoria Santa Cruz's poem “Me gritaron Negra” ("They shouted at me 'Negra'"), which means Black woman in Spanish. The poem transforms the word from an insult into a rhythm, embodiment, and celebration of identity. Attendees were encouraged to shout “Negra” when prompted, filling the room with pride, and setting the tone for the discussion.
Katy Jenkins gave some background to the RECLAMA research project and reflected on its decolonial and feminist ethos. After that, a screening of one of the outputs of the project, the short film “Belleza” (Beauty, in Spanish), was followed by a discussion about the origins of the Mujeres de Asfalto collective. Questions by the audience revolved around Juana and Lorena’s involvement with the project, their outputs, and how to navigate a collaboration through the pandemic. They discussed the importance of the digital archive of oral histories, and an ongoing project to create resources for schools.
The conversation moved on towards exploring what decolonisation means in the context of university research. It concluded with reflections on the community-university relationship. Juana and Lorena emphasised that RECLAMA's success is rooted in care among its members, which extends beyond the project's scope.
Friday, June 21: Roundtable discussion on oral histories and creative methods.
“I don’t believe in coincidences,” Juana opened the roundtable discussion. Friday, June 21st was the summer solstice in the Northern hemisphere. On this day of renewal and new beginnings, attendees gathered in a sharing circle to discuss their personal and academic connections to oral histories and creative methods. Each participant brought a symbolic element—an object, story, or song—representing their use of these approaches in their research.
The interdisciplinary discussion revolved around the need to create a relationship of responsibility and accountability despite uneven institutional bureaucracies and unstable cultural contexts. Oral histories have several advantages. For example, they often reveal unexpected findings, such as the need to change the language around extraction in academia and beyond.
Feminist social activists, students, and early career researchers emphasized the importance of bridging institutions and people, using what Juana called "sustainable knowledge." Participants appreciated the opportunity that the roundtable provided to facilitate a space where they could be safe and comfortable sharing their experiences.
Do you want to know more about Lorena and Juana's work and activities in London and Manchester? Here is some further news, interviews and updates (Spanish only):
Ecuador News article, documenting our public activities in London: Recuperando y Celebrando la Herencia de las Mujeres Afroecuatorianas - Semanario Ecuador News
Interview with Juana on the Migrantes podcast: Reclama: voces ecuatorianas de cambio en Londres | T4:E34 - Migrantes | Podcast on Spotify
Interviews and press conference with Juana and Lorena on the Las travesuras de Moopet youtube Channel: MUJERES DE ASFALTO CON SABOR A CHOCOLATE (youtube.com)
Radio appearance of the RECLAMA team on ALLFM 96.9 Radio Show Somos Con Cecilia Ramos: Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7
As always, keep an eye on our Twitter page to stay up to date of our future events, including in the UK. For example, between September 10 and October 10, 2024, the RECLAMA exhibition will be on display at St George’s Hall, Visitor Centre during La Feria in Liverpool!