Our ‘Reclaiming the F-Word’ conference will be held in Manchester on Saturday 1 March and will be a great opportunity to learn and network. Running from 10am-4pm, the conference is being held at St Peter’s House, M13 9GH. Refreshments will be provided but we will not be providing lunch (although there are shops nearby should you wish to purchase food on the day). We’re asking attendees to consider donating £5 on the day to cover costs. Click here to register and learn more about speakers and contributors!

Workshops

Of Christian & Muslim Men

Do Christian & Muslim men experience masculinity differently in Britain? What is the role of men in ending domestic violence against women? What happens when Christian & Muslim men are vulnerable with each other & start working together to end domestic violence?

Hosted by The Dwell Project

Cultural Images and Female Self Worth

As Christians, we believe that each person is made in the image of God.  But theology and culture have assigned a mainly passive role to women, and there has been a history of fear around female sexuality.  We are currently experiencing a new level of awareness concerning sexual abuse in our society.  In this session, we will explore how art can be used to empower or oppress women.

Hosted by Caroline Mackenzie (artist theologian)

Men and the Feminist Struggle

This workshop will ask three questions:

1. Why are men rarely feminists?

2. What is the state of masculinity today?

3. What kind of masculinity helps men rise to the feminist struggle?

Hosted by David Benjamin Blower

Trans, Christian, Feminist: Is it possible?

An exploration of trans* issues and how they intersect with feminism and Christianity, led by a transgender, feminist Christian.

Hosted by Alex Young

My Privilege Trumps Yours

Michael Kimmel states that “privilege is invisible to those with it”.  This session will look at the interaction of inequality and privilege, how each of us may be implicated in and perpetuate oppression, what a right use of power looks like and how to make visible to each of us the water that humanity swims in.

Hosted by Natalie Collins

Is there a feminist preaching style?

Has the time come to ditch the sermon as an out-moded and ‘masculinist’ form of communication? Or perhaps there is a fresh approach drawing on the work of feminist thinkers.

Sermons both occupy and create what the Scottish poet Don Paterson calls “the space between us.”  They occupy a particular space in the worship: different perhaps according to religion, religious denomination, or indeed each specific liturgy. But they also create a space: a space for listening and hearing, a space for speaking and thinking aloud, a space for dreaming and imagining “what-if?”; a creative-regenerative space in which the Spirit can operate. A space that is between:

•       the preacher and the congregation

•       the preacher, the congregation, and the text

•       the gathered community and God

•       the present moment and the past, the future, and all eternity

How can we make the “sermon space” a welcome opportunity for collective lingering: an invitation to take a sideways glance, a seeing out-of-the-corner-of-an-eye, and –perhaps– the occasion to catch a glimpse of something unexpected and potentially life-transforming?

Hosted by Revd Dr Terry Biddington

Bring on the Crones

Wisdom has sometimes been defined as ‘the knowledge of the elders’ and at a time where many seem to believe feminism began in 2010, the ‘crones’ (wise women) are often silenced in favour of younger women.  Revd. Pam Smith shares her experiences of feminism over the last 40 years, and considers the ways feminists can really honour and listen to their foremothers.

Hosted by Revd Pam Smith

Poetry as Liberation – Christian Feminist Poetics in Action

This workshop comprises a combined poetry reading and reflection upon how poetry can be a location for feminist liberative praxis.

Hosted by Revd Rachel Mann