We are organizing a workshop on climate information sharing and climate adaptation for the people of Katakhali, Bangladesh in collaboration with the International Centre for Climate and Development. Mr. Sarder Shafiqul of the ICCAD will be part of the workshop.

“তারপর”
শাড়ির মধ্যে জীবনগাথা

মনিকা জাহান বোস
যৌথ আয়োজনে চলচ্চিত্র নির্মাতা নন্দিতা আহমেদ এবং কাটাখালী গ্রামের নারীরা

AND THEN
Storytelling with Saris

An exhibition by MONICA JAHAN BOSE
In collaboration with filmmaker Nandita Ahmed and the women of Katakhali Village, Patuakhali District

As part of One Billion Rising Bangladesh (উদ্যমে উত্তরণে শতকোটি) REVOLUTION 2015.

The opening will feature music. Exhibition dates: 10-14 February 2015 (closed on Thursdays)

The 216-foot sari and the films in the exhibition are part of Storytelling with Saris, an art and advocacy project that uses woodblock prints on saris, writing, performance, and video to address women’s empowerment in the face of climate change in the remote community of Katakhali Village, Barobaishdia Island, Patuakhali District. Bangladeshi-American artist and activist Monica Jahan Bose is collaborating with 12 women from Katakhali who have recently acquired literacy and are valiantly fighting climate change. The 12 women are Hawa, Hasina, Khuku Rani, Nasima, Noor Sehera, Parveen, Roxana, Salma, Shahida, Shima, Zakia, and Zulekha. Monica’s mother Noorjahan Bose, author of the award-winning memoirs “Agunmukhar Meye,” was born and raised in Katakhali. Filmmaker Nandita Ahmed is working with Monica to document the project with film and photography. The longterm project highlights the women’s personal stories to inspire the world to take action on gender discrimination and climate change.

The women of Katakhali have written and printed words and images on saris, which have been worn by them for eight months and then used for performances and installations around the world. The 216-foot sari displayed here references the story of Draupadi and was featured in several performances in the United States — in Washington DC at (e)merge art fair, in Brooklyn, New York at the DUMBO Arts Festival and the Brooklyn Museum, in Newark, New Jersey at the Gateway Arts Center, and in Miami Beach, Florida at SELECT Art Fair during Art Basel-Miami Beach, the world’s largest art event.

On 14 February, 2015, Monica will use this sari for a performance in front of the Bangladesh National Museum as part of the One Billion Rising Revolution 2015 to bring attention to gender-based violence.

১৫৪ হাত লম্বা শাড়িটি এবং ফিল্ম দুটি ‘শাড়ির মধ্যে জীবনগাঁথা’ প্রকল্পটির অংশ। এই প্রকল্পটি কাটাখালী গ্রাম,পটুয়াখালী জেলার নারীদের সঙ্গে সহযোগিতাভিত্তিক উদ্যোগ । এখানে ব্লক প্রিন্ট, নারীদের জীবন কাহিনী লেখা, চলচ্চিত্র ও অভিনয়শিল্প দিয়ে নারীর ক্ষমতায়ন তুলে ধরা হয়েছে। কাটাখালী গ্রামটি বড় বাইশদিয়া দ্বীপে অবস্থিত ও জলবায়ু পরিবর্তন দ্বারা ক্ষতিগ্রস্ত। বাংলাদেশী আমেরিকান শিল্পী ও মানবাধিকার কর্মী মনিকা জাহান বোসের মা, নূরজাহান বোস ( ‘আগুনমুখার মেয়ে’ ) কাটাখালী গ্রামে জন্মেছেন ও বড় হয়েছেন। মনিকা কাটাখালী গ্রামের ১২ জন নারীর সাথে কাজ করছেন। তাঁদের নাম হাওয়া, হাসিনা, খুকু রানি, নাসিমা, নূর চেহারা, পারভীন, রোকসানা, সালমা, শাহিদা, সীমা, জাকিয়া, ও জুলেখা। প্রকল্পটি দীর্ঘ দিন চলবে এবং এর উদ্দেশ্য নারীর জীবন কাহিনীকে প্রাধান্য দিয়ে নারীর অধিকার ও জলবায়ু পরিবর্তন সম্পর্কে পৃথিবীর মানুষদেরকে অনুপ্রাণিত করা।

কাটা খালীর নারীরা বয়স্ক শিক্ষাকেন্দ্র থেকে লিখতে শিখেছেন এবংশাড়ির উপর লিখেছেন , ব্লক ছাপিয়েছেন এবং সেই শাড়িগুলো তারা আট মাস পরেছেন। তারপর শাড়িগুলো পৃথিবীর নানা জায়গায় স্থাপনাশিল্প এবং অভিনয়শিল্পের অনুষঙ্গ হিসেবে প্রদর্শিত হয়েছে। বাংলাদেশ জাতীয় জাদুঘরে টানানো ১৫৪ হাত লম্বা শাড়িটি মহাভারতের দ্রৌপদীর কথা স্মরণ করিয়ে দেয়। এই শাড়িটি ‍যুক্তরাষ্ট্রের নানা জায়গায় অভিনয়শিল্পে উপস্থাপিত হয়েছে — ওয়াশিংটন ডি.সি’র ইমার্জ আর্ট ফেয়ার, নিউ ইয়র্কের ব্রুকলিন মিউজিয়াম ও ডাম্বো আর্টস ফ্যাসটিভাল, নিউ জার্সি‘র গেটওয়ে আর্ট সেন্টার এবং মায়ামির আর্ট বাসেল।

১৪ ই ফেব্রুয়ারি, ২০১৫ তে এই শাড়িটি দিয়ে শিল্পী মনিকা জাহান বোস বাংলাদেশ জাতীয় জাদুঘরের সামনে একটি অভিনয়শিল্প পরিবেশন করবেন। এই অভিনয়শিল্প ও প্রদর্শনীটি ‘উদ্যমে উত্তরণে শত কোটি বিপ্লব ২০১৫’ এর একটি অংশ।

Please come join me for the One Billion Rising REVOLUTION 2015 event at and in front of the National Museum on V-day 2015. My performance will start in the National Museum and move out to the street.

Monica Jahan Bose has been invited to give the annual Women in America Lecture at Simpson College, Iowa in celebration of Women’s History Month. She will be presenting the Storytelling with Saris project and its implications for gender and climate change.

I will be giving a presentation about Storytelling with Saris and using art as a tool of social change at the SAALT Conference. This is part of the South Asian Women’s Creative Collective’s interactive workshop with my co-presenters Aaliya Zaveri and Ambika Samarthya-Howard.

Join artist/activist Monica Jahan Bose for an inspiring and empowering Sari Pledge Workshop. Dates: Saturdays May 23, 30, and June 6 from 11 am to 2 pm. The workshop includes an audio/visual learning session on climate change and its impacts in coastal Bangladesh followed by hands-on woodblock printing with Bangladeshi blocks and writing with paint on handwoven cotton saris. Learn how you can make a difference to global warming by pledging to reduce your own carbon footprint. Participants become part of Storytelling with Saris and can add their experiences to the project website and are also invited to join in a public performance in the fall using the saris. The saris will ultimately be returned to Bangladesh to be worn by coastal women. The workshop is 1 -1/2 hours and participants for Saturday workshops should plan to join at 11 am or 12:30 pm. The workshop is designed for adults and teens but children 10 and older may join with parent supervision.

Free workshop but please sign up with Eventbrite.

Monica Jahan Bose will screen a new performance video as well as a short excerpt from Her Words: Storytelling with Saris, followed by a talk about her project with audience talk back.

Join artist/activist Monica Jahan Bose for an inspiring and empowering Sari Pledge Workshop. The workshop includes an audio/visual learning session on climate change and its impacts in coastal Bangladesh followed by hands-on woodblock printing with Bangladeshi blocks and writing with paint on handwoven cotton saris. Learn how you can make a difference to global warming by pledging to reduce your own carbon footprint. Participants become part of Storytelling with Saris and can add their experiences to the project website and are also invited to join in a public performance in the fall using the saris. The saris will ultimately be returned to Bangladesh to be worn by coastal women. The workshop is 1 -1/2 hours and participants for Saturday workshops should plan to join at 11 am or 12:30 pm. The workshop is designed for adults and teens but children 10 and older may join with parent supervision.

Free workshop but please sign up with Eventbrite.

Join artist/activist Monica Jahan Bose for an inspiring and empowering Sari Pledge Workshop. The workshop includes an audio/visual learning session on climate change and its impacts in coastal Bangladesh followed by hands-on woodblock printing with Bangladeshi blocks and writing with paint on handwoven cotton saris. Learn how you can make a difference to global warming by pledging to reduce your own carbon footprint. Participants become part of Storytelling with Saris and can add their experiences to the project website and are also invited to join in a public performance in the fall using the saris. The saris will ultimately be returned to Bangladesh to be worn by coastal women. The workshop is 1 -1/2 hours and participants for Saturday workshops should plan to join at 11 am or 12:30 pm. The workshop is designed for adults and teens but children 10 and older may join with parent supervision.

Free workshop but please sign up with Eventbrite.

Join artist/activist Monica Jahan Bose for an inspiring and empowering Sari Pledge Workshop. The workshop includes an audio/visual learning session on climate change and its impacts in coastal Bangladesh followed by hands-on woodblock printing with Bangladeshi blocks and writing with paint on handwoven cotton saris. Learn how you can make a difference to global warming by pledging to reduce your own carbon footprint. Participants become part of Storytelling with Saris and can add their experiences to the project website and are also invited to join in a public performance in the fall using the saris. The saris will ultimately be returned to Bangladesh to be worn by coastal women. The workshop is 1 -1/2 hours and participants for Saturday workshops should plan to join at 11 am or 12:30 pm. The workshop is designed for adults and teens but children 10 and older may join with parent supervision.

Free workshop but please sign up with Eventbrite.