Highland Suffrage Centenary Celebrations with Lizzie McDougall of Ross-shire

You might expect a professional storyteller to tell a great yarn, but to be able to do that literally through the medium of fabric and visual artistry, while also navigating the thorny topics of women’s equality with a group of unknown women to create the beautiful banner (see below) in under three months, is frankly a feat of great ability. Lizzie McDougall displayed all these skills and more when, in 2018, she stepped up to deliver Ross-shire’s emblematic efforts to mark the centenary celebration of UK women’s suffrage as commissioned by Ullapool gallery, An Talla Solais.

The project began its life as part of the London-based Artichoke Project’s vision for a giant nationwide art event celebrating Women’s Suffrage. Over 100 groups from across the UK took part in the project that culminated in mass processions in all four capitals in 2018; Edinburgh, Belfast, Cardiff and London and involved tens of thousands of women in June 2018.

Lizzie was one of three artists commissioned in the Highlands, with Alex Patience in Caithness and Heidi Soos, in Inverness each working with groups of women to develop their needlework.

A highly experienced visual artist Lizzie knew immediately she wanted to take part in the commission, yet she says getting started wasn’t easy “ one of the first things to do was to find unifying themes and ways to illustrate them, An Tall Solais had invited lots of women to take part but they didn’t know each other, or have common cause, so it was exciting to hear everyone’s thoughts on women’s suffrage. What quickly emerged was that everyone felt that the journey to equality would not be over till all women everywhere have equality, and that we all felt committed to improving things for all children.”

Lizzie explained that many of the other groups in the UK had cohesion as they were already working on common goals, such as the Southall Black Sisters, [who also took part and who organize around the needs of black (Asian and African-Carribean women). Wester Ross had less cohesion around a single theme, however after the initial discussions with the group, the idea for the boat as the symbol of Highland Women’s suffrage emerged as a visual interpretation of the journey we’re on towards equality, about a boat’s metaphorical interpretation as floating above the different issues that affect women while bringing to life the idioms of being “all in the same boat” and “rocking the boat” appealed to her sense of collectivism and mischief.  Being a talented visual artist Lizzie could see how this would look in the procession as we paraded through the streets of Edinburgh.

After quickly identifying all these strands, and careful not to be overwhelmed by them, in her own words, “one of the participant’s young daughter saved the day when she said, “Can I say something? I don’t think that it’s fair that I don’t get to play rugby just because I’m a girl”, everyone stopped and listened to her story and so she became the figurehead of my imagined boat”. In stepped local politician, Maree Todd MSP, to contribute her very own rugby shirt, no doubt acting as a role model in the process and this was used in the banner.

Lizzie took me on a passionate tour of all the characters Highland female archetypes that emerge as passengers on the voyage; the crofter, farmer and gardener representing women’s connection to the land, the teachers doing it for the children and the next generation of Highland women, Mairi Hedderwick’s Katie Morag, a model Highland feminist if ever there was one, the scientist, the henwife, a traditional midwife in Highland communities helping to birth the next generation, the music-makers, art promoters, teachers, entrepreneurs, businesswomen. Each of these archetypes are carefully depicted in material by all the women who took part, telling the story of Highland women today and 100 years ago.

I ask her whether she thinks the challenges of organising women for this project can reveal something about the challenges of organizing around women’s issues more generally in the Highlands or rural areas. Far too modest, she suggests she isn’t qualified to give her opinion on that – she’s a visual artist, first and foremost, that suffrage was the topic was incidental to her interest in the project, but I am not convinced there isn’t an opinion in there. I try again, and this time, she offers, “choosing a slogan for the banner that everyone could identify with was challenging but

Boats for Women felt like it was a way of saying opportunities for women. Later she reels off a list of names of inspirational Ross-shire women who have contributed so much to Highland life, putting dreams into action and making things happen even in the face of latent chauvinism. Her face lights up when she talks of the work of Rita Hunter, Alpha Munro, Kate Martin, Fiona Dalgetty, Lesley Strang and Jean Urquhart. I make a mental note to request an interview with each of them in the future. She talks about Rona Lightfoot, the great Uist piper, who challenged every possible male norm by having the audacity to enter Mod piping competitions long before it was made the commonplace occurrence it is now, and how this contrasts with the piper on the banner who is wearing a mini skirt, fairy wings and welly boots while piping at Bella. So much of the success of the development of the arts and the Feis movement is down to the incredible commitment of women and has ensured that the Highlands are full of wonderful art and music and that young people have amazing opportunities now.

Realising she hasn’t told me about the Pictish influences on the banner she brings me back to talk about the large figure on the banner who is both feeding a baby and steering the boat, how the feminine principle was revered because creating life and giving birth were seen as both strong and vulnerable, that we have lost some of this and it’s important to bring it back and remind ourselves of women’s inner strength.

She concludes by sharing some stories of the work of women she knows have contributed immensely to life in the Highlands. Those named above featuring greatly. It is clear that whether she calls herself a feminist or not, as a woman, her experience and contributions to the Women’s Suffrage project have been strongly influenced by her own experiences of Highland life as well as the many women whose work she admires. I heard this in her voice and it’s plain to see in the banner. No woman left out, every stitch crafted with skill and patience, and the help of a great many friends, colleagues and journeywomen along the way.

There has since been an exhibition of the banners in London.

Universal suffrage was granted in 1928 so watch out for the next centenary celebration in which Highland women rise up and rock the boat.

*Ends*

Lizzie continues her voyage with the Highland Suffrage banner in schools, communities and

exhibition spaces. If you’d like to book a talk or hang the banner in your exhibition space, get in

touch with Lizzie direct here https://www.facebook.com/storyquilts