Bev Hayward is an Associate Lecturer at Birkbeck College, University of London, within the Psychosocial Department. She teaches on the master’s programme in Education, Power and Social Change. Having a learning disability, she was often marginalised in the UK educational system; accordingly, by exposing this vulnerability she hopes to foster a transformative and democratic pedagogical student experience.
During her PhD in Education, Transformation and Lifelong Learning, Dr Hayward presented her research at SCRUTREA and was awarded the Tilda Gaskell prize for the best student paper and prior to that she won the Laurel Brake award for her master’s dissertation. She is a poet, writer and embroider and is interested in the artist as educator. This is drawn upon in the recent exhibition she is curated, entitled, Unruly Women, which took place at the Nucleus, Halpern Gallery in Kent, May 2022 and her latest publication, a chapter in Feminism, Adult Education and Creative Possibility.
Surrealism and Serendipity: A Feminist Praxis
Co-presenting with Maxine Chester
Often serendipity is the foundation of feminist art practices. The unexpected is formed in the expected. Opportunity is seized to explore the everyday art practices of women, for whom their art and craftwork is created and woven into their daily activities of care and paid employment. This is discussed in the examples presented: Reach by Maxine Chester; Mocking the Master Narrative by Bev Hayward; and Vessels by Carole Hatfield. The presentation begins with a short introduction to Surrealism to considers the principles and foundations of the movement in the Modern period. It then moves onto explore the complexities of how women were represented and ‘included’ during this time. In the ethos of the theme of the conference, ‘Art: Unexpected’. I will encourage audience participation to consider aspects of chance, randomness and the unexpected.