Grief Goddesses - the resilient weavers
Artist Sarah Allen first began working on this CSM project in Jaywick in 2019, returning four years later as part of PinPoint, when she paired with local resident
Karen Wood.
Together they explored shared experiences of grief having both lost family members in recent years. Energised by the ways they could use their practices to talk about loss, they developed their ideas together in 2024, finding other residents to take part, leading to a performance by the Resilient Weavers.
Making their own scarf flags and costumes, these women devised an event on the beach of Jaywick Sands, viewed by an invited audience in the
summer of August 2025.
The work has continued and the grief network has grown - in May 2026 eight Jaywick Goddesses took part in Dr Karen Dennis's Passion for Fashion Catwalk at Colchester Arts Centre (images below).
Photos by Emma Kindred, Firebrandcreative
Reflections:
I feel so honoured to be part of The Goddess Project, it was a very special time for me. I have got so much from being part of this group, sharing our stories and experimenting with my artistic side that I didn’t even know I had! I woke up this morning and I felt free when I thought about the performance, I thought, today I am a goddess…
At the start of the project I couldn’t have dreamt that we would be able to do something like this. I didn’t think we had the strength or the ability, but we have and it’s amazing. I have always felt that my life has been a series of knock backs. I feel like I climb a mountain and when I am near the top I get pushed back down. During this project I have come to feel as if it is possible to climb over the mountain and carry on. I painted this on my scarf to show my journey.
The beach is really important to me, it is where I have always gone to get peace. During our sharing and conversations we realised that we all feel this way about the beach and it was important that the performance was on the beach because it is our place.
Goddesses on the Catwalk
The Jaywick Goddesses walked the catwalk at Passion for Fashion, Colchester Arts Centre in May 2026.
The Goddess Project has grown into a powerful sisterhood, transforming stories of grief, resilience. healing and survival into textile artworks made from found and reclaimed materials. This event saw the unveiling of the Jaywick Community Cloak, painted by Jaywick resident Ieda Lima-Boswell.
Passion for Fashion, organised by Dr Karen Dennis (community artist and fashion designer) brought together participants from across Tendring with catwalk creations made from recycled and reclaimed materials, alongside collections from her brand Ketchup Clothes and other local designers.
Photos by Kevin Jay, Sarah Cole and Emma Kindred, Firebrandcreative.
VIDEO from the day in Colchester