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 continues and the grief network grows.
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.