How ethnic female artists are ringing their own bells

Shared knowledge and experience can help women from ethnic backgrounds further their artistic practices.

There is a growing recognition that female writers and artists are underrepresented in terms of reviewing and prizes, and when you are a woman from an ethnic background, then the list shrinks yet again. When women from ethnic backgrounds enter the arts, we are suffering not only from a lack of representation, but cultural capital in the way of role models and networks. The way we overcome this is to create our own. There are, however, some challenges that unify us.

Didem Caia, Turkish background, originally began her practice as a playwright and, after receiving five arts grants for new work and developments, as well as mounting two independent productions, she experienced conversations and developments with main stage theatre companies, which led to dead ends and incomplete communication.

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Amra Pajalić is an award-winning author, editor and teacher who draws on her Bosnian cultural heritage to write own voices stories for young people, who, like her, are searching to mediate their identity and take pride in their diverse culture. She is also the owner and publisher of Pishukin Press, an independent press that publishes underrepresented authors in fiction and nonfiction.