A talk by Mara Gold exploring the history of witchcraft and queer femininity
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Image Credit: Hans Baldung Grien Hexen 1508 (℅ Wikicommons)
Doors: 7.30pm
Tickets: £4-£8, available via the link below
The Museum of Sex Objects is delighted to present a talk by sapphic scholar Mara Gold. This is one of a series of events exploring sexual cultures programmed by The Museum of Sex Objects to coincide with their month-long exhibition at The Horse Hospital this autumn.
From persecution to Pride, sapphic women have always been intertwined with histories of witchcraft. But why? Join sapphic scholar Mara Gold on an magical journey through the ages, exploring just how spirituality and spell-casting became entrenched in sapphic culture. Together we will summon ancient goddesses, mourn early modern witch trials, and celebrate contemporary activism through historical artefacts, archival documents, representation and personal accounts. Whether or not you believe in the power of magic, you’re sure to discover a vital but under-researched aspect of LGBT+ history. For those of you feeling the pull of sapphic sorcery, you are invited to participate in a small ritual at the end.
Mara Gold is a PhD/DPhil candidate at the University of Oxford investigating sapphic history in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with a particular focus on understanding and performing sapphic identities through the ancient world. She is equally passionate about her work with museums in both research and outreach, currently working for GLAM (Oxford’s Gardens, Libraries and Museums) as a community connector. Previously she worked as a researcher on the National Lottery Heritage funded Beyond the Binary project at the Pitt Rivers Museum. There she undertook in-depth research into the museum’s collections and ways to tell LGBTQIA stories through objects, largely focusing on connecting historical mythologies with contemporary activism. She was particularly interested in uncovering sapphic histories through the museum’s extensive folklore and witchcraft collections - an interest which filters into her daily life. As a disabled and autistic lesbian, she is also extremely passionate about championing access.
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