Critical Writing Index

Community-Based Feminist Video Production in Toronto

by Marusia Bociurkin

Video Guide, Oct. 1984, v. 6, no. 5, pp. 8-9

This article discusses the various, current occurrences of feminist video artists working collectively to produce social documentary, and the challenges they face with budget, distribution, and lack of support for their social and political orientation. The first collaboration discussed is: Our Choice: A Tape About Teenage Mothers. Five video artists work with Jessie's Centre For Teenage Mothers on the production, which had a $5,000 Ontario Arts Council budget. The second project involves 4 artists working with the Centre for Spanish Speaking People. The currently unnamed video tells the story of 5 immigrant women who filed a complaint against their Commodore factory foreman in Toronto. The women were eventually awarded $75,000 in a precedent setting case that helped to created the then unknown concept of 'sexual harassment'. Bociurkin also writes that Women's Groups themselves are producing their own video works. The Toronto Rape Crisis Centre, produced a video to counter the myths that give men permission to rape, to show at their speaking engagements. The Rexdale Women's Centre created a tape to raise issues vital to immigrant women.

ITEM 1984.150 – available for viewing in the Research Centre

Videos, Artworks and Artists Cited

Our Choice: A Tape About Teenage MothersMadeliene Duff

Our Choice: A Tape About Teenage MothersNancy Nicol

Our Choice: A Tape About Teenage MothersPhyliss Waugh

Our Choice: A Tape About Teenage MothersJane Wright

Our Choice: A Tape About Teenage MothersMarusia Bociurkin

Our Choice: A Tape About Teenage MothersCaroline Murray

unnamed video - sexual harassmentMargaret Moores

unnamed video - sexual harassmentConsuelo Rubio

unnamed video - sexual harassmentAlmerinda Travassos

unnamed video - sexual harassmentPhyliss Waugh

Born In FlamesLizzie Borden

Mini Skools Pay Mini WagesNancy Nicol

No More StrangersRexdale Women's Centre