The Venus Revisited was a project on body and self-image for women who are going through the menopause (at whatever age, including early menopause), or have done so in the past. It focused on exploring changing self and body image, working together sharing experiences and making creative responses mainly in clay, drawing and writing and featured the work and voices of 17 local women from the Lancaster and Morecambe area.

Following a very successful pilot in 2023, the Venus Revisited project in 2024 was funded by Arts Council England and the Eric Wright Charitable Trust, and supported via the NHS local Integrated Care Communities, and Lancaster District CVS.

Thanks to all these organisations for their support and to Waterstones, Lancaster, who supported the project with a collaborative book display during the exhibitions.

The participants have also produced a free publication as a hand-me-on document for women who may be coming up to, or experiencing the menopause, so they can connect with other women and not feel so isolated within their own experience. Copies have been distributed to GP surgeries, local libraries and community organisations and a copy can also be obtained from King Street Arts (email for details).

We also created a living booklist of items they have personally found useful on their menopausal journey, which can be found in the publication. If you would like to contribute to this resource, please send your recommendations by email and we will add them as an online resource.

The participants showed their work at 3 exhibitions to bring into the public domain more conversation about ordinary women's experience of menopause and ageing.

Lancaster: The Storey, & King Street Arts

Morecambe: The Library

Lancaster University: Health Innovation Campus

Dr Horrocks, who has supported this project in 2024, said, ' this has been a great and innovative arts project and has added tremendous value to our community, truly enhancing these women's experience of their menopause journey'.

Lancaster Guardian Article August 2024

Lancaster Guardian Article October 2024

What people have said about this project:

Catherine Potter, Lancaster City Council, Arts Portfolio, ‘Highly thought-provoking exhibition’

Abi Mills, Lancaster Mayor, ‘Wow, what an amazing project for so many reasons- art is so powerful.’

‘It’s a beautiful exhibition. As a woman in my mid-thirties and a researcher of feminism myself, I think it’s needed to talk about every stage in women’s lives. Very well done and beautiful sculptures’ Francesca.

Opened my mind to new topics and questions’ Teen of participant

Very worthwhile project for ladies to express how it makes them feel. I would like a similar project for my cancer support group to help them express their own image or feelings’ Elaine

A fantastic project that shows how wonderful it is to express feeling in clay. The figures give the opportunity for the viewer to express their own feelings on menopause. Maxine

Fantastic project bringing women together to create and share their journeys. Sue

Thanks to the library for displaying the work and giving women’s voices the space to be heard. Jo