Challenging perceptions of the menopause in Fife project

Fife Cultural Trust is to run a project to challenge perceptions of the menopause after ONFife libraries won a £25,000 funding grant.
By The Newsroom
Published 19th Dec 2019, 10:02 BST
Fife Cultural Trust is to run a project to challenge perceptions of the menopause after ONFife libraries won a £25,000 grant from the highly competitive Engaging Libraries Programme. The new initiative aims to engage the public through creative activities, drama and comedy in the hope of encouraging discussion of research around the menopause, which can remain a taboo topic for many. Almost half of all UK library services applied to the Engaging Libraries programme, which is run by the Carnegie UK Trust, Wellcome and the Wolfson Foundation. It brings vital research projects at universities into the heart of local communities, using libraries to encourage and share learning. From left: Yvonne Melville, Heather Korabiowska and Christine Cook from Pause not Full Stop.Fife Cultural Trust is to run a project to challenge perceptions of the menopause after ONFife libraries won a £25,000 grant from the highly competitive Engaging Libraries Programme. The new initiative aims to engage the public through creative activities, drama and comedy in the hope of encouraging discussion of research around the menopause, which can remain a taboo topic for many. Almost half of all UK library services applied to the Engaging Libraries programme, which is run by the Carnegie UK Trust, Wellcome and the Wolfson Foundation. It brings vital research projects at universities into the heart of local communities, using libraries to encourage and share learning. From left: Yvonne Melville, Heather Korabiowska and Christine Cook from Pause not Full Stop.
Fife Cultural Trust is to run a project to challenge perceptions of the menopause after ONFife libraries won a £25,000 grant from the highly competitive Engaging Libraries Programme. The new initiative aims to engage the public through creative activities, drama and comedy in the hope of encouraging discussion of research around the menopause, which can remain a taboo topic for many. Almost half of all UK library services applied to the Engaging Libraries programme, which is run by the Carnegie UK Trust, Wellcome and the Wolfson Foundation. It brings vital research projects at universities into the heart of local communities, using libraries to encourage and share learning. From left: Yvonne Melville, Heather Korabiowska and Christine Cook from Pause not Full Stop.

The scheme, which has received money from the highly competitive Engaging Libraries Programme, will encourage people to challenge their own, and society’s, view of the menopause.

The new initiative aims to engage the public through creative activities, drama and comedy in the hope of encouraging discussion of research around the menopause, which can remain a taboo topic for many.

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Almost half of all UK library services applied to the Engaging Libraries programme, which is run by the Carnegie UK Trust, Wellcome and the Wolfson Foundation.

It brings vital research projects at universities into the heart of local communities, using libraries to encourage and share learning.

Heather Stuart, chief executive of Fife Cultural Trust (ONFife) said: “ONFife is all about being creative and innovative and that’s the approach our libraries team are taking with the Pause not Full Stop project.

“For too long it’s been a subject that was either dismissed as a ‘women’s thing’ or not even discussed much among women themselves.

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“However, we’re in the 21st century and it’s no longer something to be whispered about, so with the help of this funding we’ll be developing ideas that will be bringing menopause out of the shadows and into the spotlight at ONFife Libraries.”

Sarah Davidson, CEO of the Carnegie UK Trust said: “Engaging Libraries is all about giving people the opportunity to access, use and respond to research. Libraries have a unique position as trusted, safe spaces at the heart of our communities, and this programme is designed to help people explore new ideas and even play a role in influencing research.

“The process will also give university researchers a great opportunity to make connections between their ideas, research findings and the knowledge and experiences of local communities.

“We are really looking forward to working with all the winning projects.”

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Simon Chaplin, director of Culture & Society, Wellcome, said: “We are delighted to be supporting a second phase of Engaging Libraries with the Wolfson Foundation and Carnegie UK Trust.

“We saw a strong demand from the library sector in how they could connect together people’s ideas and interests to research, we hope that this helps stimulate new partnerships and ideas and changes the way libraries can develop their social innovation role.”

The 14 projects selected to be part of Engaging Libraries will undertake a development period of up to six months, supported by the Engaging Libraries team and a bespoke programme of events and workshops to further develop their project and ideas before launching their activities.

Related topics:Fife