Wikipedia:WikiProject Wiki Women Design
“Invisibility is a sign that there is still much more work to do.” – Jane Hall[1]
Wiki Women Design (2020-2021) is a project, initiated by the Flanders Architecture Institute, to register and disclose data and knowledge about women who have left their mark on our designed environment: from graphic design and interior architecture to fashion and product design.
Through writing and editing sessions (edit-a-thons) organized by the Flanders Architecture Institute in collaboration with partners, students, researchers and volunteers make this information accessible on Wikipedia and other Wikimedia platforms. In this way, the project strives in a participatory way towards an inclusive registration of designed heritage.
Also, within the framework of this project, photos, audio, video files can be uploaded about female designers and their works.
The Flanders Architecture Institute realizes this project thanks to the support of the Flemish Government.
Through writing and editing sessions (edit-a-thons) organized by the Flanders Architecture Institute in collaboration with partners, students, researchers and volunteers make this information accessible on Wikipedia and other Wikimedia platforms. In this way, the project strives in a participatory way towards an inclusive registration of designer heritage.
Also, as part of this project, photos, audio, video files can be uploaded about women designers and their works
The Flanders Architecture Institute is realizing this project thanks to the support of the Flemish Government.
Project & Objectives edit
With Wiki Women Design, the Flanders Architecture Institute wants to contribute to a more inclusive, layered and multi-voiced description of the cultural heritage of our designed environment and use the Wikimedia platforms to document this history in a participatory way. In doing so, we align with international successful initiatives such as WikiD: Women, Wikipedia, Design initiated by N-ails in Berlin, ArchiteXX in New York and Parlour in Melbourne. More information about the project can be found here.
Many women designers remained under the radar of researchers, museums, archival institutions, curators and collectors. This project aims to bring the contributions of women to cultural heritage in Belgium out of the shadows of history. Improved heritage care, including the registration of these actors through the Wikimedia infrastructure, will help to improve visibility and make resources available and known. Read the project's short- and long-term goals here.
Wikipedia will only contain 'the sum of all human knowledge' if its editors are as diverse as the population itself: you can help make that happen. And I can't think of anything more important to do, than that. - Sue Gardner, Wikimedia [2]
Call edit
For the Wiki Women Design project, the Flanders Architecture Institute is looking for archival material of women who had an impact on the designed environment in Belgium. Are you interested in this project or would you like to contribute as an organization, researcher or volunteer? Are you in possession of archival material about women who had an impact on the designed environment in Belgium or do you know of archival material or collections held by other organizations or private individuals? Let us know about it!
Writing sessions edit
The Flanders Architecture Institute, in collaboration with the project partners, is organizing 12 writing sessions in Flanders and Brussels. These writing sessions take the form of an edit-a-thon. An edit-a-thon is a well-known format where communities come together to write and publish about a particular topic. The goal is to train new editors and improve the quality of articles on the topic.
- Digital Student Edition #1, December 11, 2020 (KASK, KU Leuven, UGent)
- Digital Student Edition #2, December 14, 2020 (Universiteit Antwerpen)
- Free registration, until September 30, 2021.
- Docomomo x ULB, Faculté d'Architecture La Cambre Horta, March 29 - April 2, 2021
- Design Museum Gent, April 21, 2021
- Art & History Museum, May 15, 2021
- Flanders Architecture Institute, May 20, 2021
- UHasselt x PXL-MAD x Z33 x Modemuseum Hasselt, May 21, 2021
- AR-TUR x Erfgoed Noorderkempen x Kempens Karakter x Berg en Nete x Erfgoedcel k.Erf x Regionaal Landschap Kleine en Grote Nete, May 27, 2021
- Design Museum Gent x Flanders DC, June 16, 2021
- Design Museum Brussels, June 19, 2021
- Modemuseum Hasselt x MoMu Antwerpen x Eperon d'Or Izegem, June 28, 2021
- Matrimony Days, September 24, 2021
Writing Wikipedia articles: how do I do it? edit
Anyone is welcome to write Wikipedia articles. However, in order to keep the quality of Wikipedia high, the Wikipedia community does follow some rules. To make sure your article doesn't get deleted, we collected some tips & tricks for you.
Topics for articles edit
You can contribute to Wiki Women Design (2020-2021) voluntarily by creating, completing or translating your own article about a woman and/or the mark she left on the Belgian designed environment.
Here, you will find a list of topics we compiled. You will find proposals of profiles and topics in the different design disciplines.
In order for your free contribution to be linked to Wiki Women Design, please register via registration button. That way, your contributions will always be registered as part of the project.
Stay in touch edit
To stay informed about Wiki Women Design, the results of the project, and to receive news about the writing sessions, you have several options:
- Subscribe to the newsletter of the Flanders Architecture Institute
- Follow the Flemish Architecture Institute on Facebook and Instagram.
- The VAi public website
Partners edit
A group of experts is steering the project in terms of content. The group includes profiles with content expertise on Belgian design, as well as specialists on Wikimedia projects.
| Archives and museums | Universities and colleges | Organisations | Heritage Units |
|---|---|---|---|
Bibliography edit
As part of Wiki Women Design, we have compiled a bibliography.
Archives edit
The preserved heritage has a huge impact on canon formation. The underrepresentation of women in design archives and collections is one of the main reasons why many women remained largely invisible. As part of this project, we compiled a list of publicly accessible archives of women designers and design firms or organizations where women were active.
Results edit
Content
- List of Wikipedia pages from Wikidata (online)
- List of Wikipedia pages from ListeriaBot (automatic from Wikidata; might be a bit delayed)
- List of media files on Wikimedia Commons (online)
Tools
Documentation
Similar initiatives edit
In recent years, several organizations around the world have already undertaken successful initiatives to eliminate the "gender gap" on Wikipedia. You can view these initiatives here.
Notes edit
- ^ Jane Hall (2019). Breaking Ground. Architecture by Women. Phaidon. ISBN 9780714879277.
- ^ Stratigakos, Despina (April 2016). "Unforgetting Women Architects: From the Pritzker to Wikipedia". Places Journal.