Laura and Martina, AMIGA (Czech Republic) , 2021
88 x 90 in (h x w)

Having left their home countries seeking work and study opportunities, Laura and Martina decided to harness their creativity to empower those with weaker voices in their communities. Laura Mentz Strakova found out about an interesting opportunity in academia in Prague by chance, and came from the United States without knowing much about the country she was entering. As she made a new life in the Czech Republic, she got to know stories of people of different backgrounds that have trouble making their voices heard in this relatively homogenous country. She learned the Theater of the Oppressed approach and founded her own social justice advocacy organisation called Rehearsal for Reality, that empowers communities such as LGBTQ, migrants, or others and helps them tell their stories in order to bring about change through on-stage performances. Martina Ulvrová decided to come to France on a prestigious scholarship after finishing her Master’s degree in Prague. As she advanced further in her chosen field of geophysics, she realized the discrimination and deep disadvantages that women in natural sciences face. She became involved in a number of projects that promoted gender equality in academia, including Did this really happen?, that turned sexist and discriminatory experiences in the academic setting into comic strips. She is currently working on a new project, enlisting various artists to create posters showing achievements of female scientists, meant for primary and secondary schools.

Exhibited by:

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