Sarah Mayhew Craddock is inspired by Oxford Circle women

Women are amazing. I’ve always thought so. From octopus-esque matriarchal family members to political and celebrity figures that have inspired me throughout my life (Kate Adie, Joanna Lumley, Sinead O’Connor, Judi Dench, to name but a few).

I don’t mean to infer men aren’t amazing, but whereas men seem to amaze me and then plateau, women never cease to amaze me, particularly when it comes to philanthropic efforts.

In 2008 singer-songwriter and activist Annie Lennox founded The Circle, an international organisation working in association with Oxfam to champion women’s rights and equality. Since 2011 regional circles have been established, all made up of (extra)ordinary inspirational women working collectively to support and empower the lives of other women and girls living in poverty in the developing world. These women use their networks, resources and skills to fight poverty and inequality.

I find big numbers difficult to digest, particularly when I learn there are 1.3 billion people living in extreme poverty worldwide, and of those 1.3 billion more than two thirds of them are female.

Setting out to raise funds for Oxfam’s Niger Education project The Oxford Circle was founded in 2012. Last year they marked International Women’s Day with a fundraising event that also aimed to inspire the 80 plus guests to join forces with The Oxford Circle and help raise funds themselves. Oxford-based sculptor Rachel Ducker was one of those guests. A founding member of The Oxford Circle quoted Annie Lennox that evening: “We don’t always realise we are invested with the power to make a difference; working together, we can inspire everyone to be part of the solution.”

These words resonated with Ducker who had always wanted to get involved with such a project, but hadn’t previously been moved to do so. She had an idea and creative connections that could help her realise it.

Rachel Ducker signed up as a member of The Oxford Circle and, with no event management experience, set about curating a one-off art event that takes place this evening. The art event brings together works by a number of established, professional Oxfordshire artists. The works will be informally hung, salon-style, in The Varsity Club and all will be available to buy with 30per cent of sale profits going to an Oxfam education project to support children, especially girls, from poor communities in Niger. Ducker commented: “Oxfordshire is a place of huge creativity, and this exhibition gives The Oxford Circle an opportunity to not only harness the work of artists to support Oxfam’s campaign, but also to showcase the talents of local sculptors, painters, and screen printers.”

Among those artists are Jennifer Newman, Richard Fox, Rachel Owen, Kieran Stiles, Clare Bassett, Neil Dury, Wendy Newhoffer, Jane Strother, Flora McLachlan, Helen Slater and Ducker herself.

Rachel Ducker’s work is instantly recognisable and widely appreciated. After training as a jeweller she later reinvented herself as a sculptor and, concentrating on the expressive and emotional dynamics of human nature, turned her attention to creating wire sculptures of the human form. Making pencil-thin marks in thin air and casting intricate shadows, some of which appear kinetic, Ducker captures something ephemeral and highly personal in her oeuvre.

Ducker will be encouraging guests at tonight’s event to stick their name on a sticky note, stick that note on a bank note, and put it in a box. Like a raffle one of those notes/labels will be drawn out of the box at the end of the evening, and that person will get to take home one of Ducker’s celebrated sculptures.

Works for sale by this talented and eclectic spectrum of Oxfordshire artists will range from approximately £150 to £8,000. In short, one women’s innovative idea in the City of Dreaming Spires means a serious amount of money stands to be raised for a country where most rural children do not even receive a basic education as poverty forces many families to send their children to work rather than to school. Funds from this event will go towards a project that aims to reach almost 4,000 students, more than half girls, and 180 teachers, providing access to better education, training, and facilities.

Annie Lennox said of Ducker’s event: “The Oxford Circle’s art event is a great example of The Circle ethos and spirit in action; using their skills and resources in inspirational and innovative ways to transform the lives of women in developing countries.”

This comment, and Ducker’s determination in organising this ambitious evening, underlines a quote I once heard by Hillary Clinton: “Women are the largest untapped reservoir of talent in the world.”

Here’s to tapping that reservoir and helping it flow freely!

Circle art event
Tonight (Thursday), 6-9pm
The Varsity Club, High Street, Oxford
Suggested donation on the door £5. All proceeds to the Oxfam project in Niger (below).
Numbers limited — RSVP emma@thecircleassociation.org
Twitter: CircleOrg