New Hot Flush Event!

I’m thrilled to announce that Hot Flush will be producing another menopause information and support event to celebrate International Menopause Awareness Day (18.10.25). Called Reframe: Rediscovering You Through the Menopause Journey, the event is supported and hosted by Barnstaple Library. Based on themes of confidence, care, and creativity, this free, drop-in event aims to provide a safe place for women and people living with menopause symptoms to come along and find out about local support services, speak to guest menopause support professionals who will be popping in throughout the day, and take part in fun, creative activities that will spark conversations around how we see ourselves.

Plus, we are very fortunate to have local artist Nicky Ruddick facilitate a free, drop-in collage workshop called FILTER THIS! We know that Photoshop and filters are used constantly, creating a strange mix of real and enhanced body parts, which aren't always easy to tell apart. These images influence women's view of their bodies and their confidence/self-esteem. FILTER THIS! encourages participants to create their own hybrid using a collage of images from fashion magazines and beauty adverts. The resulting figures are just as 'real' as the images we see in magazines and online.

The activity aims to add humour and provide a reality check about the images we encounter, how we view them, and how we compare them to our natural bodies, which we see unfiltered every day. By making the standard images of 'beauty' appear exaggerated, 'ugly', or ridiculous, women are liberated from these comparisons. Nicky will guide participants and offer support throughout the collage process. It promises to be a fun workshop, and participants are invited to have their work photographed before taking it home and displaying it somewhere visible as a daily reminder.

It's free to attend, but please reserve your ticket here: