As part of the Artistic Islands Programming this October, Botanique Studios and The Water’s Edge Museum (Maryland, USA) will co-present the Heritage Empowerment Doll Seminars in Dublin, celebrating the resilience and layered cultural heritage of Antigua and Barbuda.
The Botanique Empowerment Dolls are more than keepsakes, they are storytellers.
Over time, they have reflected a variety of narratives, including the African journey that has shaped Caribbean and American identity.
Each doll is reversible, revealing two complementary stories.
For this exhibition, one side is clothed in Antigua and Barbuda’s national madras dress, honouring African heritage and resilience, while the other highlights the Irish connection, a reminder of the historic presence of Irish communities in Antigua and Barbuda since the 17th century, whose legacy lives on through surnames, estates, and place names across the island.
Together, the dolls embody continuity and transformation, symbolizing how diverse histories intersect to shape national identity.
Guided by designer Mosia Challenger, alongside Anne Jonas and Louise Edwards of Botanique Studios, participants will take part in three-hour, family-friendly workshops beginning with a short introductory film.
Attendees will then craft their own doll with a provided kit, creating not just an object of art, but a personal link to heritage.
This collaborative presentation with The Water’s Edge Museum co-directors Ja’Lyn Hicks and Sara Amber Marie Park extends the storytelling across the Atlantic, weaving together African, Caribbean, and Irish narratives into a shared dialogue of heritage.
Doll-making seminars will run October 3–5, afternoons from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., with Saturday designed as a family-friendly session. Together, Botanique Studios and The Water’s Edge bring forward an interactive celebration of cultural history through art.
