Inspiration from Virginia Woolf
Sarah Hosking, aged 85, reflects on a lifelong mission inspired by Virginia Woolf's seminal essay A Room of One's Own. Living in Clifford Chambers, near Stratford-upon-Avon, she has spent over 30 years working to realize Woolf's vision of providing women with the financial means and personal space necessary to flourish creatively.
Published in 1929, Woolf's essay examines the historical underrepresentation of women in the arts. It introduces the fictional character Judith Shakespeare, William Shakespeare's imagined sister, who symbolizes the societal barriers that suppressed female talent. Woolf argued that women require both money and a private room to develop their creative potential fully.
For Hosking, the essay was more than an intellectual read; it became a lifelong goal. She still possesses the copy of A Room of One's Own she read 65 years ago.
"I had a long and very enjoyable, very hardworking, mongrel career in the arts," Hosking said. "I went to art school in the 1960s and then I had work in different areas of endeavour. But I'd always meant with my retirement to found a little charity to give reality to Virginia Woolf's wonderful book. I read it when I was 20 and I thought, 'one day I will make that happen.' I was absolutely bowled over by it. It's become a feminist polemic ever since."
Church Cottage: A Haven for Women Artists
Close to her home, Church Cottage has welcomed over 200 women artists since opening its doors in 2002. The cottage, which is free for guests, is nestled among wildlife and is a short walk from the River Stour.
Hosking recalls one guest from a Hackney high-rise flat who "burst into tears" upon arrival, highlighting the transformative impact of the space.
"I make it as comfortable and as pleasing and as convenient as possible," she explained.
Establishing the Charity
Hosking founded the Hosking Houses Trust in 1995, but it took several years to secure funding and open the cottage to guests. She began fundraising in 1999, initially raising only £5, which she spent on postage stamps. Despite writing to numerous organizations, including major charities and the Arts Council, she received no response for two years.
"I just went on and on and on. I thought it was a good idea. I knew it was a good idea. After two years of absolutely nothing happening, Joan Bakewell sent me a cheque for fifty quid and that was just wonderful, and then we got a grant to buy the cottage. If you persevere with enough loopy endeavour, something will happen and it did. Since then, we've had some very good grants. My brother died and left me everything, and I gave about half of it to the trust. It's been lonely, hard work, but it's also been great fun."
Facilities and Purpose
The cottage includes a kitchen, garden, and studio space, designed to provide a comfortable and inspiring environment for women artists.
Hosking was also motivated by witnessing her own mother’s unfulfilled potential, describing her as "thwarted" by the era she lived in. The cottage is available to women over 40, reflecting Hosking’s recognition of the often overlooked contributions of middle-aged women in various professional settings.
"She lived in the wrong time," Hosking said. "Through my life I've seen middle aged women holding together the office, or the school, or the department or this or that. Very, very competent, but probably under-appreciated and underpaid."
Women are selected to stay at Church Cottage based on "sheer, naked merit," with a requirement of having published or achieved significant public recognition in their field.
"We're not for beginners. You've got to have published, or achieved a significant amount of publicised work, in some media or form."
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and
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