The Foremothers Café is a Virtual World in the Metaverse inspired by Hanna's café from Helen's historical novel, Sour Milk in Sheep's Wool. It is set in Lund, Sweden in 1918.
In the book, Hanna's The Foremothers Café is a Virtual World in the Metaverse inspired by Hanna's café from Helen's historical novel, Sour Milk in Sheep's Wool. It is set in Lund, Sweden in 1918.
In the book, Hanna's cafe becomes the central meeting place for women advocating for suffrage and women's equality, and a space that grows into a nurturing and supportive community.
It's Hanna's community and her passion that inspired Helen to create The Foremothers Café, and today, women from all over the world gather in our cafe for community and special events. becomes the central meeting place for women advocating for suffrage and women's equality, and a space that grows into a nurturing and supportive community.
It's Hanna's community and her passion that inspired Helen to create The Foremothers Café, and today, women from all over the world gather in our cafe for community and special events.
Find us on ENGAGE. Events are listed on the ENGAGE Bulletin Board and on the ENGAGE Schedule on their website. The Foremothers Café's Persistent Session ID is: 2a0K6 (2 a zero K 6)
If you are new to VR or to the ENGAGE Platform click here

Happenings

The Foremothers Cafe’s Community Discussion Series 

Helen hosts monthly discussions on a range of topics, usually along with a Special Guest Speaker.

Fika

Fika is Swedish for coffee break with something sweet to eat with friends.
Come join us for a fika! Bring your imagination and try our signature frog cookies.
Thursdays 2 pm Eastern.

Foremothers Day

In honor of Helen's mother whose birthday was November 30th, our community gathers that day to share stories about our family history. It has become an annual tradition.

Art Exhibitions

Are you an artist? Contact us to display your art in The Foremothers Cafe

Special Occasions and Holidays

We love to celebrate. So far we have celebrated Pride, Swedish Midsummer and Lucia, New Years Eve, and Halloween. More is merrier, contact us if you have ideas.

Details on The Foremothers Café and Swedish History

The late 19th century and early 20th century was a revolutionary time. When Hanna opened her café in 1890 and held her meetings there, women had started to realize that there was a connection between alcohol abuse, women’s agency, and domestic abuse. Given that, they formed women’s temperance meetings, which soon inspired them to fight for suffrage. At the beginning of the 20th century, the suffrage movement was getting traction in Sweden.

1918 was the year Sweden held its only national suffrage march, which was joined by thousands of women from the whole country. You will find several details from this march at The Foremothers Café, including on the cover of Sour Milk in Sheep's Wool, which you will find in the café’s book corner. 

Contraceptive use was a very divisive concept during this time, and it was illegal to spread information about its “propaganda.” It would take a few more years before Elise Ottesen-Jensen began to lecture about the benefits of them. Her portrait is hanging in a frame on the wall among our other honored foremothers. Did you know that Ottar, as she was also called, co-founded International Planned Parenthood? 
All the details inside and outside The Foremothers Café are historically accurate with Swedish details, with the exception that English is used instead of Swedish in most places, and with some artistic license. The world is not a digital twin of Lund then or now, but an inspired world with scenes from Helen's book.

Support and Recognition

The Foremothers Café is built by Cause+Christi Immersive XR Design.
Special Thanks to SWEA NY and The Puffin Foundation.
The Foremothers Cafe Community was nominated for an Auggie Award For Biggest Societal Impact in May 2023, and Helen was nominated for an XR Women Trailblazer Award in June, also in 2023.

The Foremothers Cafe and Helen were featured in the award winning documentary 48 Hours in The Metaverse, 2022. 

Helen's novel and The Foremothers Café inspired a Meta Quest Skin from Briar Prestidge's dynamic World Hopping Meta Quest 2 Collection.

Trailers