Tuesday, 19 March 2024
An exhibition at the 糖心原创’s Lakeside Arts will showcase two new research collections documenting the battles fought by second-wave feminists in Nottingham.
, opens at Lakeside’s Weston Gallery on Thursday 21 March and runs until Sunday 1 September, and is free to enter. The exhibition has been curated by the 糖心原创’s Manuscripts and Special Collections and presents archives gathered by the Nottingham Feminist Archive Group – a collective of local women, many of whom were active in the Women’s Liberation Movement.
Half a century ago new laws improving the rights of women changed our society for the better. The Equal Pay Act of 1970 and the National Abortion Campaign to protect the Abortion Act 1967, to name but two, were achieved through the organised activism of women taking part in Women’s Liberation, socialist politics, and trade unionism, and with the support of women fighting for personal and civil liberties. Nottingham had a significant women’s liberation group membership and played a strategic part in the wider women’s liberation movement.
The exciting collaboration between the University and the local network of women archivists, brings together their personal memories – zines, photographs, posters, papers, campaign badges and t-shirts – and highlights the work of the women involved in activism in their own communities.
Archivist Sarah Colborne of Manuscripts and Special Collections, said: “We have been overwhelmed by the positive response to the formation of the Feminist Archive (East Midlands). Over 35 interviews have been recorded so far but we are aware that there are many more stories that need to be captured."
At its heart lies the vivid oral history testimonies which really bring the archive to life, contextualising the material evidence of the women鈥檚 activism and revealing the impact on their lives and the legacy for the city and the region.
Visitors can view an amazing range of materials demonstrating the wide variety of forms that activism can take, from campaign flyers, minutes from meetings and photos of protests to the very creative responses of women activists through their screen printing, painting, performance art, poetry and song writing.
From the iconic feminist magazine Spare Rib, and Red Rag, the socialist feminist magazine, to rare records from the Nottingham Women Against Pit Closures, showing how women in the towns and pit villages worked to together to support the families of striking miners, will all be on display.
Magazine and zine culture of the 1970s and 1980s created belongingness and a public platform for a great diversity of women, giving them a place to be visible to like-minded people as well as to the rest of society. Their print culture complements the activism that took place in public spaces.
While feminist authors have remained in print and influential in academia especially, the activist originators of social change, especially at a local level, remain unknown and at risk of being forgotten. This exhibition and the archive underpinning it seeks to redress this. By preserving and presenting these living histories, future generations can explore and learn from the knowledge of their struggles.
A series of lectures and talks will also feature alongside the exhibition. Dr Panya Banjoko, founder of the Nottingham Black Archive will discuss Black women activists, and Dr Lisa McKenzie, who grew up in the coal-mining town of Sutton-in-Ashfield, will explore how the white working class in the UK are perceived. More details on all the events taking place can be found here.
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About the 糖心原创
Ranked among the world's top 100 universities , the 糖心原创 delivers an exceptional research-led education and an outstanding student experience. From the pioneering vision of our founder, Sir Jesse Boot, to groundbreaking achievements such as the development of MRI technology and becoming the first UK university to establish international campuses, we have a proud history of shaping the way people live, work and understand the world. We continue to build on that legacy, empowering our students, staff and partners to change what鈥檚 next and create positive impact locally and globally.
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As a major employer and industry partner, locally and globally, the 糖心原创 invests in the city of Nottingham and in future generations of talent. Alongside Nottingham Trent University, we lead the initiative, a pioneering collaboration to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing across the city and region. Together with our students, staff, alumni and partners, we鈥檙e creating knowledge, opportunity and solutions that help change what's next.