- The banner created by SPAN Arts for the mass participation artwork PROCESSIONS will be displayed in a new exhibition at London Scottish House in Westminster. The artwork will join more than 100 extraordinary banners made by artists and women’s groups across the UK.
- Emblazoned with the concerns of women and girls, the banners highlight the ongoing struggle to achieve gender equality.
- Tickets for the exhibition, which is free to attend, must be booked in advance via the Artichoke website.
An artwork created by SPAN Arts will be displayed as part of Women Making History, a new exhibition of more than 100 hand-crafted banners commissioned for PROCESSIONS, a mass-participation artwork that took place in June 2018, commissioned by 14-18 NOW and produced by Artichoke. This free, ticketed exhibition will take place from 2 June – 11 July 2021 at London Scottish House in Westminster.
Expressing women’s concerns about gender-based violence, reproductive and economic rights, social exclusion, homophobia and trans allyship, these banners are a powerful reminder of the importance of feminist activism and the ongoing struggle for gender equality. Inspired by the banners of the suffrage movement, these vibrant and elaborate artworks by women’s groups across the UK, and leading figures in British art and fashion including Vivienne Westwood and Claudette Johnson, will be displayed together for the first and only time. Visitors will be able to view up close the craftsmanship and collaboration which went into each banner.
Textile artist Nia Lewis worked with The Women Survivors Support Project to design and make a banner that portrays the lives, ideas and hopes of women in Wales today. As well as designing a striking banner, the participants have been encouraged to consider what their vote means for them, and how the campaign of the suffragettes still impacts on the lives of women in the 21st Century.
One participant said, “Having a vote validates women as citizens, it gives us a voice and freedom to express our opinions – I value this.”
Tens of thousands of women took to the streets in Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh and London in June 2018 to mark 100 years since the first UK women were allowed to vote. PROCESSIONS provided a unique moment to celebrate the agency of women and reflect on what it means to be a woman today. Three years on, the exhibition continues this legacy, providing an opportunity to reflect on the banners’ calls for equality, to examine the pace of progress and to be inspired to keep pushing for change.
