2018 marks the 100th anniversary of The Representation of the People’s Act, brought in to reform the electoral system in Great Britain. Enfranchising women over 30 who met minimum property qualifications, the Act marked a key stage in the continuing journey towards universal suffrage.
Previewing on Thursday 8 March; International Women’s Day, and as part of Manchester’s Wonder Women Festival and coinciding with Women’s History Month, Castlefield Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of newly commissioned works by Ruth Barker and Hannah Leighton-Boyce, including the premiere of the performance If this is the last thing that I say by Ruth Barker, a work that Barker has made in response to feelings around her own mortality and an anxiety around motherhood, illness, physical vulnerability. Brutal world politics, and the economic conditions of contemporary Britain are, Barker feels, rapidly coalescing to render her publicly mute.
As well as the exhibition and events here at Castlefield Gallery, we’ve put together a round-up of some of the visual arts events and exhibitions happening across Manchester throughout March:
Feminist Takeover and Wonder Women 2018 Festival Launch at Manchester Art Gallery Celebrate the launch of Wonder Women 2018 with a feminist takeover at Manchester Art Gallery, inspired by the radical Manchester-born artist and feminist campaigner, Annie Swynnerton (1844–1933) and led by Instigate Arts. Thursday 1 March, 6-8pm / Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley Street, Manchester M2 3JL
NOW: a dialogue on female Chinese contemporary artists This collaborative programme led by Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art (CFCCA) brings together five distinct art organisations across the UK, to show a diverse range of art works and new commissions from some of the most exciting female artists working in mainland China. 16 February – 29 April / CFCCA, Market buildings, Thomas Street, Northern Quarter, Manchester, M4 1EU
Fe/Male is an exhibition at AIR Gallery that explores the boundaries of gender in contemporary art. The exhibition aims to stimulate the mind and the senses to provide a provoking and compelling take on the theme of gender and sexuality, as well as playing with the politics and pleasures of visual culture. 2 February–10 March / AIR Gallery, 30 Grosvenor Road, Altrincham WA14 1LD
Sylvia Pankhurst: Working Women Manchester Art Gallery are showing a selection of paintings and pastels by Sylvia Pankhurst (1882-1960). The daughter of Emmeline Pankhurst, the leader of the Women’s Social and Political Union, Sylvia was a prominent Suffragette, and later an anti-fascist campaigner, as well as being an artist trained at Manchester School of Art. 19 January – 29 April / Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley Street, Manchester M2 3JL
Hannah Wooll – Interior World Hannah Wooll explores the domestic space, interior life and the value associated with related objects and artworks. Her most recent practice relies on junk-shop sourced found media; starkly-lit, contrived photographs lifted from the pages of outmoded craft manuals set against incongruous ink painted figures. 17 February – 31 March 2018 / PAPER, Unit 12 Mirabel Studios 14-20 Mirabel Street, Manchester M3 1PJ
The Uncivilised Sun Sophie Tyrrell is a painter, sculptor and performance artist with a background in theatre and storytelling. Through books and artworks, Sophie illuminates the links between diverse traditions in myth, folklore and popular culture, exploring the idea of ‘uncivilisation’ and the alternative histories we share across borders and among peoples. 16 February – 24 March / The Portico Library, 57 Mosley Street, Manchester M2 3FF
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