Britain’s history is laden with contributions from outstanding women who helped to shape the world we live in today. From suffragette struggles in Manchester to ground-breaking sculpture in Cornwall and an era-defining voice in London, their vast and wide-ranging achievements can be celebrated on International Women’s Day, on 8 March, and during a future trip to Britain. Visitors can discover exhibitions that delve into the nations’ heritage and see the locations that inspired famed artistic and literary works, as they experience Britain through women’s history….
Uncover legacies and art in London
Those dreaming of London can plan a future trip to Newington Green, Islington, to pay tribute to Mary Wollstonecraft. Often called the ‘mother of feminism’, Wollstonecraft fought for equal rights in education and to enhance the status of women in the 18th century. 2020 marked the 200th anniversary of her death and saw the unveiling of a commemorative statue created by artist Maggi Hambling, which honours the writer of the revolutionary A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792) and mother of renowned author, Mary Shelley. Visitors can add to their itinerary and plan a trip to London’s cool East End to walk the cobbled streets of Wollstonecraft’s place of birth, Spitalfields, which is home to historic houses and the renowned open market.The Tate Modern’s 2021 programme is packed with world-famous female artists. Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirror Rooms will enjoy a year-long run from March 2021, while the UK’s first retrospective of Swiss Dadaist Sophie Taeuber-Arp is set to come to the capital from July to October 2021. Other solo exhibitions to look out for include a display from Turner Prize winning artist Lubaina Himid, opening in November 2021, and a Paula Rego retrospective, on show at The Tate Britain from July until October 2021.
2021 marks a decade since Amy Winehouse’s death shocked the world. The British icon’s songs heavily influenced the music scene of the 2000s, with Back to Black ranking as one of the UK’s best-selling albums of the 21st century. Visitors can plan to pay homage to the smoky-voiced ‘Queen of Camden’ with a trip to the singer’s local pub, The Hawley Arms, outside her former home at 30 Camden Square, or with a visit to the life-size bronze statue of the star at Camden Stables Market.
Find inspiration in Southern England
Southern England was home to Virginia Woolf, a writer who championed equality, educational reform and new writing styles and techniques. Woolf penned many of her finest works at Monk’s House in Sussex, a 16th-century countryside bolthole complete with a writing lodge, serene cottage garden, orchards and ponds. A walk and picnic across the sweeping South Downs National Park or a trip to the nearby coastal city of Brighton, Britain’s unofficial LGBTQI+ capital, are both activities within easy reach.Barbara Hepworth broke the boundaries of natural form in sculpture and was one of the most influential modernist artists of the 20th century, making the Barbara Hepworth Museum in St Ives, Cornwall, another must-see for culture buffs. Visitors can discover her vision as they explore her home, garden and her carving and plaster studios, which house the largest collection of her works on permanent display. Fans of her work can also follow the trail of the sculptor in northern England, with a visit to the Hepworth Wakefield gallery, in the Yorkshire city of Wakefield where she was born.
Follow pioneers to the Midlands and Northern England
In 1903 Manchester saw the birth of the Suffragette movement, an organisation that was integral in gaining voting rights for women. Visitors can celebrate this momentous event at Manchester’s Pankhurst Centre. Once home to the movement’s founder, Emmeline Pankhurst, the Centre’s new permanent exhibition will offer visitors a glimpse into the life of the Pankhurst family and their political struggle when it reopens in summer 2021.Visitors can also explore the history of women in Manchester on a walking tour with Invisible Cities. The social enterprise trains guides affected by homelessness to provide unique tours of their city, enabling participants to discover more while giving back to the local community.
Future travellers to Britain can head to the West Midlands to see one of Britain’s most famous cultural spots, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. The theatre was Britain’s first major building to be designed by a woman, Elisabeth Scott, when it was constructed in 1932. Scott championed gender balance during the project, working with the Fawcett Society to promote women in male-dominated roles. Culture fans can check the Royal Shakespeare Company for the latest information on rearrangements for their postponed productions, including The Winter’s Tale, The Comedy of Errors and more.
Discover Scotland’s trailblazers
As well as being home to impressive medical collections, Surgeon’s Hall Museums tells the story of the ‘Edinburgh Seven’ who, in 1869, were among the first women to be enrolled at a British university. In 1870, this group of medical students was immortalised by a riot that sparked outside the Surgeon’s Hall, when an angry crowd of their male peers prevented them from taking a scheduled exam. The venue’s WOHL Pathology Museum gives insight into these trailblazing female students, who gathered much support for their cause from both men and women and were posthumously awarded their degrees in 2019.Visitors can pay homage to this group from home, with a virtual tour of the Surgeon’s Hall Museums.
Visitors are encouraged to always check individual attraction websites for the latest information, as events and details are subject to change.
Website: www.theholidayandtravelmagazine.blogspot.com.au
Website: www.visitbritain.com/gb/en/
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