WOMEN POWER PROTEST

WOMEN POWER PROTEST – how much has really changed for women since 1918, and what hope can we hold for the future?

Well, a lot it seems. I left Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery filled with optimism and anticipation for what lies ahead for inclusivity and equality.

WOMEN POWER PROTEST opened on 10th November and will run until 31st March and is not to be missed! The newest exhibition in the Arts Council Collection National Partners Programme marks the centenary of some women getting the vote in spectacular fashion, displaying modern and contemporary artworks within the curatorial themes of dignity, activism and hope. The works on display range in medium, scale and subject matter, displaying the breadth of what ‘women’s issues’ are – or more accurately, human issues. This exhibition marches from poignant artwork to poignant artwork, by artists such as Margaret Harrison, Jann Haworth, Mona Hatoum and Lubaina Himid (the oldest artist and first black woman to win the Turner Prize).

The exhibition’s structure, being divided into three themes, allows us to consider the artworks individually as well as relationally. It allows us to appreciate the multitude of female voices rather than one all-encompassing voice, appreciating the intersectionalities of people, considering race, sexuality, age, locality in our appreciation of the women and artworks.

One of the most interesting things about the exhibition was the large space put aside for reading, writing, pondering. A space within the show which allowed the audience to digest what was on display and contribute their own thoughts to the narrative, but, perhaps the most distinctive and unusual aspect of this space were BMAG’s suggestions. In large print on the wall was a list of how the museum is working to achieve “open, inclusive and safe spaces in galleries”, addressing the difficulties of showing works that generate a range of diverse reactions and emotions in audiences. Their suggestions for accessing this particular exhibition (although I would take them as suggestions for life) are as follows:

Respect other people’s views, even if you disagree

Make every effort to be kind and get along with others
Attempt not to judge or presume. Tell others what you believe and let them do the same
Speak with positivity; look for both similarities and difference
Do not expect others to agree with you or have to
Try not to treat someone as a spokesperson for how they present to you. They represent their own experience rather than a collective community
If in doubt, ask. If you’re concerned about how to express something, phrase a comment or would like to bounce ideas off someone, speak to a member of staff or perhaps other visitors
Be open to learning; expose yourself to differing viewpoint to your own to help understand others
Respect other people’s privacy and boundaries – information that share is a privilege not a right.

Having seen the brilliant exhibition, Coming Out, at BMAG last December it is clear that some radical institutional change is being adopted by the museum and its staff. Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery are paving the way to a more diverse, honest and inclusive future that all museums should strive for.

WOMEN POWER PROTEST was shocking at times and all too familiar at others. It is informative yet open to differing viewpoints. There seems to be no predetermined route through the space, whether you begin at activism, as I did, dignity or hope, the message is clear: progress has been made, and must continue to be made if we are to live in a truly equal and inclusive world.