To celebrate Women’s History Month, Selly Manor Museum has organised a special evening of talks focused on women in the Arts and Crafts Movement.
They include celebrated local artists who studied at Birmingham School of Art and went on to create permanent artworks, such as stained glass windows and frescoes in Bournville Parish Church and Bournville Village Primary School.
Housing reform will be explored too, including how Arts and Crafts architecture influenced change in Birmingham suburbs and local politics.
The talks will be delivered by some of Birmingham’s leading Museum professionals, including curator of Winterbourne House, Henrietta Lockhart, and Heritage Engagement specialists, Rachel West and India Wilson.
Louise Deakin, Heritage Engagement Officer at Selly Manor Museum, said: “Women’s History Month is about celebrating the extraordinary women who made an impact on our history, culture and society yet are often overlooked.
“Bournville Village has been described as ‘perhaps the fullest expression of Arts and Crafts ideals’ in Birmingham. George Cadbury put enormous faith in William Alexander Harvey, a young architect to design the village, but what of the women who contributed to and were influenced by Bournville?
“In these talks we will learn of trailblazers in housing reform, conservation, art, and design. We want to celebrate their creativity and leadership and discover how far their impact reached beyond Bournville.”
The story of Mary Sergeant Florence will be one of the inspiring women the evening will explore. She is a celebrated British painter, whose work is included in the art collection at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. An active suffragist, she designed posters for the Women’s Rights Movement.
She is known in Bournville as the artist who created the incredible frescoes of biblical scenes, which surround the central hall in Bournville Village Primary School. Selly Manor has partnered with the school for this special event, and this will be a unique opportunity to see the frescoes up close.
This fantastic evening of talks will explore the untold stories of Mary, and others, ensuring they aren’t forgotten and that their lives, art, and successes are rightly celebrated.
Untold Stories: Women in the Arts and Crafts Movement will take place on Thursday 16th March, 6.30pm – 8.30pm, at Bournville Village Primary School, Linden Road, Birmingham B30 1JY.
Booking is essential and whilst the event is free, Selly Manor Museum welcomes donations towards Birmingham and Solihull Women’s Aid – a charity that supports women and children affected by domestic violence and abuse.
For further details and to book go to https://sellymanormuseum.org.uk/events/2023-03-16/untold-stories-women-in-the-arts-and-crafts-movement-symposium
Opened by George Cadbury, Selly Manor Museum is one of Birmingham’s most historic visitor attractions and welcomes thousands of people every year. Made up of two distinct buildings, it brings Tudor history to life with interactive exhibits, tours, talks and special events.
George opened the Museum after he rescued it from destruction and much of its beautiful collection was donated by the chocolate-maker’s son Laurence. To find out more about Selly Manor Museum, please visit www.sellymanormuseum.org.uk