Feminist Art Lives

Feminist Art Lives, a new podcast series about the encounter between art and feminism across Britain and Ireland, in the words of the artists and creatives themselves.

In each episode, researchers from the Feminist Art Making Histories (FAMH) Project explore stories and insights from the newly created FAMH archive of oral history interviews with artists, curators and writers who were active in the 1970s, 80s and 90s.

They uncover new stories of art and activism from a moment when everything was questioned and the category of art was tested and remade.

From the art school to D.I.Y. gallery, the kitchen table to the museum, the interviews reveal the vitality of artistic experiment and the tactics and strategies artists and creatives found to share their work beyond the mainstream.

Alive to difference and disagreement within feminism, each episode shows how artists, makers and creatives forged paths through divisive issues, making work that continues to help us understand the world and its inequities.

Listen to a critical generation of artists and thinkers whose voices who are rarely heard, and who remain less well-represented in public museums and art histories.

Whether you’re interested in art or feminism, or you love listening to people talk about their lives, prepare to be inspired and moved by these remarkable women.

The series was produced by Rosie Oliver. Rosie is an audio producer making narrative and oral history-based documentary podcasts. Past projects include the Women in Revolt! six-part series for Tate about art and activism in the UK, 1970-1990; the Rebel Dykes podcast about the Rebel Dykes documentary film; and Where to, now the sequins have gone? about Lewisham’s lost gay pubs.

Listen to the podcast here.

Episode 1: Art Education

How did women’s time at art school shape their development as artists? How did feminist ideas influence their journeys? And how did mentorship—especially between women—play a role in sustaining creative and academic careers over time?

Elspeth Mitchell explores interviews in the Feminist Art Making Histories archive with women who talked about their experiences in art education. Elspeth is a lecturer at the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies, at the University of Leeds. She’s also one of the researchers on the Feminist Art Making Histories team.

Featuring edited clips from interviews with Sam Ainsley, Adele Patrick, Marlene Smith, Symrath Patti, Mary Duffy, Ailbhe Smyth and Griselda Pollock.

Listen to the podcast here.

Episode 2: Picturing Ourselves

How did the issue of whether to represent women’s bodies become so controversial that feminists would have physical fights about it? And how did the creative experiments of artists who chose to represent themselves complicate how we understand identity, being, thinking, feeling and healing?

Amy Tobin explores interviews in the Feminist Art Making Histories archive that discuss the representation of women. Hear about work that was variously full of anger, pride, defiance, curiosity, excitement, joy, hilarity, sensuality – never puritanical.

Amy is a professor based in the Department of History of Art at the University of Cambridge and a curator at the University’s modern and contemporary art gallery, Kettle’s Yard. She’s also one of the researchers on the Feminist Art Making Histories team.

Featuring edited clips from interviews with Alice Maher, Cosey Fanni Tutti, Sonia Boyce, Rose English, Vivienne Dick, Terri Wragg, Rosy Martin, Penny Slinger, Pauline Cummings and three former members of See Red Women’s Workshop: Pru Stevenson, Suzy Mackie and Anne Robinson.

Listen to the podcast here.