We are delighted to see Her Court featured in the July Wimbledon Tennis Special issue of Time & Leisure.
The feature, “Wimbledon’s Other Legacy,” explores the exhibition’s connection to Wimbledon’s remarkable suffrage history, with Cynthia Valianti Corbett, founder of Young Masters, and Helen Pankhurst CBE reflecting on art, activism, local history and the continuing fight for representation.
A collaboration between Young Masters and Wimbledon Museum, Her Court brings contemporary art into dialogue with archival material connected to the women’s suffrage movement. Opening during the Wimbledon Championships, the exhibition brings together painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography, textiles and film.
Speaking to Time & Leisure, Cynthia Valianti Corbett describes the discovery that became one of the exhibition’s central visual threads:
“The link between the colours white, purple and green was a revelation. These colours were famously used by the suffragettes in their banners and protests, yet they are also synonymous with the Wimbledon Championships. It seems obvious once you see it, but until we started researching the project, we hadn’t appreciated how closely aligned they were.”
Helen Pankhurst CBE, women’s rights campaigner and founder of Centenary Action, reflects on why uncovering local histories such as Wimbledon’s role in the suffrage movement remains so important:
“Local stories resonate locally and help to tell the national story. What was powerful about the suffrage movement is exactly this, how women up and down the country, of all ages and backgrounds became involved and campaigned together. Without the local stories, history becomes partial, its richness and tapestry are lost.”
Founded by Helen Pankhurst in 2018, Centenary Action was established to mark 100 years since some women gained the right to vote and campaigns to remove barriers to women’s political participation, with a mission to achieve a gender-equal UK Parliament by 2028.
For Cynthia, the exhibition ultimately offers visitors an opportunity to encounter this history through contemporary eyes:
“We hope people experience a genuine sense of discovery. Each artist has responded differently to the idea of Her Court, and together they create something thought-provoking, accessible and deeply engaging.”
Read the full feature in Time & Leisure: “Discover Wimbledon’s Hidden Feminist History.”
https://timeandleisure.co.uk/things-to-do/discover-wimbledons-hidden-feminist-history/
We are grateful to Time & Leisure, our media partner, for this wonderful feature and for helping bring the extraordinary suffrage history of Wimbledon to a wider audience.
