A leading campaigner for women’s and workers’ rights, Sylvia Pankhurst (1882-1960) helped shape the policy and the methods of the suffragette struggle. She attended the Royal College of Art, and as both an artist and an activist, she placed visual imagery, performance, costume and colour at the heart of political activism and argument. Join our panel as they discuss Sylvia Pankhurst, her creative approach to fighting oppression and the contemporary resonances of her work.

This event is the fourth in a series re-thinking the life and work of influential historical figures from across the Academy’s disciplines. It follows events exploring Freud, Wollstonecraft and Malthus. 

Speakers:
Katherine Connelly Author Sylvia Pankhurst: Suffragette, Socialist and Scourge of Empire (Pluto Press, 2013); Queen Mary, University of London
Rachel Holmes Author, Eleanor Marx: A Life (Bloomsbury, 2014)
Dr Naomi Paxton Research Assistant, University of Lincoln and UK Parliament Vote 100 project
Hester Reeve Reader in Fine Art, Sheffield Hallam University; Co-founder of the Emily Davison Lodge; Co-curator of BP Spotlight: Sylvia Pankhurst, Tate Britain 2013-4

Chair:
Professor Sally Shuttleworth FBA Professor of English Literature, University of Oxford

Thinkers For Our Time - Sylvia Pankhurst

The British Academy is the UK’s national academy for the humanities and social sciences. We mobilise these disciplines to understand the world and shape a brighter future. ​

From artificial intelligence to climate change, from building prosperity to improving well-being – today’s complex challenges can only be resolved by deepening our insight into people, cultures and societies.​

We invest in researchers and projects across the UK and overseas, ​engage the public with fresh thinking and debates, and bring together scholars, government, business and civil society to influence policy for ​the benefit of everyone. ​