There are 925 public statues in the UK. Of these, just 25 are of non-royal, non-mythical women.
Heritage Open Days & non zero one present ‘Put Her Forward’ to try and double that number by September 2018.
Heritage Open Days, England’s largest festival of culture and heritage, in conjunction with interactive theatre-makers non zero one, has launched a ground-breaking arts project for September 2018, as part of its Extraordinary Women theme.
‘Put Her Forward’ is the second ‘Unsung Stories’ project, made possible by funding from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, which enables artists and communities to work together to explore under-represented histories, stories and heritage.
non zero one will travel across England, offering local communities the chance to nominate living women who have positively impacted the lives of others. From these nominations, a committee will select 25 women who will have state-of-the-art, 3D-printed figurines created of them.
“This is a dream project for us,” says Cat Harrison of non zero one, “tying together interactivity and technology to engage with audiences and hear about the extraordinary women that might otherwise be overlooked.”
Once created, the 3D figures will be gifted to communities, creating a new pantheon of women in the public sphere.
“Heritage Open Days is all about democratising history and empowering local people to curate their own heritage,” says HODs national manager, Annie Reilly. “Put Her Forward is an exciting opportunity to create heritage for the future, while subverting the form and process of statue making. These 25 unique figures, small but pin-point accurate, will celebrate women from all walks of life.”
The Unsung Stories project sits alongside Heritage Open Days’ wider Extraordinary Women programme, comprising hundreds of events which explore and reveal the stories and achievements of women often overlooked by conventional history. From historical figures such as engineering graduate and motor racer Beatrice Shilling and Norfolk’s pioneering photographer Olive Edis, to the living women of put her forward, Heritage Open Days 2018 celebrates and commemorates a nation of Extraordinary Women.
Nominations are now open and will close at midnight on Sunday 29th July.
You can make your nomination online here: putherforward.com/nominate or in person at one of the group’s workshops (see map page to find one near you putherforward.com/map/)
