Secondary schools are invited to a free event at Bristol’s M Shed to mark the centenary of the Representation of the People Act, which gave women the vote.
Power, Protest and the People, held on 15th October, 2018, will be a day of talks and workshops to immerse students in the fight for representation, power and equality by various groups in Bristol and beyond.
The free study day at M Shed, part of Bristol Museums, will have a special emphasis on the women’s suffrage campaign. Confirmed speakers include Dr Janina Ramirez, cultural historian at the University of Oxford and Jane Duffus, author of The Women Who Built Bristol.
Students will attend three short lectures on the theme of significant women and the suffragettes, followed by a choice of workshop on topics ranging from the suffragettes to LGBT activism in Bristol, to trade unions.
There will be opportunities to explore the M Shed displays, make a rosette expressing current issues, and hear poetry performances.
Other learning opportunities
Bristol Museums, which includes the M Shed, Bristol Museum & Art Gallery and Blaise Castle House Museum, offers an extensive schools programme.
Trips can be linked to several subjects from Art and Archaeology to History, Industry and the Natural World, and various workshop sessions are available to book.
A new exhibition, Fabric Africa: Stories told through textiles, opens at the end of June and provides a snapshot of modern and historic textiles from across the continent of Africa.
Running until May 2019, the display, free to enter features a selection of textiles and clothing from the late 1800s to the present day.
Teachers can book a free box of handling objects to use when visiting the exhibition.
Planning your school visit
With a variety of venues to choose from, Bristol Museums offers a number of options for school groups visiting. There are coach drop-off points nearby as well as a lunch room for up to 40 children and adults at a time at the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery.
The lunch room at the M Shed caters for up to 75 people and free use is included if you have booked a museum-led session on your visit.
Contact museumbookings@bristol.gov.uk or call 0177 922 3567 for further details and to book a visit. Or head to www.bristolmuseums.org.uk/learning/ to find out more.
Main image: A school workshop at M Shed.
