The Miss World Spectacle (1950s - 1980s)
This course will take place in person and includes a curator’s tour of the Carolee Schneemann exhibition at Barbican Art Gallery.
Bishopsgate Institute is collaborating with Barbican Centre to bring you this thought-provoking session exploring themes important to the artist Carolee Schneemann’s work through original items from our special collections.
We will examine feminist flashpoints such as the 1970 Miss World protest using curated sets of historical sources, including zines, newsletters, and pamphlets.
After the session, we will make our way to the Barbican Centre to enjoy a curator’s tour of the Carolee Schneemann: Body Politics exhibition.
Who is this course for?
- Anyone curious to discover the lives and experiences of women in the late twentieth century through original historical sources and artworks
- Informal learners looking for an accessible and engaging introduction to ‘second wave’ feminism both in Britain and the USA
- Activists and radicals seeking information about the objectification and oppression of women during the late twentieth century.
Timings
16:00 - 18:00: Miss World Spectacle archive workshop at Bishopsgate Institute's Library with our Interpretation Manager Dr Michelle Johansen.
18:00 - 19:00: Comfort break, snacks provided, travel to Barbican Centre.
19:00 - 20:00: Curator-led tour at Barbican Centre with Amber Li.
What can I expect?
No previous knowledge of art/feminism is required. Snacks will be provided during the break.
The group will walk to the Barbican Centre on foot, though participants are welcome to travel independently by other means such as bike or bus if they wish.
We will be looking at a range of materials, some of which have small print. Please bring reading glasses if worn.
How we’re keeping you safe
August 2022 update: Keeping you safe and healthy is our number one priority.
If you test positive for Covid-19 or are asked to isolate and are not able to attend your class or pre-booked event, please contact the Bishopsgate Box Office for further information (enquiries@bishopsgate.org.uk). Please do not come to the Institute in person if you have symptoms or have tested positive.
Bishopsgate Institute has a thorough cleaning schedule in place and we clean the most populated areas more often. You will find hand-sanitising stations throughout the building as well as touch-free drinking fountains.
Find out more about how we’re keeping you safe.
Image: Joanne O'Brien, Format Photographers Agency Archive
Need to Know
You will learn
- To see modern feminism differently through an increased understanding of feminist activism from the 1960s to the 1980s
- How women’s history interacts with wider cultural and political histories
- The unique and often uplifting stories of women struggling individually and collectively towards recognition, equality, and self-realisation
Meet the Tutors
Dr Michelle Johansen
Dr Michelle Johansen is a social historian specialising in the history of modern London, with a particular emphasis on social class and mobility, gender, professional lives, and regional identities. Her publications include articles in Teaching History, the London Journal, and Cultural and Social History. Michelle has more than ten years' experience of delivering learning sessions at Bishopsgate Institute for all types of learners, from primary school pupils to undergraduates to informal adult learners. Her teaching approach places the emphasis on access to original historical documents, which provides a uniquely dynamic and immersive classroom experience.
Amber Li
Amber Li is Curatorial Assistant at Barbican, where she has worked on Carolee Schneemann: Body Politics. Previously, she was Curatorial Trainee at The Hepworth Wakefield where she worked on the second year of iniva's Future Collect project (2022). Amber is also a member of Future Commons.
Dates and Times
The Miss World Spectacle (1950s - 1980s)
, 7:10 - 11:10
