Women in Revolt! celebrates two decades of female art and activism at The Whitworth

A landmark new exhibition at The Whitworth combines works from more than 90 women artists and collectives whose ideas were forged against the backdrop of seismic social, political and economic change during the 1970s and 1980s.

Women in Revolt! has been organised in collaboration with Tate Britain and National Galleries of Scotland, and its run at The Whitworth marks its first-ever free entry presentation.

This first-of-its-kind major UK survey of feminist art celebrates the powerful and often provocative work of women whose radical ideas and rebellious methods changed the face of British culture.

Women in Revolt! explores six key themes, spanning two decades of art and activism. Beginning in 1970 with the first UK women’s liberation conference, the exhibition covers topics including the campaigns for equal pay and labour rights, the body and sexuality, maternal and domestic experiences, punk, post-punk and subcultures, Greenham Common and the peace movement, anti-racist campaigning and the visibility of Black and South Asia women artists, women’s place in the social and economic system of Thatcher’s Britain, Disability Arts, lesbian representation, Section 28 and HIV activism.

Visitors to the exhibition will have the opportunity to see works by both household names like Lubaina Himid, Sonia Boyce and Ingrid Pollard, alongside less familiar names who have been left out of mainstream art historical narratives.

On the Whitworth’s sculpture terrace, visitors can see An Edible Family in a Mobile Home by Bobby Baker. This major artwork contains five life-size sculptures of family members made from cake, biscuit and meringue, which will be steadily eaten by the public.

First presented in 1976 in Baker’s prefabricated home, the work has been unseen for almost 50 years. Restaged in 2023 at Tate Britain and now travelling to the Whitworth complete with a fully refreshed interior, this is a unique opportunity to experience the iconic installation for the last time.

The cakes will be baked by Manchester’s women-owned and run Long Boi’s Bakehouse, and assembled by Bobby Baker and her team. Visitors to the gallery will be invited into the house to sample the delicious edible sculptures, welcomed by hosts selected from creative courses at The University of Manchester, and trained by Baker herself

A variety of mediums are displayed as part of the collection. Paintings, drawings, sculptures, installations, textiles, films, photography, and documentation of performances will be shown alongside a range of archival materials, many of which will be displayed for the first time since the 1970s.

An Edible Family in a Mobile Home will be on display until Sun 20 Apr. The rest of Women in Revolt! is on display until Sun 1 Jun. Entry is completely free, you can find more information here.

Featured image credit: David Oates