Mayor of London announces major public art project

• Artists take us back in time, shining a light on overlooked women from London’s history.
• Major public art project will see up to 20 artists transform walls and public spaces right across the capital
• Free to the public LDN WMN will run from the 18 to 28 October and has been curated by Tate Collective as part of the Mayor’s #BehindEveryGreatCity campaign

The Mayor, Sadiq Khan, today announced a new public exhibition that will see 20 new artworks of London women popping up in more than a dozen public spaces right across the city.

Through a partnership with Tate Collective, artists have been commissioned to create work featuring women who have played a crucial role in London’s history, but have been largely overlooked. They include reporter and activist Jackie Forster, suffragist Lolita Roy, suffragette Adelaide Knight and the women who built Waterloo Bridge.

This exhibition, LDN WMN, will see ambitious artworks displayed from 18 October to 28 October in a range of public locations, from Canning Town to Alexandra Palace, Brick Lane to Kings Cross. The work will include large installations, paintings and digital graphics, and will bring the hidden stories of London’s campaigning and pioneering women to life on the streets of the city.

The exhibition is the latest part of the Mayor of London’s year-long women’s equality campaign, #BehindEveryGreatCity, to mark the centenary of the first women in the UK winning the right to vote, and drive forward gender equality across the city.

LDN WMN will address the underrepresentation of women in art, and in particular provide a platform for talented young diverse artists in London. Research has revealed that 78 per cent of galleries in London represent more men than women, with only five per cent representing an equal number of men and women artists¹. A recent report from the Arts Council shows that there remains significant under-representation of people from a BAME background in the creative industries, making up only 17 per cent of the arts workforce in England².

This project has been funded by the Centenary Cities grant scheme, a £1.2 million government fund that is supporting the celebration of the Women’s Suffrage Centenary in seven cities and towns in England with a strong suffrage history - Bolton, Bristol, Leeds, Leicester, London, Manchester and Nottingham. The curation of the LDN WMN artworks has been supported by Jack Arts, The Southbank Centre, Network Rail, Alexandra Palace, The Village Underground, and The Old Truman Brewery.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Women of every age, background, faith and ethnicity make London the great city that it is – and these new artworks will rightly put the spotlight on the musicians, journalists, campaigners, engineers and designers who have had a fundamental impact on the city we live in. Women remain underrepresented both as the subjects of works of art, and as artists. I’m pleased that LDN WMN is challenging how we celebrate the achievements of women in London, as well as giving a platform to talented artists in London.”

Justine Simons, OBE, Deputy Mayor for Culture and Creative Industries, said: “We will shine a light on amazing London women past and present. A host of remarkable women whose stories have not been told will be honoured by a new generation of talented women artists. Contemporary artworks of these important historical figures will appear across London’s public spaces and places - from Southbank Centre square, to Alexandra Palace, from Kings Cross Station to Redbridge community library. It’s all part of the Mayor’s Behind Every Great City campaign, our continued push for gender equality in the capital.”

Maria Balshaw, Director of Tate said: “We are delighted that members of the London Tate Collective team have been invited to curate this exciting initiative, highlighting the creativity of emerging artists and celebrating exceptional women. It will be thrilling to see these artworks unveiled across London.”

Soofiya, one of the artists selected by Tate Collective, said: "For me it’s so important to celebrate histories of these amazing women, but not in a traditional way, like a fact sheet, or stone statue, or an essay, it's so hard to engage with on a human level. But, by celebrating their work artistically, creatively, and powerfully, this project gives voice to a present generation artist and feels like an ode not only to the women but the legacy and activism they leave behind for us to build on.” ​