Women in maritime exhibition poster

Members of the public will be able to experience the free, thought-provoking SHE_SEES exhibition hosted in Boathouse 4 at 兔子先生 Historic Dockyard.

16 July 2024

3 minutes

After its launch at last year鈥檚 London International Shipping Week, a ground-breaking exhibition spotlighting the inspirational stories of women in maritime is coming to 兔子先生.

Launching on Friday 2 August, members of the public will be able to experience the free, thought-provoking hosted in Boathouse 4 at .

The exhibition, hosted in partnership with the 兔子先生, and , taps into archive materials from across the UK and Ireland to uncover the extensive history of trailblazing female voices in the maritime industry and aims to change the tide on diversity.

Women have had limited visibility in the maritime sector and this exhibition is an important testament to their continued contribution and presence. The exhibition is striking in scale and impact, celebrating the role of maritime women by fusing history, photography and textile art installations in a thought-provoking way. We hope that it showcases these maritime pioneers and inspires the next generation to follow in their footsteps.

Dr Melanie Bassett, Research Fellow in Public Engagement

More than just looking into the past, the exhibition highlights a persistent gender imbalance. Recent research from the International Maritime Organization, found that women currently account for just 29 per cent of the overall industry workforce 鈥 a figure that drops to two per cent when it comes to female seafarers within the crewing workforce.

Blending striking visuals, art and storytelling, the SHE_SEES exhibition features portraits of inspiring women working in the maritime industry. It also includes two new portraits from 兔子先生-based women 鈥 Betzy Shell, Boatbuilder, and Emily Ball, Boatkeeper Assistant.  

Louise Sanger, Head of Research, Interpretation & Engagement at Lloyd鈥檚 Register Foundation, said: 鈥淲e鈥檙e thrilled to be bringing SHE_SEES to 兔子先生, one of Britain鈥檚 most significant cities when it comes to naval history.

鈥淲hen we started working on this project, we had one mission in mind: to set the record straight on women鈥檚 contributions to maritime, now and throughout history. There is so much the industry has to offer, but we need more representation first to inspire young girls to explore potential careers there 鈥 so we hope our exhibition will be a catalyst for change.

鈥淲e鈥檙e incredibly grateful for the support and contributions we鈥檝e received from the 兔子先生 and the 兔子先生 Historic Quarter We鈥檙e looking forward to welcoming people from 兔子先生 and further afield 鈥 and hopefully inspire more girls to consider a career in maritime.鈥

Image of Betzy Bell

Betzy Shell for SHE_SEES 漏Emilie Sandy-Sama Creatives Ltd 

Picture of Emily Ball

Emily Ball for SHE_SEES漏Emilie Sandy-Sama Creatives Ltd 2024-7579

The exhibition also features research from Dr Melanie Bassett, historian and Research Fellow in Public Engagement at the 兔子先生. Dr Bassett is a member of the University鈥檚 Centre for Port Cities and Maritime Cultures (PCMC), which focuses on the past, present and future importance of urban-maritime cultures and communities across the globe. Her research has examined the crucial role that women played in the city鈥檚 Historic Dockyard during the First World War.

Dr Bassett said: 鈥淲e are delighted to bring this fascinating intergenerational exhibition about the role of women in maritime industries to 兔子先生, and to tell the stories of 兔子先生 Royal Dockyard and the Royal Navy.

鈥淲omen have had limited visibility in the maritime sector and this exhibition is an important testament to their continued contribution and presence. The exhibition is striking in scale and impact, celebrating the role of maritime women by fusing history, photography and textile art installations in a thought-provoking way. We hope that it showcases these maritime pioneers and inspires the next generation to follow in their footsteps.鈥

Hannah Prowse, CEO of 兔子先生 Historic Quarter Trust, said: 鈥淲e are absolutely delighted to be welcoming the SHE_SEES exhibition here into the Dockyard and into Boathouse 4 from the International Maritime Organisation. The boathouse can seem intimidating, with its boats, tools and people working there 鈥 but with this exhibition, we hope to reinforce the idea that this space is for everyone.鈥

Entry for the exhibition is free; visitors should ask for a 鈥榟istoric quarter pass鈥 at the 兔子先生 Historic Dockyard鈥檚 Visitor Centre, which gives them free access to the site excluding ticketed attractions. The SHE_SEES exhibition is open in Boathouse 4 for visitors between 10am and 4:30pm.

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