a statue for Sylvia Pankhurst - Trades Union Congress Statue for...Suffragettes to improve the lives...
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a statue for Sylvia Pankhurst Patrons: Maxine Peake, Baroness Margaret Prosser, Lord Chris Smith Committee: Philippa Clark, Professor Mary Davis, Megan Dobney, Barbara Switzer Late Patrons: Rodney Bickerstaffe, Baroness Brenda Dean, Richard Pankhurst It was 20 years ago, April 1998, that the story of A Statue for Sylvia started. Showing some young friends around the sights of Westminster and stopping in front of the memorial, adjacent to the House of Lords, to Emmeline and Christabel Pankhurst and the women who were imprisoned and force fed because of their determination to fight for the right of women to vote, Sylvia Pankhurst was notably absent. People may know about Sylvia the suffragette but perhaps be unaware that she doesn’t feature on this memorial to the suffragettes. She wrote the definitive history of the suffragette movement and whilst her name is primarily associated with the fight for votes for women, less well known is her active involvement in other causes both domestic and international. Sylvia trained as an artist. Whilst painting and thus documenting working women in factories, mills and potteries she wrote: “Mothers came to me with their wasted little ones. I saw starvation look at me from patient eyes. I knew then that I should never return to my art.” Sylvia was expelled from the Women’s Social and Political Union by her sister, Christabel, endorsed by her mother Emmeline and this is why she is not represented on the memorial despite also being imprisoned and force fed. They were opposed to her determination to improve the conditions of the poor and her belief Patron Baroness Brenda Dean Patron Maxine Peake
Transcript of a statue for Sylvia Pankhurst - Trades Union Congress Statue for...Suffragettes to improve the lives...
a statue for Sylvia Pankhurst Patrons: Maxine Peake, BaronessMargaret Prosser, Lord Chris Smith
Committee: Philippa Clark, ProfessorMary Davis, Megan Dobney, BarbaraSwitzer
Late Patrons: Rodney Bickerstaffe,Baroness Brenda Dean, RichardPankhurst
It was 20 years ago, April 1998, that thestory of A Statue for Sylvia started.Showing some young friends aroundthe sights of Westminster and stoppingin front of the memorial, adjacent tothe House of Lords, to Emmeline andChristabel Pankhurst and the womenwho were imprisoned and force fedbecause of their determination to fightfor the right of women to vote, SylviaPankhurst was notably absent.
People may know about Sylvia thesuffragette but perhaps be unawarethat she doesn’t feature on thismemorial to the suffragettes. She wrotethe definitive history of the suffragettemovement and whilst her name is
primarily associated with the fight forvotes for women, less well known isher active involvement in other causesboth domestic and international.
Sylvia trained as an artist. Whilstpainting and thus documentingworking women in factories, mills andpotteries she wrote:
“Mothers came to me with their wastedlittle ones. I saw starvation look at mefrom patient eyes. I knew then that Ishould never return to my art.”
Sylvia was expelled from the Women’sSocial and Political Union by her sister,Christabel, endorsed by her motherEmmeline and this is why she is notrepresented on the memorial despitealso being imprisoned and force fed.They were opposed to herdetermination to improve theconditions of the poor and her belief
Patron BaronessBrenda Dean
Patron Maxine Peake
that campaigning for women’srights should not be suspendedduring the First World War.
Sylvia lived and worked in the EastEnd of London, campaigning withthe East London Federation ofSuffragettes to improve the lives ofthose living in poverty. In 1915 theydemanded “that the principle ofequal pay for work of equal valueshall be established throughout theentire field of industry”. Sheestablished a nursery, food hall,employment and healthcare forwomen. She was vociferous againstracism and fascism – all issues stillvery ‘live’ today.
Concerned about the lack ofrecognition of such a significantwoman, we spoke to Professor Mary
Davis who was writing her book“Sylvia Pankhurst, A Life in RadicalPolitics”. We became enthused tocampaign for a statue to Sylvia. TheSylvia Pankhurst MemorialCommittee was formed, fourwomen who were working togetherin the women’s and trade unionmovement. Our first Patron wasRichard Pankhurst, Sylvia’s son.
The sculptor is the renowned artist,Ian Walters – especially famed forthe head of Mandela on London’sSouth Bank and latterly hissculpture of Mandela in ParliamentSquare. Ian generously agreed towork with us ‘blind’ as we set aboutfundraising. We had little experienceof such an undertaking and beganbefore social media became such an
effective campaigning tool. Thesewere the days of letters and emails!
The site is in Clerkenwell Green inIslington and will form part of thecouncil’s refurbishment of theGreen to make it more pedestrian-friendly and encourage morepeople to enjoy this space.
It has been something of a saga –we have met many obstacles – nodoubt because Sylvia Pankhurst wasalways a thorn in the side of theEstablishment. We have received agenerous donation from theCorporation of the City of Londonand fantastic support from IslingtonCouncil.The funds for the statuehowever have largely come fromdonations by individuals and tradeunion branches. This statue really isin the spirit of Sylvia, a people’sstatue. We now need to raisesufficient funds to cast the statue inbronze, transport it to ClerkenwellGreen and ensure its maintenance.The artist at the Morris SingerFoundry has scaled up from themaquette, and the craftspeople atthe foundry have prepared the
mould ready for casting. The base ofthe statue is formed of placardsshowing the campaigns for whichSylvia worked tirelessly. Thesculpture is full of movement –Sylvia walking forward, papersunder her arm. She will be on a lowplinth (one foot high) of York stoneand is a thing of beauty!
August 2018 will see the 15thannual Sylvia Pankhurst MemorialLecture given by Dr Sheila Hanlon:“Pedalling days: Sylvia Pankhurstand political cycling traditions, fromClarionettes to Suffragettes”.Previous lecturers have includedRichard Pankhurst, Gloria Mills, RitaPankhurst, Theresa Moriarty, HesterReeve and Helen Pankhurst.
We are now seeking financialsupport so the statue may becompleted in this centenary year ofthe first limited franchise forwomen.
Thank you for taking the time to
read this: The Sylvia Pankhurst
Memorial Committee
Helen Pankhurst, Islington Mayor KatFletcher, Patron Rodney Bickerstaffe
Patron Richard Pankhurst with the maquette
Cheques should be made payable to“SERTUC (Sylvia Pankhurst)” and sent toMegan Dobney,1 Camden Hill Road,London SE19 1NX
We are crowdfunding on:www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/sylviastatue
The campaign website iswww.gn.apc.org/sylviapankhurst
Find us onwww.facebook.com/astatueforsylvia andfollow us on Twitter @sylviastatue
You can also donate on line athttps://donorbox.org/a-statue-for-sylvia-pankhurst
Contact us 01479 851 306 or 07952 771451, [email protected] [email protected]
Top left, the maquette is scaled up in clay.Next the mould is made, and above the clayfloor of placards
