“Animated Activism: Women Empowered” Leaves Only Anger

It felt fitting that only a few weeks after the inauguration of a certain president, I was able to visit the new Treasures of Brotherton exhibition “Animated Activism: Women Empowered.” 2025 feels like it’s only just begun, but it is already a frightening time for women across the globe. Is it so bizarre then that throughout this exhibition, I was able to find some solace in the fact that this has been an ongoing fight for decades?

A collaboration between two pioneering organisations, both with strong roots in the Leeds community, the exhibition takes evidence of the long-standing fight for women’s rights from Women’s Aid Federation and Leeds Animation Workshop, who have been operating in Harehills for over 40 years and using the arts of illustration and animation for social commentary. By drawing from these two different worlds, the curators at the Treasure of Brotherton built a story that I couldn’t resist feeling rather emotional about.

Showcasing everything from pamphlets made to support women and vulnerable people in need, photographs from protests across the country, copies of legislation that Women’s Aid helped enact and magazines from feminist publications, there was a resounding feeling of hope in the exhibition. It acted almost as a testament: a testament to the enduring resilience of oppressed women and vulnerable individuals. Brash posters and unapologetic phrasing showed the unapologetic rage of those who were fighting the same fight that many of us still fight to this day.

One image in particular that has stuck with me since was a photograph of a protest taking place in my hometown of Birmingham, in which there was a crowd of women with placards that displayed quite raw and honest pleas for basic rights and the ability to have freedom of their own body. It almost felt like a personal reminder that we are never too disconnected from the issue. Alongside some of the rage however, there were also heart-warming examples of the power of female support and friendship, with photographs from shelters run by the Women’s Aid group which highlighted the fantastic work that they did and continue to carry out to this day.

The only concern I had, which perhaps was silly for me to have, was that there would be a loss of intersectionality in the exhibition. In this internet age which has come with the merit of ensuring your activism includes everyone, I had this misguided belief that an exhibition which covers feminism in the 1970s and 1980s, which aren’t particularly known for being the most inclusive time periods, would naturally exclude marginalised communities that often intersect with women’s issues (examples include race, sexuality, transgendered and non-binary individuals and those with disabilities). I am delighted to say that I can write the following sentence: this was the most effortless example of intersectionality I think I have ever seen. Embedded into almost all of the materials was some sort of inclusion; pamphlets from four decades ago talking about coming out to your parents as a queer person; discussions of how race can play a role in the discrimination of women and resources for working-class women and those in abusive relationships. I think sometimes we like to believe as the younger generation that we are the inventors of intersectionality and inclusivity, so it was a nice reminder that we aren’t the innovators we think we are.

‘This was the most effortless example of intersectionality I think I have ever seen’

This hopefulness and inspiration were somewhat dampened (intentionally, mind you) by the starkly sexist materials on display. One was an advert from a large, mainstream company in which husbands were encouraged to murder their wives if they did not buy food from this specific brand. It was infuriating to see pieces like these displayed directly next to items that seemed to carry such power and anarchy. These were advertisements and publications that were acceptable fifty years ago, but if somebody had told me that they had only been published this year, I wouldn’t have even been surprised. It’s this juxtaposition that brings out the aforementioned anger; you are angry that the fight has been fought for decades and you’re angry that despite the fact it’s been happening for half a century, we seem to feel stuck in the same patterns and behaviours.

My personal favourite part of the exhibition was, strangely enough, a desk. Modelled after an actual working office desk at one of these organisation’s headquarters, it was covered in feminist publications, filled with rallying battle cries and advice for those struggling in situations of domestic violence and gender-based discrimination as well as a whole host of other intersectional issues, such as racism, homophobia and transphobia. 

The interactive display was completed with an old-timey phone (the type that might confuse the typical student visiting the exhibition), postcards, pin badges, temporary tattoos and a little basket with blank cards and a pen. Visitors were encouraged to leave little notes, expressing anything they wanted. This is commonplace at most museum exhibitions, especially ones designed to engage critical thinking and discussion like this one. But for some reason, when I stood there, flicking through all of the messages that past visitors had left, I’d gotten a little emotional. There was one clearly left by a young child, written in that chicken scratch handwriting reminiscent of early primary school, saying how much they enjoyed it. Students meanwhile had left small paragraphs, expressing their desire for women’s equality. Stories of how they’d recommend it to friends, pass on the message. Perhaps it was being able to see that the intention of the exhibition was so easily recognised in these little notes that made me choke up slightly. With the stories in this exhibition not feeling dissimilar to ones that had played out in my own life and the lives of other women I know; it felt beautiful to see a communal understanding and shared sisterhood through a few bits of paper in a plastic basket.

The exhibition is running until the end of year, and in light of recent political events happening across the globe, I cannot encourage you enough to see it for yourself. I’d love to thank the curators for giving me such a lovely opportunity to explore this exhibition, and especially Rebecca Wade who was able to give me an enlightening tour of the exhibition.

If you need inspiration, if you ever find your feelings around gender inequalities lying dormant, if you need a rude reminder that the world hasn’t changed in the last fifty years? Visit “Animated Activism: Women Empowered” at Treasures of Brotherton from now until December 2025 and trust me, you’ll be fueled with enough anger to set the world alight.