Extraordinary Women (2018)
In 2018 to mark the centenary of the Representation of the People Act and 90 years since the Equal Franchise Women's Suffrage Act, Heritage Open Days celebrated ‘Extraordinary Women’ - widening the spotlight beyond those who are already recognised and championed.
We aimed to uncover, acknowledge and reveal the women - workers, pioneers, mothers, grandmothers, sisters, daughters and friends - who have touched lives, are making a difference, have brought about change, at every scale, and left a legacy that should be cherished.
Call for stories
We asked you to nominate your Extraordinary Women and featured some of their stories on our Wall of Women and in a series of special blog posts.
Stage your own celebration
We created a range of resources to help people plan an Extraordinary Women event including: banners, stickers, posters, and activity ideas.
Over 500 events were run from picnics and performances, to plant-pressing and projections!
Unsung Stories - put her forward
Made possible by funding from players of People's Postcode Lottery. Unsung Stories is an annual arts-based strand of Heritage Open Days, focusing on aspects of heritage that have been overlooked or pushed to the sidelines. This year the focus was on celebrating today's Extraordinary Women, through non zero one's 'put her forward'.