Turning The Tide
Putting women in STEM in the spotlight.
The Turning The Tide exhibition explores the importance of the role of women in the renewable energy sector.
Through an exciting partnership with the Women’s 100 Movement, a dance project commemorating 100 years of female suffrage in 2028, Turning The Tide aims to tell a different story about the role of women in industry past, present and future - by making it beautiful, as well as functional.
The aim is to attract more women into the new, exciting, revolutionary renewables industry, which has such a strong base in the Humber region.
Through the medium of dance, fifteen ‘angels of the north’ express the power, beauty, strength and potential of the offshore wind industry. Several of the ‘angels’ are women who work in or around the industry already, and are filmed in locations around the Humber, including The Deep, the Humber Bridge, Hull Minster and Hessle’s Aura Innovation Centre as well as at the Siemens wind turbine factory.
“Angels of the North” photographs on Humber Bridge, just one of the film locations for the film. Photo credit: Matt Watson/Matthew Laraway
Director and professional dancer Fred Garland of the Hull-based Tenfoot Dance Company, who choreographed the project, said that Turning The Tide has been a great success in bringing together community and industry to highlight some of the challenges faced within industry.
“My mission was to tell the story of this future-oriented industry in a creative way,” she said. “Through dance and movement, I wanted to explore the story of this new source of power on our shores, and highlight the opportunities available for women to be part of it.” She goes on to say “I am delighted that we get a second opportunity to showcase this project in the beautiful gallery space of the Brynmor Jones Library."
The exhibition, which was previously on display at the Aura Innovation Centre, was very well received by the public and provided the audience with a new and innovative way to explore diversity in industry. Now on display at the Brynmor Jones Library the new exhibition, which has been part funded by Humber Science Festival 2023, allows visitors to follow in the footsteps of the dancers, quite literally, and features some behind the scenes insights into the project. The exhibition is to be launched during Humber Science Festival 2023 and the 6-week long exhibition features a timetable of workshops for SEN groups, higher education, further education and primary schools.
Exhibition previously on display at Aura Innovation Centre. Photo credit: Mark Kensett
Professor Becky Huxley-Binns, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education) at the University of Hull, has been a huge supporter of the project and was one of the dancers in the film said that Turning the Tide brings a different perspective to the importance of girls studying STEM subjects.
“It embraces creativity and art to tell the importance of the STEM journey. The dance, film and exhibition should inspire people to consider a career in the energy sector as we work towards meeting net zero targets. We hope it inspires women and girls to consider educational pathways to embrace STEM and regard it as a viable career option for them,” she said. “The number of girls studying STEM drops so much at the age of 16, and we see that downward trend into their future careers. But the STEM world is inclusive and diverse, exciting and world changing, as are the range of courses and programmes we offer at the University of Hull. We are delighted to be involved in this very important project.”
The free exhibition will be on display to the public from Saturday 9th September until Friday 20th October – no need to book, please come and visit.
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