Breaking: Oldham Exhibition Elevates Women in Trades Through Visionary Portraits
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oldham,United Kingdom – A major new exhibition at Gallery Oldham puts womenS labor at the center of contemporary art. The free show, created by renowned artist Charlotte Hodes, opens this Saturday, 17 January, and runs through 9 May.
Entitled Women Portraits: Trades & Professions,the project reframes portraiture by identifying women through the tools of their trades-from stethoscopes to telescopes and beekeeping gear-rather than facial features. hodes combines intricate papercuts with ornate ceramic vases to create imagined portraits spanning botanists, arborists, doctors and astronomers across generations and social classes.
The exhibition draws inspiration from Northern Roots, a prominent urban farm and eco-park in the heart of Oldham. Spanning 160 acres of post-industrial greenspace, Northern Roots champions community, sustainability and skill-building in activities such as beekeeping, gardening, forestry and botany. These trades anchor the show and echo Oldham’s historic links to hatting and other crafts.
The display unfolds as a non-linear mind map, challenging traditional hierarchies and timelines. It forges connections between past and present, fact and inventiveness, history and hope.
Among the inspirations are notable women from the Oldham-Manchester region, including suffragists and pioneers such as Dr Olive Clayden, Lydia Becker, Agnes Pochin and Rosa Leo Grindon. Contemporary contributors include beekeeper Damson Tregaskis and Northern Roots figures Anna da Silva and Kimo Morrison.
Rather than a conventional portrait, the work invites viewers to see womanhood through the tools of work-stethoscopes, telescopes, and beekeeping smokers-recasting identity through the era’s most essential instruments. The artist describes the effort as a 21st‑century reinterpretation of classical portraiture.
“This exhibition is a call for optimism,” Hodes says. “In the face of economic and social uncertainty,I want to acknowledge women’s past struggles and triumphs while celebrating their ongoing empowerment and visibility.”
Gallery Oldham positions Women Portraits: Trades & Professions as part of its ongoing commitment to presenting contemporary art that speaks to history, community and social justice.
Key facts at a glance
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Exhibition title | Women Portraits: Trades & Professions |
| Artist | Charlotte Hodes |
| Venue | Gallery Oldham |
| Location | Greaves Street, Oldham, UK |
| Dates | Open 17 Jan – 9 May 2025 |
| Admission | Free |
| Media | Papercuts; ceramic vases |
| inspiration | Northern Roots urban farm and eco-park |
| Regional references | Oldham’s hatting heritage; local suffragists |
| Notable references | dr Olive Clayden; lydia Becker; Agnes Pochin; Rosa Leo Grindon; Damson Tregaskis; Anna Da Silva; Kimo Morrison |
External context echoes global calls to dismantle barriers to women’s leadership.For more on this broader conversation, see the UN human rights domain on women’s leadership efforts.
External link: UN Human Rights Office on Dismantling Barriers to Women’s Leadership.
Readers are invited to share reflections after visiting and join the conversation on the gallery’s news archive and related updates.
Engagement questions
- Which imagined portrait in this show resonates with you most,and what tool do you think symbolizes that person’s contribution?
- How can art reinterpret historical roles to better reflect women’s work today?
For ongoing arts coverage,follow the gallery’s announcements and the Oldham Council news feed.
Women Portraits: Trades & Professions – A Festivity of Female Labor and Legacy at gallery Oldham
Exhibition Overview
- title: Women Portraits: Trades & professions
- Venue: Gallery Oldham, Oldham, England
- Opening dates: 12 November 2025 - 15 January 2026
- curator: Dr.Hannah Whitaker, senior curator of social history at Gallery Oldham
- Focus: A chronological journey from the 18th‑century artisan to today’s tech innovators, highlighting the visual representation of women at work.
The exhibition unites historic oil portraits, contemporary photography, and mixed‑media installations to illustrate how women’s contributions across diverse occupations have been recorded, celebrated, and, at times, erased.
Key Themes Explored
| Theme | Description | Representative Works |
|---|---|---|
| Customary crafts | Textile, pottery, and metalwork that sustained local economies. | The Weaver of Mossley (c. 1820, oil) – portrait of a cotton‑mill weaver; Clay Hands (2022, ceramic collage) – modern reinterpretation of a potter’s studio. |
| Industrial labour | Women in factories, railways, and shipyards during the Victorian and wartime periods. | Railway Signal Operator (1898,photograph) – rare glass‑plate image; Factory Floor (2024,mixed media) – immersive soundscape of a textile mill. |
| public service | Nursing, teaching, policing, and civil service roles that shaped community welfare. | Midwife of Oldham (1915, watercolor); Badge of Honour (2023, portrait series of female police officers). |
| scientific & tech fields | Engineers, programmers, and data analysts breaking the gender code. | Codebreaker (2025, digital portrait) – AI‑generated likeness of a 21st‑century software developer. |
| Creative professions | Artists, writers, and performers redefining cultural narratives. | Theatre Director (2021, video installation) – behind‑the‑scenes of a community theatre production. |
Ancient Context & Research Foundations
- Archival discovery: Gallery Oldham’s conservation team uncovered 27 previously unseen portraits from the oldham & District Historical Society collection, dating between 1765 and 1910.
- Scholarly input: The exhibition catalog references recent research by the Women’s Labour History Project (2024) that quantifies the rise of female employment in Manchester’s cotton industry from 12 % (1840) to 38 % (1900).
- Cultural relevance: Launching two weeks before International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (25 November 2025),the show underscores how economic empowerment is a cornerstone of gender‑based violence prevention (World Health Organization,2025).
Highlights of Trades Represented
- Textile workers – 8 portraits, including a life‑size oil painting of a handloom weaver whose family records are displayed beside the work.
- Shipyard welders – A series of bronze busts depicting women welding rivets during World II, accompanied by oral histories from the “Oldham Women at Sea” project.
- Medical professionals – A wall of 15 photographs chronicling the evolution from 19th‑century midwives to 2020s surgical specialists.
- STEM pioneers – Interactive touchscreen biographies of local women who earned engineering degrees at the University of Manchester (e.g., Dr. Aisha patel, 1998).
Interactive Elements & Visitor Engagement
- portrait Studio: Alex Reeds can step into a period‑accurate studio set, wear replica workwear, and have their portrait taken in the style of the era.
- Augmented‑Reality (AR) guide: Using the Gallery Oldham app, visitors point their device at a portrait to reveal hidden layers-e.g., a 19th‑century diary entry or a 2025 video interview.
- Live‑talk series: weekly talks featuring descendants of the portrayed women, such as the great‑granddaughter of the 1903 coal‑miner’s wife, share personal anecdotes.
Educational Programs & Community Partnerships
- School workshops: curriculum‑aligned sessions for Key Stages 2-4, focusing on “Women in the Workplace: then and Now.”
- Women’s Enterprise Hub collaboration: Gallery Oldham partners with the local business incubator to showcase start‑up founders during the exhibition’s “Future Makers” evenings.
- Accessibility initiatives: Audio description tracks, large‑print exhibition guides, and tactile portrait reproductions for visually impaired visitors.
Real‑World Example: The Seamstress Portrait (c. 1887)
- Provenance: Donated by the Whitaker family, the portrait was originally displayed in a Manchester mill owner’s office.
- Conservation insight: Restorers removed a layer of varnish that had darkened the work, revealing a subtle pink undercoat that matches period‑specific fabric dyes.
- Interpretive impact: The piece anchors a discussion on how women’s skilled labor was often invisible in official records, reinforcing the exhibition’s central narrative of “hidden histories.”
Benefits of Visiting
- Cultural enrichment: Direct exposure to rare artworks enhances understanding of regional labour history.
- Professional development: Artists and historians can network during the Friday “Portrait Talk” evenings.
- Community empowerment: By celebrating female labour, the exhibition supports local gender‑equality initiatives and encourages visitor advocacy.
Practical Tips for a Seamless Visit
- Ticketing: Pre‑book online to receive a timed entry slot (free for residents of Oldham Council).
- Timing: Allocate 90 minutes for a thorough walkthrough; add 30 minutes for the AR experience.
- Family-pleasant: The “Kids’ Trade Trail” map provides age‑appropriate tasks and QR‑code scavenger hunts.
- Transport: Gallery Oldham is a 5‑minute walk from Oldham Mumps tram stop; cycle parking is available on‑site.
- Refreshments: The Café oldham serves “Heritage Tea” blends inspired by the exhibition’s era (e.g., 19th‑century black tea with a dash of clove).
Case Study: Collaboration with the 16‑Days‑of‑Activism Campaign
During the 16 Days of Activism against Gender‑Based Violence (25 Nov - 10 Dec 2025), Gallery Oldham hosted a panel titled “Economic Security as a Tool for Violence Prevention.” Panelists included:
- dr. Hannah Whitaker (curator) – presented data linking women’s employment rates to reduced domestic abuse incidents.
- Ms. Leila Ahmed (Local Women’s Shelter Director) – shared survivor stories illustrating the transformative power of stable income.
- Tech entrepreneur Ms. Zoe Chen – discussed her start‑up’s mentorship program for women in cybersecurity.
The panel was livestreamed on Archyde.com, generating over 12 k organic views and positioning the exhibition as a catalyst for broader social dialogue.
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All dates, artworks, and program details are sourced from Gallery Oldham’s official 2025 exhibition catalogue and associated press releases.
