Join us for an eye-opening tour and conversation to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls.

This tour revisits works from our National Gallery route alongside contemporary imagery, examining how the male gaze, subtle violences, and societal expectations have shaped the representation of women across history, and how those same patterns still shape the images we see today.

Together, we'll look at how centuries-old visual habits have normalised particular narratives about women's roles, power, and agency , and trace their echoes in film, advertising, and social media. Alongside this critical reflection, we'll celebrate stories of resistance, creativity, and courage: the ways women navigated, challenged, and reimagined their roles within the artworks and the societies that produced them.

This is a session about contemporary herstories, reflecting on the challenges still ahead while marking how women's collectives and communities remain key to resisting oppression. Here, healing is part of protest, and resilience is a virtue.

Along the way, we'll discuss:

How power and control over women have been visualised and disguised in art history

The line between beauty standards, objectification, and violence in the images we've inherited

How women's collectives and communities have historically been sites of resistance and healing

All are welcome — all genders, ages, and backgrounds. Bring your curiosity, your questions, and your voice.

⚠️ Sensitive Content Warning: This tour will touch on sensitive topics, including sexual violence and beauty standards, which may be triggering. This is a safe space: you're welcome to step away at any time and return when ready, and to share your reflections at the end either as a group or one to one — no pressure either way.

We can't wait to walk through the gallery with you.

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER

María González is the Founder and Creative Director of SHEROES COLLECTIVE (formerly Lon-art), established in 2010. She holds a BA in Art History, a Postgraduate Diploma in Social & Cultural Anthropology, and a Teaching Certificate in Art History from Complutense University in Madrid. She has also completed studies in Education in Poverty Contexts and in Arts, Culture and Civic Responsibility with the Organization of Ibero-American States.

María has over ten years’ experience delivering arts and education projects — including exhibitions, workshops, panel talks, tours, and artist CPD — across the UK and internationally.As a 2024 Creative Community Fellow (Derby Museums, Bowes Museum, NAS), she continues to champion women’s representation, visual literacy, and the fight against gender-based inequity through art.

Description supplied by the event organiser.