Representations of Women’s Experiences of the Northern Irish Conflict in Exhibitions

Abstract

Drawing upon cultural memory and exhibition studies, this thesis analyses the ways in which women’s experiences of the Northern Irish Conflict have been displayed within exhibitions concerning the conflict. It explores what narratives are rendered possible by different modes of exhibiting and what potential possibilities there are for women’s experiences of conflict to exist depending on the material, structural and imaginative dimensions of an institution. The project examines exhibitions from these three dimensions, firstly by looking at the historical development of exhibition practices in relation to women’s inclusion, secondly the differing venues and organisational structures that exhibitions can exist within and finally the content of exhibitions which produce particular narratives. The thesis argues that women’s experiences of the conflict open new potential for developing nuanced understanding of what it means to participate in and be impacted by conflict. Whilst acknowledging the complexities around representation, the potential for such narratives to be displayed has been limited by the internal and external factors explored within the thesis.

Date of Award	Sept 2023
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Brighton
Supervisor	Lesley Whitworth (Supervisor), Graham Dawson (Supervisor) & Louise Purbrick (Supervisor)