National Trust And National Archives Create Immersive Suffragette Experience In Piccadilly

Suffragette City, a partnership between the National Trust and The National Archives, will re - create the life of a Suffragette activist in the years before the partial grant of the vote to women in 1918. Inspired by records held by The National Archives, Suffragette City documents the life and arrest of Lillian Ball, a dressmaker and mother from Tooting, arrested for smashing a window in 1912.

As with many women of the era, Lillian confronted life - changing choices that led her to join the Women's Social and Political Union ( WSPU ) c ausing her to be involved in militant action, leading to her arrest, interrogation and imprisonment. Suffragette City challenges audience members with many of the same decisions Lil l ian faced, bringing to life the true experience s of those fight ing for suf frage. Using the extensive collections of The National Archives, which include Home Office, Metropolitan Police and Cabinet papers, as well as pamphlets and letters seized in raids on the WSPU's headquarters, Suffragette City will recreate a number of key places important to the story of the Movement, including the WSPU's Headquarters, a tea room and a police cell. It will also highlight the skill and organisation involved in militant campaigns, and the difficult choices women and men faced in their endeav our for equal suffrage. The statements of Lillian Ball, who testified against Emmeline Pankhurst, leader of the Suffragette Movement, in the infamous conspiracy trials, fo rm the basis of the experience.

Created by immersive experience designers O'Neill / Ross, t his project will offer different ways for the public to engage with the Suffrage movement. Come along to read a replica Suffragette newspaper over a cup of Edwardian milk punch, learn jujitsu, join a Suffragette sing - a - long or travel further down the rabbit hole to experience life as a Suffragette.

Audience members can go on their first suffragette mission, with actors leading the way, where they will make a series of choices about how committed they are to the fight for equality. For the National T rust and The National Archives, this project is part of a wider programme that commemorates 100 years of the 1918 Representation of the People Act, which extended the vote to men over the age of 21 and women over 30 who were householders or married to householders, owners of property worth more than £ 5, or graduates voting in a university constituency. It also marks 90 years since the 1928 Amendment of the Representation of the People Act that created equal suffrage between men and women.

Joe Watson, Creat ive Director for the National Trust in London, comments, " alongside many other organisations this year, the National Trust is taking the opportunity to focus on women's history and the fight for equality in our Women and Power programme. The compelling sto ry at the heart of Suffragette City unearths the stark choices facing those who engaged in that endeavour, and encourages our audience members to step into the shoes of Suffragette activists ".

Rowena Hillel, Education and Outreach Officer for The National Archives said, " it is a privilege to tell Lil l ian Ball's story. This partner ship with the National Trust allows us to use records in a creative and imaginative way to bring the life of suffragettes to a 21 st century audience. Lillian's story is just the tip of the iceberg. The National Archives holds hundreds of records which give an important insight into the suffrage campaign and the thousands of women and men who fought for the vote ". Through the generosity of the Aziz Foundation and Criterion Capital the project takes place in the London Pavilion on Piccadilly Circus. The London Pavilion is a historically important site for the Suffragette Movement as one of its principal London meeting places, where Pankhurst was often arrested for advocating the cau se of equality between men an d women. Piccadilly was also one of the most important areas of Suffragette activity, the focal - point of several window - smashing campaigns and marches.

Asif Aziz, CEO of Criterion Capital & Founde r of The Aziz Foundation said, " I am thrilled that Criterion Capital and the Aziz Foundation are partnering with the National Trust and The National Archives in support of Suffragette City to honour the pioneers who secured votes for women and paved the way for the extension of the fra nchise more broadly. Projects like this bring to life the sites of t heir struggle. I am excited to see those of all ages and backgrounds, particularly young people, have this history revealed to them so that they can gain a deeper understanding of this gr eat city of ours and the power of people to create positive change in our society ".

Alongside the main Mission ticket, and in homage to the amazing creativity of the Suffragettes, a variety of classes will run in the recreated headquarters with a ctivities the WSPU ran at the time ranging from Jujitsu to screen printing and choral singing to craftivism.

A full timetable of these classes w ill be announced shortly. Tickets can be booked at : https : www.nationaltrust.org.uk london Dates Thursday 8 th - Sunday 25 th March 2018 Times Tuesday - Saturday 12.30pm - 3.30pm, 5.30pm - 8pm ( 9.30pm close ) Sunday 12.30pm - 3.30pm ( 5pm close ) There will be 4 slots per hour available. Tic kets Tickets will cost £ 18.50 with £ 12.50 Student C oncession s. Individual classes will cost £ 12.50. This is a separate offer to the immersive experience. Entry to the Tea Shop is always free of charge.

The National Trust is a conservation charity founded in 1895 by three people who saw the importance of our nation's heritage and open spaces, and wanted to preserve them for everyone to e njoy. More than 120 years later, these values are still at the heart of everything the charity does.

Entirely independent of Government, the National Trust looks after more than 250,000 hectares of countryside, 778 miles of coastline and hundreds of speci al places across Englan d, Wales and Northern Ireland. More than 24 million people visit every year, and together with 5 million members and over 65,000 volunteers, they help to support the charity in its work to care for special places for ever, for everyo ne. For more information and ideas for great seasonal days out go to : www.nationaltrust.org.uk.

The National Archives The National Archives looks after and makes available to the public its collection of historical records dating back more than 1,000 years, including records as diverse as the Domesday Book and MI5 files. They are a world - leading cultural heritage organisation which promotes public accessibility to iconic documents such as Guy Fawkes ' conf ession, Shakespeare's Will and Edward VIII's letter of abdication, while ensuring preservation for generations to come. They host talks, conferences and have an expanding events programme. The National Archives is a non - ministerial government department wh ose parent is the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport ( DCMS ). They are the official archive of the UK government, and England and Wales. Follow @ UkNatArchives on Twitter or look at our website w ww.nationalarchives.gov.uk. The National Archives is hosting a season of events, exhibitions, films and debates to mark the centenary of the Representation of the People Act 1918. Our Suffrage 100 season is part of the nationwide Vote 100 campaign.

Scarlett O ' Neill and Harry Ross specialise in producing, curating and designing site - specific experiences inspired by history or environment. The majority of their work is crowd sourced or participatory, putting audience s at the heart of productions. Since their fir s t production together in 2010 they have built up a diverse roster of projects including the production and design of Secret Cinema during its rise to prominence ( 2010 - 2013 ), immersive and site sensitive concerts with the London Contemporary Orchestra, The Hospital Club's 10th Anniversary takeover and several productions for The National Trust including the beach beneath the Westway flyover in 2015 and the ' Caravan Club ' in 2017. For more information see : www.oneill ross.co.uk. Women and Power, a National Trust Programme The long struggle for women's suffrage and the debates it inspired across the homes, workplaces and communities of England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be explored in 2018 as part of the National Trust's commemoration to mark 100 years since the passing of the Representation of the People Act.

The 1918 Act granted some women the right to vote in British parliamentary elections for the first time. A century on, the conservation charity has laun ched Women and Power, a year - long national programme celebrating this historic milestone. Women and Power is the theme for the second year of the Trust's ' Challenging Histories ' programme. This national public programme aims to share, celebrate and unpick some of the more complex or hidden histories relevant to National Trust places.

Criterion Capital is an established developer and asset manager. Their portfolio ranges from some of London ' s most iconic buildings, such as Piccadilly Circus's Trocadero and Leicester Square's Victory House, to innovative residential and commercial developments in London's commuter belts. Aziz Foundation The Aziz Foundation is an independent grant - making body seeking to support the most disadvantaged communities in Britain. It aims to do this through supporting community empowerment, leadership development and greater public engagement by them in wider society.

The Foundation seeks to support individuals an d projects, strengthen organisations and networks, and help incubate innovative ideas that will ultimately improve the conditions in and for these sections of our society.

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