Collective Letter in Support of Feminist Pedagogy

by: , November 11, 2018

© Pexels
Anna Backman Rogers introduces a public screening of Laura Mulvey’s ‘Riddles of The Sphinx’ on International Women’s Day, 2017. Amsterdam, Netherlands.

 

To whom it may concern:

We are living through an intense and troubling cultural and political moment. As feminists, we find ourselves responding daily to the shifting and complex social situations and social tensions that have been catalysed by myriad, diverse, global events – events that have been, above all, gendered. These include (but are certainly not limited to):

  • #MeToo
  • #TimesUpAcademia
  • The Women’s March(es)
  • the Black Lives Matter movement
  • persistent and vicious ongoing racial profiling and racial violence
  • the ongoing War on Terror
  • the strategic targeting of the Muslim population by police forces
  • the EU ban on the hijab (feeding in to a colonial historical narrative of unveiling Muslim women)
  • the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the US Supreme Court
  • the ‘Sokal Squared’ hoax
  • the move to ban gender studies in Hungary
  • the gendered impact of austerity
  • the failure of the legal system to address sexual assault in the UK and elsewhere
  • the rise of the far right across Europe
  • the growing approval of openly misogynistic, homophobic and racist political discourse evidenced by Jair Bolsonaro’s election to head office in Brazil.
  • the outright institutional denial of a disturbingly high rate of femicide in Mexico amidst the change of administration
  • the backlash to feminist activism in Argentina to decriminalize abortion (and elsewhere in Latin America, where in many cases the termination of pregnancy is punishable by law, and birth control or sexual education are severely lacking)
  • the disproportionately high murder rate (and lack of investigation) for trans women of colour in the US and elsewhere
  • the proposed amendment in the Constitution of Romania aiming to revise the definition of family to make marriage “a union between a man and a woman”
  • the intimidation of sociologists researching anti-LGBTQI movements in Croatia
  • the ongoing persecution and murder of the LGBTQI community in Chechnya
  • the continuing ‘ghettoization’ of Northern Ireland in terms of reproductive rights and LGBTQI rights
  • the recent murder of queer activist and drag performer Zak Kostopoulos by a shop owner
  • the recent murders of female journalists such as Victoria Marinova, Daphne Caruana Galizia, and Kim Wall
  • the assault of Marina Abramovic in the name of ‘art’
  • the fact that indigenous girls and women continue to experience disproportionate rates of femicide in Canada and the US
  • In the UK, the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox in 2016
  • the public mocking and humiliation of a sexual assault survivor by the President of the United States
  • the rape acquittal and provisional freedom of  ‘la manada’ (‘the wolf pack’) this year in Spain The rolling back of women’s equality and undoing of LGBTQ rights in Turkey

It is our duty and our wish to address and attend to these issues with nuance, thought, compassion and care. Yet this proves difficult given the pushback against feminism and the recent attempts by scholars such as Helen Pluckrose, James Lindsay and Peter Boghossian to undermine the legitimacy and relevance of vital discourses such as gender, sexuality, disability, queer and race studies in the name of so-called academic objectivity (a flagrant attempt to maintain the status quo).  Their hoax is indicative of a worryingly pernicious and growing trend, as is the public and media attention given to controversy-baiters such as Jordan Peterson and Heather Mac Donald (amongst many others).

In the last year alone, many amongst our number have experienced, at best, disrespect and dismissal and, at worst, outright aggression and threatening behaviour from the general public, and from students and colleagues alike in response to our attempts to do feminist work in the classroom, in journals, in artistic practices, in virtual and public spaces and beyond. This has been amplified by hate speech, threats and attacks on social media. Some of us have been followed, stalked, threatened, doxed, misgendered, and even assaulted. Some of us have had our reputations attacked, suffered through attempts to undermine the legitimacy of our work. Some of us have been petitioned to stop feminist pedagogy in favour of a so-called ‘neutral’ approach (which we take to be a white, western, heteropatriarchal approach to disseminating knowledge). This has to stop. We refuse to hold off and enable this backlash towards our work. It is vital that we continue this work, now more than ever.  But we cannot do this without wider structural support. It is exceptionally important that institutions understand the sheer amount of energy, persistence, passion, and selflessness that forms the very basis of feminist work in the face of belittlement, dismissal, lack of understanding, outright sexism, microaggressions, violence, assault and threats on a daily basis.

That we are frequently characterised in highly sexist terms as hysterical, overwrought, oversensitive, over-emotional, unbalanced, taking refuge in ‘victimhood’, aggrieved, mendacious, prone to exaggeration, clouded by anger, unable to form judgements with so-called dispassion, loud, manipulative, aggressive, troublesome, childish, irritating etc. when we raise these issues is telling. Equally problematic are assumptions that a lack of assertion or aggression means that a woman is less capable, less dynamic or, less intellectually rigorous. We are multiple and diverse in our approaches. These contradictory characterisations, when weaponised, work to silence and undermine valuable feminist speech and work. It is, therefore, vital that our institutions and colleagues understand what we are up against when doing feminist labour. It is not work we undertake lightly or half-heartedly. It often has severe repercussions for our mental and physical wellbeing. We require respect and basic support to carry on this work, and we ask that our colleagues recognise this. Being an ally is not a label that reaps dividends: it is a form of ethics and work. We ask, merely, that our colleagues embody their work/identity as allies in the form of action and not specious performance, empty rhetoric and virtue signalling.

It is our contention that this hostile climate is the result of a broader, reactionary political environment that attempts to shut down and dismantle critique and analysis of the causes behind this fractious and terrifying moment through which we are all living. It is an attempt to reverse the progressive work that has been done in the fields of feminist, decolonial, queer, disability, Indigenous, and race studies, and the work of feminist activists, writers and artists at large. In short, it is an attempt to re-confirm and re-establish white, heteropatriarchal supremacy in all its multifarious and damaging forms. In light of this, it is therefore vital that we carry out this feminist work in our scholarship, our art practice, our writing  (for traditional and digital media), and in the classroom as a form of activism precisely because of the lack of representation, the mental and physical suffering, the divestment of rights and protection and very real sense of attrition experienced by those who are most vulnerable right now (the bodies of black and brown, ethnic minority, Roma, Latinx, Indigenous, gay, lesbian and bisexual, trans and non-binary, single mothers, working poor, differently-abled, immigrant, homeless, refugees).

It is also imperative that we have stable (i.e. not precarious) working conditions in which we are able to work towards long-term cultural and curriculum change rather than become distracted from such engagement because our energies are focused on pure survival. Those in long-term, stable and respected positions need to recognise that pulling the ladder up behind them as they progress in their careers makes them part of the problem: that those who are most precariously employed or poorly paid are often those who are most willing to strike or to take action to change damaging working conditions is telling in this respect. The brunt of emotional labour at work should be shared by all, and this requires vigilance and consideration.  Those in long-term, stable and respected positions should strive for long-term positions for all entering the system, and sensitise young and precariously employed colleagues about their rights in the workplace. We all need to work together towards making this system better for all. This is feminist work. It only happens collectively.

With this letter, we do not ask for special treatment or favours. We ask that the institutions in which we work recognise that this is an especially difficult, precarious and potentially dangerous moment for scholars, students, teachers, writers, activists, and artists alike trying to carry out critical analysis and conduct feminist pedagogy intersectionally and as intersectional allies. With this letter, we ask that employment, security, and health and safety policies are extended so that we can carry out feminist labour without fear of attack, assault, recrimination and attempts to undermine our authority. We counsel our institutions, with the help of colleagues, to issue statements in support of the importance of feminist labour and pedagogy and to uphold actively those who are doing this work by putting in place legislation that prevents colleagues and students from attacking those doing feminist work. Indeed, we suggest that it may be necessary for students taking these classes to sign some form of legislation or contract stipulating best ethical practice and behaviour so that this work can continue in peace. Work, we add, that is so necessary in this politically turbulent and troubling moment.

In solidarity with or in support of this initiative,

Dr Anna Backman Rogers, Reader in Feminism and Visual Culture. University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Co-Founder and Co-Editor-in-Chief of MAI: FEMINISM AND VISUAL CULTURE.

Professor Laura Mulvey, Birkbeck, University of London

Dr Danielle Barrios-O’Neill, Falmouth University

Dr Lauren Elkin, writer.

Tessa Nunn, Duke University

Dr Nancy Thumim, University of Leeds

Dr Leanne Dawson, University of Edinburgh.

Anna Zaluczkowska, Northern Film School

Dr Peri Bradley, Bournemouth University

Dr Colette Balmain, Senior Lecturer in Film, TV and Media, Kingston University

Dr Megen de Bruin-Molé, Teaching Fellow in Digital Media Practice, University of Southampton.

Dr So Mayer, independent scholar, UK. Author, Political Animals: The New Feminist Cinema & co-founder, Raising Films.

Dr Jo Lindsay Walton, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Sussex Humanities Lab, University of Sussex.

Dr Saige Walton, Senior Lecturer in Screen Studies, University of South Australia, Australia

Valeria Villegas Lindvall, PhD student in Film Studies, University of Gothenburg.

Daniel Massie, PhD candidate in Film Studies, University of Glasgow &  University of Strathclyde.

Connor Winterton, PhD Candidate in Media and Cultural Studies & Associate Lecturer, Birmingham City University.

Dr Ana Basiri, Lecturer in Spatial Data Science and Visualisation, University College London.

Dr D-M Withers, Research Fellow, University of Sussex

Marie Tuley, PhD candidate in Sociology, University of Sussex

Dr Victoria Grace Walden, Teaching Fellow, University of Sussex

Νatalia- Rozalia Avlona , PhD Candidate, National and Technical University of Athens

Houman Sadri, PhD Candidate and Teacher in English Literature, University of Gothenburg

Dr Jenna C. Ashton, Lecturer and Programme Director in Heritage Studies, The University of Manchester

Dr Ellen Kirkpatrick, Independent Researcher

Paloma Yáñez Serrano, PhD Candidate Social Anthropology with Visual Media, The University of Manchester

Dr Åsa Andersson, Senior Lecturer in Cultural Studies, University of Gothenburg

Stella Andrada Kasdovasili, Independent Researcher

Emma Bolland, writer, artist, Editor at Gordian Projects, PhD candidate  at Sheffield Hallam University

Dr Rachel Garfield, Associate Professor in Fine Art, University of Reading

Daniella Shreir, Editor, Another Gaze feminist film journal

Dr Ramona Fotiade, Senior Lecturer in French Philosophy and Film Studies, University of Glasgow

Campbell X independent filmmaker  Stud Life, DES!RE, VISIBLE

Dr Catharina Thörn, Senior Lecturer in Cultural Studies, University of Gothenburg

Maja Brandt Andreasen, PhD candidate in Feminist Media Studies, The Universities of Strathclyde and Stirling

Laura Nicholson, Editor, DISPATCHFeminist Film Journal

Dr Judith Vega, Lecturer in Social and Political Philosophy, University of Groningen, NL

Edward Larkey, Professor of German Studies and Intercultural Communication, University of Maryland Baltimore County, USA

Sarah Cave, Practice-based PhD Student in English and Creative Writing, Royal Holloway University of London, Cornwall, UK

Dr Debra Benita Shaw, Reader in Cultural Theory, University of East London

Dr Hannah Yelin, Senior Lecturer in Media and Culture, Oxford Brookes University, UK

Linnéa Saaranen, MA of Arts in Film Studies, University of Gothenburg.

Siiri Sjöstramd, PhD Candidate in Theatre, Film and Television, University of York

Dr Juan Velásquez, Associate professor/senior lecturer in Gender Studies, Department of Cultural Sciences, University of Gothenburg.

Dr Natalia Christofoletti Barrenha, Postdoctoral researcher, Universidade Estadual de Campinas – UNICAMP, Brazil

Kate Lewis Hood, PhD Candidate in English and Geography, Queen Mary University of London

Dr Gabriela Santos Alves, Professor in Feminist Media Studies, Department of Social Communication, Federal University of Espirito Santo (UFES), Brazil. Independent filmmaker

Aneil Rallin, Associate Professor of Rhetoric and Composition, Soka University of America

Dr Imogen Reid, PhD Chelsea College Liverpool Hope University, UK

Dr Sharon Kivland, Reader in Art, Sheffield Hallam University, UK

Dr Michelle Devereaux, Independent Scholar

Dr Olga Castro, Aston University, Birmingham, UK

Margaryta Golovchenko, Undergraduate Student in Art History and Literature & Critical Theory, University of Toronto, Canada.

Ryan Ashley Caldwell, Professor of Sociology, Soka University of America

Dr Jessica Ford, Film, Media and Cultural Studies, University of Newcastle, Australia

Dr Deborah Shaw, Reader in Film Studies, University of Portsmouth, UK

Juliet Winter, PhD Candidate in American Studies, University of Winchester, UK

Dr Dawn Woolley, Research Fellow, Leeds Arts University, UK

Professor Sally R Munt, University of Sussex, UK

Dr Amy McCauley, writer, independent researcher, UK

Dr Karen Patel, Birmingham City University, UK

Dr Lisa Kelly, Lecturer in Television Studies, University of Glasgow, UK

Cassie Shaw, PhD Candidate in English Literature, University of Winchester, UK

Dr Ruth Pearce, Research Fellow, University of Leeds, UK

Dr Felicity Gee, Lecturer in Modernism and World Cinema, University of Exeter, UK

Dr Samantha Walton, Reader in Modern Literature, Bath Spa University, UK

Dr Alan White, Director of Doctoral School, RIDO, Anglia Ruskin University

Professor Christine Geraghty, Honorary Professorial Fellow, University of Glasgow, UK

Kate Meakin, Doctoral Researcher in Media, Film and Music, University of Sussex, UK

Gisele Ribeiro, Artist and Professor at Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, and Postdoctoral Researcher in Identity and Institutional Critique at Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Virgínia Jangrossi, M.A. at Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Brazil.

Alva Gotby, PhD candidate, University of West London

Dr Emma Sheppard, Lecturer, City, University of London, UK

Dr Annelies van Noortwijk, Senior  Lecturer, University of Groningen, The Netherlands

Dr Jenny Chamarette, Senior Lecturer in Film, Queen Mary, University of London

Dr Neil Fox, Course Coordinator and Senior Lecturer, Film, Falmouth University.

Dr Isabelle McNeill, Lecturer in French and Film Studies, Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge

Jessica Tillings, writer, artist and events organiser, Glasgow, UK

Dr Kate Ince, Reader in French Film and Gender Studies, University of Birmingham UK

Marlo De Lara, Doctoral Candidate in Cultural Studies, University of Leeds UK

Stephanie Edwards, PhD Student in English and Cultural Studies, McMaster University

Kathi Kamleitner, PhD candidate in Film Studies. The University of Glasgow, UK

Daisy Richards, PhD Candidate in Film and Television Studies, De Montfort University, UK

Dr James Trafford, Reader in Philosophy and Design, UCA, UK

Lynda Fitzwater, Lecturer in Critical Theory, UCA, UK

Dr Harry Dyer, Lecturer in Education, University of East Anglia, UK

Dr Catherine Baker, Senior Lecturer in 20th Century History, University of Hull, UK

Dr Sarah Godfrey, School of Art, Media and American Studies, University of East Anglia, UK

Dr Ken Fero,  Course Director, Coventry University & Regents University, London, UK

Cynthia A. Stark, Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of Utah, USA

Prof. Jonathan Hardy, University of East London

Prof Graham Murdock Loughborough  University

Dr Maura Reilly, Executive Director, National Academy of Design

Dr James MacDowell, Associate Professor in Film Studies, University of Warwick, UK

Cllr Dr Rohit K Dasgupta, Loughborough University/Newham Council

Dr Christa van Raalte, Associate Dean Media Production. Bournemouth University

Professor Graham Murdock, Department of Social Sciences, Loughborough University

Matt Grimes, Birmingham School of Media, Birmingham City University.

Marta F Suarez, PhD Candidate in Screen Studies, Liverpool John Moores University

Rosa Vieira Guedes, Philosophy teacher, Secondary School Tomás Cabreira, Portugal

Professor Rita Marcella, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen U.K.

Dr Elizabeth Watkins, Research Fellow in History of Art and Film, University of Leeds.

Dr Mia Liinason, Associate Professor in Gender Studies, University of Gothenburg

Ryan Nolan, PhD candidate, Ally, University of Plymouth, UK

Laura Conroy, PhD Candidate in Ancient History, University of St Andrews

Dr Russell Glasson, University of Sussex

Dr Karl Rawstrone, Senior Lecturer in Media (Theory & Practice). Bournemouth University

Professor Sarah Pedersen, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen

Olivia Gable, PhD Candidate in Sociology, Open University

Dr Aparna Sharma, Associate Professor, University of California Los Angeles

Dr Wickham Clayton, Lecturer in Film History and Theory, University for the Creative Arts, Farnham, UK

Dr Olga Sasunkevich, Associate Senior Lecturer, University of Gothenburg

Dr Gracia Ramírez, Associate Lecturer. University of the Arts London

Prof. Catherine Grant, Professor of Digital Media and Screen Studies, Birkbeck, University of London

Prof. Lynne Segal, Professor of Psychology and Gender  Studies, Birkbeck, University of London

Charlotte De Kock, Researcher, Faculty of Law & Criminology, Ghent University, Belgium

Dr Sanghita Sen, Researcher & Tutor, Department of Film Studies, University of St Andrews

Graham Minenor-Matheson, MA student Global Media Studies, Stockholm University, Sweden.

Dr Claudia de Lima Costa, Associate Professor of Feminist Theory, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil

Dr Kim Allen, University Academic Fellow, School of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Leeds

Prof. Sarah Jaffray, Art Historian and Educator, The British Museum

Maryam Tafakory, PhD Candidate in Fine Art, Kingston University London

Dr Jessamy Gleeson, Research Officer, RMIT University, Melbourne

Dr Annie Rudd, Assistant Professor, University of Calgary

Debbie Zhou, UG Film Student and Freelance Arts Writer, University of New South Wales

Prof. Lena Martinsson,  Gender Studies, University of Gothenburg

Evelina Johansson, PhD Candidate in Gender Studies,  University of Gothenburg

Prof. Karin Wagner,  Art History and Visual Studies, University of Gothenburg

Prof Helen Wood, Media and Communication, University of Leicester

Dr Melissa Kagen, Lecturer in Digital Media & Gaming, Bangor University

Dr Boel Ulfsdotter, Reader in Film, University of Gothenburg, Sweden

Dr Clara Bradbury-Rance, Liberal Arts Early Career Development Fellow, King’s College London

Dr Sanne Weber, Leverhulme Early Career Fellow, University of Birmingham, UK

Prof. Heather Savigny, Professor of Gender, Media & Politics, de Montfort University, UK

Prof. Christine Gledhill, formerly Visiting Professor Cinema Studies, University of Sunderland

Professor Annie van den Oever. University of Groningen, Netherlands.

Dr Jamie Sexton, Senior Lecturer in Film and Television Studies, Northumbria University, UK

Dr Ruth Sanz Sabido, Reader in Media and Social Inequality, Canterbury Christ Church University, UK

Macarena Hanash, PhD candidate in Gender and Equality, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain

Professor Sarah Pedersen, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen

Dr Kate Taylor-Jones, East Asian Studies, University of Sheffield, UK.

Dr Annika Bünz, University of Gothenburg.

Dr Miriam De Rosa, Research Fellow, Centre for Postdigital Cultures, Coventry University, UK

Dr Valentina Signorelli, Visiting Lecturer, University of Westminster

Dr Anna Malinowska, University of Silesia, Poland / The New School of Social Research

Dr Emily Scott, Oxford Brookes University, UK

Dr Valentina Cardo, University of Southampton

Dr Ana Grgic, Monash University Malaysia

Dr William Brown, University of Roehampton, London

Isabel Lima, PhD candidate in Fine Art, Teesside University

Dr Susan Berridge, Lecturer in Film and Media, University of Stirling

Dr Karen Cuthbert, Sociology & Social Policy, University of Leeds

Dr Michele Paule, Senior Lecturer in Media, Culture and Education, Oxford Brookes University, UK

Harriet MacMillan, PhD candidate in English Literature, University of Edinburgh

Patricia Holland  Part-time lecturer, Bournemouth University

Professor Robin Mansell, LSE.

Dr Sherryl Wilson, Senior Lecturer Media and Cultural Studies, University of the West of England

Catherine Baker, PhD candidate, Media and Communications, Loughborough University

Dr Cristina Miguel, Senior Lecturer at Leeds Beckett University

Susan Merrick MA Fine Art Independent Artist, Sign Language Interpreter  and Researcher

Professor Hilary Robinson, Loughborough University.

Kim Akass, Leader of the Media Research Group, Senior Lecturer Film and TV, University of Hertfordshire

Rachel Chung, PhD Candidate in English Literature, University of Edinburgh

Alena Minchenia, PhD Candidate in Cultural History of Central and Eastern Europe, Lund University

Professor Emerita Julia Hallam, Communication and Media, University of Liverpool

Mae Losasso, PhD Candidate in English Literature, Royal Holloway, University of London

Dr Charlotte Morris, Teaching Fellow, University of Sussex

Anamarija Horvat, PhD candidate, Northumbria University

Dr Lee Edwards, Associate Professor, LSE

Dr Tonia Kazakopoulou, Teaching Fellow in Film and Television, University of Reading

Sian Beavers, PhD Candidate in Educational Technology, The Open University (UK)

Hilary White, PhD student in English Literature, University of Manchester

Kristina-Talisa Jaggard, Emily Carr University of Art and Design

Dr R. Lyle Skains, Senior Lecturer in Writing, Bangor University

Dr Amy C. Chambers, Senior Lecturer in Film and Media Studies, Manchester Metropolitan University

Elspeth Mitchell, University of Leeds.

Dr Leshu Torchin, Senior Lecturer in Film Studies, University of St Andrews

Anna Coatman, writer and editor

Isabel Vincent, PhD Candidate, Bangor University

Dr Kerstin Stutterheim, Professor of Media and Cultural Studies, Bournemouth University, UK

Dr Martin Fradley, University Of Brighton, UK.

Prof. Dr Hasan Akbulut, Istanbul University

Dr Margherita Sprio, Westminster University

Dr Nigel Morris, University of Lincoln.

Dr Flavia Cesarino Costa, Professor of Film Theory and History, Department of Art and Communication, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), Brazil

Dr Penelope Wickson, Independent Scholar and Head of History of Art, St Mary’s School, Calne

Dr Alessia Risi, Associate Lecturer in Italian, University of Exeter

Dr Dominique Carlini Versini, University of Limerick, Ireland

Dr Jess Baines, London College of Communication, University of the Arts London

Francesca Vaghi, PhD candidate, Department of Anthropology & Sociology, SOAS University of London

Dr Domitilla Olivieri, Utrecht University

Dr James Pope, Bournemouth University

Dr Marcus Free, University of Limerick, Ireland

Professor Bart Cammaerts, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

Dr Teresa Forde, Senior  Lecturer in Film and Media, University of Derby

Dr Alison Wilde, Senior Lecturer, Leeds Beckett University

Dr Maryam Ghorbankarimi, Lecture in Film, Lancaster University

Dr Kaitlynn Mendes, University of Leicester, UK

Dr Eve Bennett, Université Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris 3, France

Dr Candida Yates, Professor of Culture and Communication, Bournemouth University

Dr Elinor Cleghorn, writer and independent researcher, UK

Dr Despoina Mantziari, University of Sussex

Dr Joseph Oldham, Teaching Fellow in American Studies, University of Hull

Dr Bex Lewis, Senior Lecturer in Digital Marketing, Manchester Metropolitan University

Professor Andy Miah, University of Salford, Manchester.

Dr Luke Thompson, Senior Lecturer, Falmouth University

Prof. Ola Stockfelt, Musicology and Film. University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Ben Highmore, University of Sussex

Dr Vincent M. Gaine, University of East Anglia, Norwich

Professor Nico Carpentier, Uppsala University, Sweden

Dr Abigail Gardner, Reader in Music and Media, University of Gloucestershire

Professor Bernd Herzogenrath, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Assistant Professor Matthias Grotkopp, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany

Adam Herron, Postgraduate Researcher, School of Art, Media and American Studies, University of East Anglia.

Dr Alexander Sergeant, Bournemouth University

Dr Jamie Coates, School of East Asian Studies, University of Sheffield

Dr Jonathan Ellis, Sheffield University

Dr Eben J. Muse, Bangor University

Mr Eoin Murray, Bangor University

Dr Gregory Frame, Bangor University

Anders Åbrandt, D.D.S. MA student  Musicology and Film. University of Gothenburg, Sweden

Dr Paul Mullins, Reader, Psychology, Bangor University.

Dr Michael Muller, ACM Distinguished Scientist, ACM SIGCHI Academy

Dr Tracy Piper-Wright, Senior Lecturer in Photography, University of Chester

Dr Aidan Power, Lecturer in Film Studies, University of Exeter

Dr Artemis Alexiou, Lecturer in Design and Gender History, University of Gloucestershire

Dr Margarita Navarro Pérez, Lecturer in Modern Languages, University of Defense in San Javier.

Prof. Sean Homer, Professor of Film and Literature, American University in Bulgaria.

Ishrat Khan, Assistant Professor, Department of Gender Studies, University of Dhaka

Dr Alexander Hay, Independent Scholar

Dr Leora Hadas, Teaching Associate in Cultural, Visual, and Media Studies, University of Nottingham

Prof Caroline Bainbridge, Roehampton University

Michael Samuel, PhD Candidate, University of Leeds and Visiting Lecturer, University of Birmingham.

Anna Maria Mullally, Institute of Technology, Dublin

Dr Tamsyn Dent, Bournemouth University

Dr Duncan Hay, Research Associate, University College London / Lancaster University

Dr Steffen Krüger, postdoc and lecturer, Dept. of Media and Communication, University of Oslo.

Dr Alan Grossman, Director, Centre for Socially Engaged Practice-Based Research, Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland

Briony Hannell, PhD Candidate, University of East Anglia, UK

Dr Alison Winch, University of East Anglia, UK

Dr Anandi Ramamurthy, Reader, Sheffield Hallam University

Miriam Sorrentino, Senior Lecturer University of Greenwich

Dr Agnieszka Piotrowska, University of Bedfordshire

Dr Nick Bentley, Senior Lecturer, Keele University, UK

Dr Cat Mahoney, Derby Fellow in Communication and Media, University of Liverpool UK.

Prof Karen Boyle, Professor of Feminist Media Studies, University of Strathclyde, UK

Dr Melanie Williams, Reader in Film and Television Studies, University of East Anglia, UK

Ruth Stoker, University of Huddersfield

Dr Dina Matar, SOAS, London

Dr Anna Malinowska, University of Silesia, Poland / The New School of Social Research

Dr Alan White, Anglia Ruskin University

Dr Angela Piccini, Reader in Screen Media, University of Bristol, UK

Dr Isabella Streffen, Senior Lecturer in Fine Art, University of Lincoln

Dr Karen D Thornton, Lecturer in Film and Television Studies, University of Bradford, UK

Dr Leah Kardos, Senior Lecturer in Music, Kingston University

Dr Rebecca Harrison, Lecturer in Film and Television, University of Glasgow

Shelley Tuazon Guyton, PhD Candidate in Anthropology, University of California, Riverside

Mariam Kauser, PhD Candidate, University of West London / wrkwrkwrk collective

Antonia Felliou PhD Candidate in Film and Television,  University of Glasgow

Dr Ryan Watson, Assistant Professor of Film and Visual Media, Misericordia University

Panagiotis Kourtesis, PhD Researcher in Experimental Psychology & Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Edinburgh.

Dr Stacy Gillis, Newcastle University, U.K.

Rachael de Moravia, Senior Lecturer in Journalism, University of Gloucestershire, U.K.

Dr Toni Sant, Director of Film & Digital Media, University of Salford, MediaCityUK.

Dr Elke Weissmann, Reader in Television and Film, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, UK

Ruth Gilbert, PhD student in Film & Television Studies, University of Glasgow, UK.

Melissa Hair, PhD Candidate, Northumbria University.

Cathy Brennan

Dr Yelin Zhao, Seminar Tutor in History of Art, University of Leeds, UK.

Inmaculada N. Sánchez-García, PhD Candidate in English Literature, Northumbria University, UK.

Dr Ian McDonald, Senior Lecturer in Film Practice, Newcastle University, UK.

Dr Ingrid Ryberg, filmmaker and Senior Lecturer, Department of Cultural Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Sophia Kier-Byfield, PhD student, University of Loughborough; Part-time lecturer, University of Aarhus.

Professor Tania Lewis, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia.

Dr Joshua Gulam, Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool, UK

Dr Philippa Lovatt, University of St Andrews, UK

Dr David Archibald, Film and Television Studies, University of Glasgow

Erin Wiegand, PhD Candidate, Northumbria University, UK

Dr Katherine Angel, writer and Lecturer, Department of English and Humanities, Birkbeck College, University of London

Robyn Long, Research Assistant, Goldsmiths, University of London

Richard Sanders, Senior Lecturer in Education Studies and EdD Researcher, Newman University, UK

Dr Michael Zryd, Associate Professor, York University, Canada

Dr Anna Davidson, Lecturer in Geography, University of Huddersfield, UK

Dr Miriam Kent, Lecturer in Film and Media Studies, University of East Anglia

Susana Aparecida dos Santos, M.A. at Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Brazil.

Dr Alex Forbes, Independent Scholar

Jazmine Linklater

Helen Gubbins, PhD Candidate in Ethnomusicology, University of Sheffield, UK.

Dr Chi-Yun Shin, Principal Lecturer in Film Studies, Sheffield Hallam University.

Dr Reva Yunus (PhD University of Warwick), Azim Premji University, India.

Dr Karen Wilkes, Lecturer in Sociology, Birmingham City University, UK

Dr Ruth Barton, School of Creative Arts, Trinity College Dublin

Associate Professor Anne M Harris, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia

Dr Helena Holgersson, senior lecturer, Department of Cultural Sciences, University of Gothenburg

Prof. Paul Long, Birmingham Centre for Media and Cultural Research, Birmingham City University.

Professor Shekhar Deshpande, Media and Communication, Arcadia University

Sabine Sharp, PhD Candidate in English and American Studies, University of Manchester, UK

Jordan Glendenning, Graduate Teaching Assistant in Digital Media, Bangor University, UK

Patricia Prieto-Blanco, Senior Lecturer, School of Media, University of Brighton, UK

Lidia Salvatori, PhD Candidate, School of Media, Communication and Sociology, University of Leicester, UK

Prof. Tassia Cruz, School of Public Policy and Government, Fundação Getulio Vargas, Brazil

Chia Longman, Associate Professor, Gender Studies, Ghent University, Belgium

Giovanna Vingelli, Centre of Women’s Studies “Milly Villa”, Università della Calabria, Italy

Dr Ian Garwood, University of Glasgow

Dimitra Ioannou, poet, artist, editor, Greece

Kata Szita, PhD candidate in Film Studies, University of Gothenburg

Dr Tom Betteridge, Independent Scholar

Paola Bacchetta, Professor, Department of Gender and Women’s Studies, University of California, Berkeley

Arman Heljic, PhD Student in Gender Studies, University of Gothenburg.

Dr Sabine Hark, Professor for Gender Studies, TU Berlin, Germany

Dr Elin Lundsten, Lecturer in Gender Studies, Department of Cultural Sciences, University of Gothenburg

Minoo Moallem, Professor, Gender and Women’s Studies, UC Berkeley.

Ian Duncan, Professor of English, University of California, Berkeley

Dr Athena Bellas, sessional lecturer in Screen and Cultural Studies, University of Melbourne.

Luana M Cabral, M. A. student in Film and Video Studies, Universidade Federal Fluminense – RJ, Brazil

Dr Anna Misiak, Senior Lecturer in Film/MA Film & TV Course Coordinator, Falmouth University

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Feeling inspired by MAI? Dedicated to intersectional gender politics in visual culture? Want to keep your feminist imagination on fire? MAI newsletter will help refresh your zeal for feminism with first-hand news on our new content. 

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WHO SUPPORTS US

The team of MAI supporters and contributors is always expanding. We’re honoured to have a specialist collective of editors, whose enthusiasm & talent gave birth to MAI.

However, to turn our MAI dream into reality, we also relied on assistance from high-quality experts in web design, development and photography. Here we’d like to acknowledge their hard work and commitment to the feminist cause. Our feminist ‘thank you’ goes to:


Dots+Circles – a digital agency determined to make a difference, who’ve designed and built our MAI website. Their continuous support became a digital catalyst to our idealistic project.
Guy Martin – an award-winning and widely published British photographer who’s kindly agreed to share his images with our readers

Chandler Jernigan – a talented young American photographer whose portraits hugely enriched the visuals of MAI website
Matt Gillespie – a gifted professional British photographer who with no hesitation gave us permission to use some of his work
Julia Carbonell – an emerging Spanish photographer whose sharp outlook at contemporary women grasped our feminist attention
Ana Pedreira – a self-taught Portuguese photographer whose imagery from women protests beams with feminist aura
And other photographers whose images have been reproduced here: Cezanne Ali, Les Anderson, Mike Wilson, Annie Spratt, Cristian Newman, Peter Hershey