Women of the Welfare Landscape
Lead Research Organisation:
Manchester Metropolitan University
Department Name: The Manchester School of Architecture
Abstract
Through a variety of co-produced public facing and academic activities this project will commemorate the network of women and their collaborators who have had a major impact on shaping the post-war designed landscapes of the British Welfare State.
The project will challenge existing approaches in landscape history that focus on individual designers and key flagship design projects. 'Women of the Welfare Landscape' will shift attention to networks of professionals, their work as educators, campaigners and advocates, and projects of the everyday: landscapes in service of communities. As opposed to an object-focused analysis of exemplary private gardens, this project will analyse landscapes of public housing, public and country parks funded by municipalities and landscapes of infrastructure commissioned by publicly owned, nationalised industries, as material examples of landscapes for social benefits and 'fair share for all': a key objective of Welfare Planning. The project will examine whether the growing importance of the landscape profession in the post-war period, its shifting focus from private clients towards communities and a more available education system, led to a change in the professional habitus and social background of landscape architects.
By using a contextual biographical approach, the project will place the collaborations and networks of Brenda Colvin (1897-1981) at the centre of the research, through which the wider questions will be explored. Brenda Colvin was born in India and, after being educated in Swanley Horticultural College, started her independent practice in 1922. She was the first woman to be elected president of any leading built environment institute, when she took on the role of President of the Institute of Landscape Architects in 1951. Her work not only defined the future of the Institute - and the profession - but also had lasting impact on the education of landscape architects. Her collaboration with Hal Moggridge through their practice Colvin & Moggridge ensured the lasting legacy of her work: the practice is now the longest running in the country and will celebrate its centenary in 2022.
While the academic angle of the research will analyse and map Colvin's networks in a national and international professional, as well as British imperial context, a series of public facing events will commemorate the centenary of her practice and will contextualise this body of work within the questions of female leadership, the changing profession of landscape architecture, and the role of these landscapes in the current debates around accessibility of green spaces highlighted by the COVID19 pandemic and the Climate Crisis.
The project will challenge existing approaches in landscape history that focus on individual designers and key flagship design projects. 'Women of the Welfare Landscape' will shift attention to networks of professionals, their work as educators, campaigners and advocates, and projects of the everyday: landscapes in service of communities. As opposed to an object-focused analysis of exemplary private gardens, this project will analyse landscapes of public housing, public and country parks funded by municipalities and landscapes of infrastructure commissioned by publicly owned, nationalised industries, as material examples of landscapes for social benefits and 'fair share for all': a key objective of Welfare Planning. The project will examine whether the growing importance of the landscape profession in the post-war period, its shifting focus from private clients towards communities and a more available education system, led to a change in the professional habitus and social background of landscape architects.
By using a contextual biographical approach, the project will place the collaborations and networks of Brenda Colvin (1897-1981) at the centre of the research, through which the wider questions will be explored. Brenda Colvin was born in India and, after being educated in Swanley Horticultural College, started her independent practice in 1922. She was the first woman to be elected president of any leading built environment institute, when she took on the role of President of the Institute of Landscape Architects in 1951. Her work not only defined the future of the Institute - and the profession - but also had lasting impact on the education of landscape architects. Her collaboration with Hal Moggridge through their practice Colvin & Moggridge ensured the lasting legacy of her work: the practice is now the longest running in the country and will celebrate its centenary in 2022.
While the academic angle of the research will analyse and map Colvin's networks in a national and international professional, as well as British imperial context, a series of public facing events will commemorate the centenary of her practice and will contextualise this body of work within the questions of female leadership, the changing profession of landscape architecture, and the role of these landscapes in the current debates around accessibility of green spaces highlighted by the COVID19 pandemic and the Climate Crisis.
Organisations
- Manchester Metropolitan University (Lead Research Organisation)
- University of Copenhagen (Project Partner)
- Landscape Institute (Project Partner)
- The Garden Museum (Project Partner)
- Society of Architectural Historians GB (Project Partner)
- The Modernist Society (Project Partner)
- The Gardens Trust (Project Partner)
- FOLAR (Project Partner)
- Historic Environment Scotland (Project Partner)
- University of Liverpool (Fellow)
Publications
L Csepely-Knorr
(2022)
Celebrating the 'not-seen'
in Landscape. The Journal of the Landscape Institute
L Csepely-Knorr
(2022)
To Enhance the Fine Quality of the Landscape
in The Modernist
L Csepely-Knorr
(2022)
Environment, Landscape, and Education:The Legacy of Brenda Colvin's East Kilbride Landscapes
Title | Women of the Welfare Landscape Travelling Exhibition |
Description | The travelling exhibition is an output as well as a method to create discussions about the contribution of women to the creation of the landscapes of post-war Britain and beyond. The 27 panel exhibition is travelling to open galleries as well as educational institutions in the country to raise awareness of he project and its results. So far, the exhibition was on display in the library in East Kilbride Shopping centre, at the Stanley Picker Gallery in Kingston, London and in the Arts Tower at the University of Sheffield. Further stops will include the University of Lancaster, Birmingham City University, Styal Village (National Trust Quarry Bank Mill Property), The University of Reading Library and the Coleshill and Buscot estate of the National Trust. |
Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Impact | Visitors' feedback from the exhibition highlighted the how much they have learned about the topic, and women's contribution to landscape architecture in the post-war period. The success of the exhibition n East Kilbride led to a collaborative Exhibition Fund gran application with Historic Environment Scotland and the V&A in Dundee (awaiting decision). |
URL | https://www.stanleypickergallery.org/events/main-events/women-of-the-welfare-landscape/ |
Description | School of the Arts Research Development and Initiative Fund |
Amount | £299,766 (GBP) |
Organisation | University of Liverpool |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 06/2023 |
End | 07/2023 |
Description | University of Liverpool HSS Research Internship Scheme |
Amount | £1,500 (GBP) |
Organisation | University of Liverpool |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 04/2023 |
End | 07/2023 |
Description | 'Women in Landscape Architecture' Roundtable |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | As part of the public engagement events in relation to the 'Women of the Welfare Landscape' travelling exhibition, and in collaboration with the Kingston School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, we hold an international roundtable event, where Henriette Steiner (University of Copenhagen), Vanessa Ross (ARC LDP) and professor Csepely-Knorr discussed the changes in the role of women in the design professions. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | 100 years of Women shaping Landscape Architecture podcast |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | I participated in the 'Talking Landscape' podcast series, that is a collaboration between the Landscape Institute and Open City London. In the episode, '100 years of Women shaping Landscape Architecture' Paul Lincoln interviewed myself and Jane Findlay, immediate past president of the institute. The podcast discussed the 'Women of the Welfare Landscape' project, as well as my research on Brenda Colvin. Up until the 1st February, 962 people listened to the podcast, from 19 countries. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://shows.acast.com/opencity/episodes/100-years-of-women-shaping-landscape-architecture |
Description | Exhibition opening and Public Talk 'Women of the Welfare Landscape' Sheffield |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | In collaboration with the Sheffield Modernist and the Department of Landscape Architecture at University of Sheffield we co-hosted a launch event of Women of the Welfare Landscape Travelling Exhibition's opening in Sheffield on Monday 23rd January, where professor Csepely-Knorr gave the opening talk. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://the-modernist.org/collections/events/products/women-of-the-welfare-landscape-talk |
Description | Feature in the 'Designing for Gender Equality' issue of Landscape: The Journal of the Landscape Institute |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | The project was featured in the 'Designing for Gender Equality' issue of Landscape: The Journal of the Landscape Institute (p.16). This edition of the journal, celebrating 100 years of women in landscape architecture was part of the professor Csepely-Knorr's collaboration with the Landscape Institute, project partners on the grant. The journal had approximately 6000 readers online and in print with a 50:50 ratio, and the coverage on LinkedIn and other social media platforms had been exceptional. Professor Csepely-Knorr was invited to contribute to the podcast 'Talking Landscape' to talk about the project and her research. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://issuu.com/landscape-institute/docs/12954_li_journal_3_2022_v16_issuu_1_ |
Description | Historic Landscapes Assembly |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | The Historic Landscapes Assembly was hosted by the Gardens Trust, one of the project partners, in London in November 2022. We were unable to present in person and so a colleague made a short presentation about the project and about our HistoryPin site. She also manned a table on which we arranged a 'micro' exhibition of the posters and distributed leaflets about the project and our activities. The event was attended by around 90 delegates from the heritage and conservation sector, and resulted in questions and discussions about future collaboration between the project and regional Gardens Trusts and the National Trust. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://thegardenstrust.org/conservation/vs-hub/networking-materials/historic-landscapes-assembly/ |
Description | Inaugural lecture + Digital exhibition |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Professor Luca Csepely-Knorr's Inaugural lecture at the University of Liverpool took place on 15th Match 2023. During the lecture she talked about the project's research outcomes. The lecture was accompanied by a digital version of the travelling exhibition, exhibited throughout the screens in the Yoko Ono Lennon Centre at the University of Liverpool. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/inaugural-lecture-prof-luca-csepely-knorr-shaping-tomorrows-landscape... |
Description | Online lecture for the Yorkshire Gardens Trust on 'gardens for all, rural recreation and landscapes of power' |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | There were 48 attendees for the online lecture from the UK, America, Middle East and South East Asia. The talk initiated conversations about the role and value of archives and the legacy of Colvin's work in Yorkshire. One member of the YGT followed up the talk by sharing her friend's photographs of power station landscapes in Yorkshire that we uploaded to the project's HistoryPin site. Another consequence was the initiating of a conversation with a former pupil of Colvin's who is now with the Cheshire Gardens Trust. This has led to the planning of further public engagement activities with the National Trust and regional Gardens Trust in July at Quarry Bank in Cheshire. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Show and Tell session, East Kilbride Library |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | We invited local residents in East Kilbride to share their memories and views of the East Kilbride landscape, designed by Brenda Colvin, as part of the first stage of the touring exhibition. With teh help of the local library, local newspapers and facebook groups, we talked to about 15 people, that led to longer further oral history interviews. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/in-your-area/lanarkshire/lanarkshire-residents-invited-share-memorabil... |
Description | Show and Tell session, Stanley Picker Gallery, Kingston |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | As part of the public engagement activities in relation to the 'Women of the Welfare Landscape' travelling exhibition we held a 'Show and Tell' session in the Stanley Picker Gallery in Kingston, where we invited the public to share their memories and photos with us, as well as giving them the opportunity to meet the curators. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Show and Tell session, University of Sheffield |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | As part of the public engagement activities linked to the 'Women of the Welfare Landscape' travelling exhibition in Sheffield, we held 2 show and tell sessions, where members of the public were invited to visit the exhibition, bring in their own photos and memories of sites featured in the exhibition or designed by women. They had the opportunity to talk to teh project team to discuss the exhibition. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | The Mark Turnbull Travel Award Presentation & LIS AGM 2022 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | I delivered the talk 'Designing for Nature: East Kilbride to Oakwood, Warrington' at the Landscape Institute Scotland's AGM in 2022. The aim of the talk was to highlight the project and invite collaborators and interested parties to come forward to be part of the project. Through the event I managed to get in touch with colleagues at the designation section of Historic Environment Scotland, who are interested in the possible impact of the research on their programme of landscape registrations. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-mark-turnbull-travel-award-presentation-lis-agm-2022-tickets-2894... |
Description | University of Edinburgh, ESALA - Architectural History Seminar series |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Each year, the Architectural History & Theory - MSc programme welcomes around ten guest speakers and colleagues to present an evening seminar on their research. The events are an opportunity to hear about the latest work in the field from scholars working across the globe. The seminars are free and everyone is welcome. This academic year, the AH&T Seminar Series run as live virtual events. I had the opportunity to present the project with an in-person and online audience of about 55 people. The in-person audience were mostly post-graduate students and academic colleagues, while the online audience had attendees from policy makers (Historic Environment Scotland), interested broader public as well as professional landscape architects and post-graduate students. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.eca.ed.ac.uk/architectural-history-and-theory-seminar-series |
Description | University of Sheffield Landscape Research Seminar series |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Professor Csepely-Knorr gave a talk titled 'Visions of a Profession' at the University of Sheffield as part of the Department of Landscape Architecture's research seminar series on 7th February, as part of the public engagement activities, related to the 'Women of the Welfare Landscape' travelling exhibition. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |