A new exhibition which explores gender and agriculture launches this weekend at the Gymnasium Gallery in Berwick.
Daughters of the Soil: The Women behind Agriculture , by award-winning documentary photographer Joanne Coates, focuses on issues women face in farming. It is the culmination of 12 months of work in Northumberland and the Scottish Borders done during a residence with the Maltings and Newcastle University's Centre for Rural Economy (CRE) and Institute for Creative Arts Practice.
The exhibition explores questions about land inheritance, farming stereotypes and the history around who works the land. Women make up 15% of the farming industry in the UK, and their contribution is significant but often overlooked, with underlying barriers such as access to land, class motherhood and lack of clear leadership roles assisting this.
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While researching gender and agriculture over the last 12 months, Joanne collaborated with more than 40 women from either side of the border, with her work combining documentary photography with socially engaged methods, aiming to create a distinctive visual motif rooted in lived experience. It adds to a portfolio which already includes the Guardian, BBC, Financial Times, Telegraph and The British Journal of Photography.
Joanne said: " The project offered the opportunity for me to chronicle the lives and stories of these women. Women aren’t as visible as men on farms, but we are seeing them more.
"The female workforce are driving tractors, having a social media presence, and can be seen on the telly but they don't often inherit land or work in leadership positions."
Joanne worked on the exhibition with Professor Sally Shortall, Duke of Northumberland Chair of Rural Economy at CRE, whose research focuses on gender relations in agriculture. She said: "Joanne's work brings women's stories to life and capture the essence of their world. I’m delighted that this exhibition raises awareness of the important role played by women in farming today."
Daughters of the Soil: The Women behind Agriculture will be displayed every Wednesday to Sunday from 11am - 4pm from April 2 to June 5 at the Gymnasium Gallery in Berwick. It will also be shown at Vane, Gateshead in August 2022 and tour to a further venue later in the year.
