East London Film Programme to explore resistance, representation and women’s shared lived experiences

May 22, 2026
A crowd of people watching two dancers
Sophia Hinton-Lever, curator, Women’s Museum, said: “We are so pleased to be working with Film London on this brilliant programme” (Credit: Courtesy of Film London)

The Women’s Museum has announced an “exciting and timely exploration of women’s stories, representation and lived experience through film”.  

Working in partnership with Film London Artists’ Moving Image Network (FLAMIN) and Film London Spotlight, the Materiality Of Memory film programme will run from 11 June until 19 November.  

Bringing together renowned curators, artists and filmmakers, the series sees Ying Di Yin from Girls in Film, Isra Al Kassi of T A P E collective, Isra Al Kassi of The Women Over Fifty Film Festival (WOFFF) and artist filmmaker Sarah Carne respond to artist Abel Holsborough’s feted Tracing Posterity installation. 

Holsborough’s work was, in turn, inspired by Barking & Dagenham’s moving image archive collection, which has its roots in the Dagenham Co-operative Film Society, formed 80 years ago.  

The programme will explore themes of memory, resistance and representation through a variety of unique lenses, including age, gender and ethnicity. 

Sophia Hinton-Lever, curator, Women’s Museum, said: “We are so pleased to be working with Film London on this brilliant programme. 

“At the Women’s Museum, we are committed to creating platforms for women’s stories to be explored in all their complexity, creativity and power. This film programme brings together an inspiring network of collaborators – including Girls in Film, TAPE Collective and WOFFF – to celebrate filmmaking as a space for dialogue, resistance and connection. 

“Great art and programming can happen on the margins.” 

Rose Cupit, head of Artists’ Moving Image at Film London, added: “As home to London’s oldest collection of archive film, Barking & Dagenham presented a unique and exciting opportunity for this project which brings together combinations of artists, curators, local residents and archivists. 

“It has been great to collaborate with the wonderful Women’s Museum and our Spotlight colleagues in bringing artists’ responses to archive to audiences in Materiality Of Memory, and now to co-present these diverse curatorial interpretations of the themes of women’s experience through the lens of archive. 

“The resulting film programmes serve an extremely important purpose in encouraging audiences to reflect on their own stories, experiences and identities and the role of archives as a repository of these.”

The programme launches on Thursday 11 June with a special panel discussion featuring all guest curators: 

  • Ying Di Yin (Girls in Film) 
  • Isra Al Kassi (T A P E collective) 
  • Nuala O’Sullivan (Women Over Fifty Film Festival) 
  • Sarah Carne 

More information is available on the Women’s Museum website.