Outline
As a result of this year’s General Election, there are a record number of women in Parliament. There are now 263 women MPs. This represents 40% of the total seats in Parliament. - This is a fantastic achievement!
The Women in Photography group of the RPS (Royal Photographic Society) is celebrating this with a photography competition. '40%' sets out to portray the current women MPs through the eyes of female and female-identifying photographers.
We are working to exhibit the results on railings in Central London and other locations across the country.
Objectives
This project supports the following objectives:
- Celebrate and document this important period in our country’s history
- Provide a meaningful group activity for the RPS Women in Photography group that grows member skills and promotes member exposure
- Establish relationships with partner organisations and academia for future projects
- Promote the RPS and the RPS Women in Photography group. Encourage new members to join the RPS and the RPS Women in Photography group.
FAQ’s
- Great. Who will be involved?
Photographing 263 MPs is quite a challenge. To achieve this, photographers will be drawn from the following groups:
- RPS Women in Photography group
- RPS other Groups & Regions
- Partner organisations, e.g. Hundred Heroines, Tate, etc
- Students enrolled in a UK photography/media course
- How do I get involved?
To join this challenge, email Sue Wright (the Women in Photography Chair) at wipchair@rps.org. Sue will email you a starter pack with detailed instructions.
- Can I choose the MP that I shoot?
You can nominate the MP(s) that you would like to shoot. Our group is distributed across the UK, so we will try to allocate an MP in a constituency near you.
We need to ensure that MP’s are not contacted by multiple participants which is why we are allocating MP’s to photographers.
To nominate the MP(s) that you would like to shoot, email with a brief reason why you would like to portray this person. Include a short reason like “Jane Doe campaigned for environmental protection, and this is an important issue for me”. Where multiple participants have selected the same photographer, Sue and Christina will allocate the photographers to MPs.
- How do I contact an MP?
We will provide a letter of introduction from the RPS. It will be up to each photographer to contact their MP.
We will also be contacting the Press Secretaries for each Party to make them aware of the project.
- What do I need?
Enthusiasm and a good idea of the issues that your MP stands for. However, good portraits are a collaboration, so you may need to be flexible on the day.
- Is there a standard format that I need to follow for the images that I make?
No.
The format of the image is the responsibility of each photographer/artist. However, images should contribute to a celebration that 40% of MPs are now women. The MP sitting for the image should be happy that the image can be used to represent them in public.
Images should represent the values that each MP stands for or is interested in.
- Do I need studio lighting?
No. However, if you intend to use studio lighting expect to set it up and test it beforehand. You can expect to have limited time to make a portrait.
- What camera should I use?
Our advice is to Keep it Simple! Use a camera that you are familiar with.
- I’m not confident on how to approach this. Can I have help?
Yes. We will arrange an online (Zoom) session with a photographer who has shot MPs. They will be able to give you tips on what to expect, and how to conduct the session.
- How will the final images be selected?
The final images will be selected by a committee. The judges' decision will be final.
- Is there a cost involved?
Each participant will be responsible for transportation and other miscellaneous costs associated with making the images.
We are applying for funding to support the printing and installation of the images.
- Will I be paid for making these portraits?
No. This project provides an opportunity to document and exhibit a unique period in our country’s history.
- Who owns the image rights?
Each photographer will hold the copyright to their image(s). In return for participating, the photographer will license the use of the images to the RPS and partners for exhibition, a book/catalogue and of course promotion.
Any other use of the image will be the photographers responsibility and proceeds will be 100% retained by the photographer.
- When will the images be exhibited?
We are aiming for an exhibition launch date of 1st of December 2025. This coincides with Nancy Astor (Viscountess Astor) taking the first seat in Parliament in December 1919 after a by-election. She was elected as a Conservative for the Plymouth Sutton constituency after her husband, Waldorf Astor, the former MP, was elevated to the peerage.
She held the seat until she stood down in 1945. She was a great supporter of the women's movement once in Parliament.
- Where will the images be exhibited?
We are planning to exhibit the resulting images across the UK. To ensure maximum public exposure, we aim to place this exhibition in outdoor, easily accessible spaces rather than a traditional gallery space.
Incidentally, this is the same year women over the age of 30 got the vote.
The First Woman MP
The first woman to be elected to the Commons was Constance Markievicz, in the general election of 1918. However, as a member of Sinn Féin, she did not take her seat.
Nancy Astor (Viscountess Astor) was the first woman to take a seat in Parliament in December 1919 after a by-election. She was elected as a Conservative for the Plymouth Sutton constituency after her husband, Waldorf Astor, the former MP, was elevated to the peerage.
She held the seat until she stood down in 1945. She was a great supporter of the women's movement once in Parliament.
Her husband also worked to promote the admission of women to the House of Lords during the 1920s.
