Coventry City Council and Coventry University have come together to celebrate Coventry’s participation in the London 2012 Olympics with the contemporary exhibition Moving the Goalposts. The exhibition will run from 23 July to 12 August 2012.
This dynamic exhibition and education project was conceived by Coventry artist Colin Yates. It looks at the hidden history of British women's football from 1881 to the present day. Yates has commissioned 13 artists working across disciplines to create work that responds to and interprets this subject. The artists include: Olivia Mann, Alison Palmer, Jaskirt Dhaliwal, Beccy Roberts, Jill Iliffe, Heather McGrath, Judith Yates, Ben Mosely, Stuart Gibbs, Colin Yates, Matt Nunn, Darryl Georgiou and Mathew Ensor.
Councillor Mal Mutton, Chair of the Cabinet Advisory Group for the London 2012 Olympics said: "We're delighted that this national exhibition is coming to the city during this special year. The exhibition celebrates the long history of Women's Football in the country and it is very apt that we are hosting such an exhibition to tie-in with the City of Coventry Stadium playing host to seven Women's matches."
Moving the Goalposts made a successful debut at The People's History Museum in Manchester (March 2011) before travelling on to the Rugby Art Gallery and Museum, Wembley Stadium, and the 'Women in Media' event at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, where artwork from the show was used to illustrate Gabby Logan's BBC documentary 'Sexism in Football'.
Colin Yates remarks,
"As a longstanding resident of Coventry, I desperately wanted to display the women's football exhibition in the city centre during the Olympic Football Tournament, I'm very grateful that Coventry City Council and Coventry University have made it happen".
Judith Mottram, Director of Lanchester Gallery says, "We're very happy to be collaborating with the city to celebrate the Olympics in Coventry. An exhibition like this is an exciting bridge between popular culture and the work that we do. We look forward to welcoming new audiences to the gallery."
The exhibition will be showing at Coventry University's New Lanchester Gallery on Jordan Well to coincide with the International Olympic Football tournament being held at the City of Coventry Stadium.
Admission to the exhibition will be free, with proposed opening times of Tuesday to Saturday 10.00am to 6.00pm and Sunday 10.00am to 4.00pm.