Call for Papers: Women and the Arts Forum Conference 2025

Thursday 23 October 2025

The National Gallery Women and the Arts Forum, in collaboration with the Subject Specialist Network, invites submissions for its 2025 conference, 'Hidden Histories of the Museum'. This event seeks to shine a light on the often-overlooked contributions of women who have played critical roles in shaping the histories, legacies and collections of public museums and galleries specialising in pre-1900 art, spanning the UK and beyond, from the early nineteenth century to the present. 

Building on the success of the Women and the Arts Forum Conference 2024, 'Widening the Narrative', which celebrated women artists and dealers as part of the National Gallery’s bicentenary, 'Hidden Histories of the Museum' turns its focus to the women who have worked behind the scenes. This includes employees, donors, collectors, trustees and other contributors, both internal and external to the National Gallery’s institutional operations. By highlighting these ‘hidden histories’, the conference aims to map a rich network of women’s involvement in the cultural and intellectual framework of museums, revealing their vital but frequently overlooked roles.

A potential outcome of the conference will be the publication of selected papers in a special journal issue, ensuring that this vital research is recorded and reaches a wide audience. We welcome proposals for 20-minute papers from researchers, museum professionals, independent scholars and postgraduate students. Collaborative and interdisciplinary submissions are particularly encouraged. Possible themes and topics include but are not limited to:

• The role of women in founding, curating or managing public collections.
• Women donors, patrons and benefactors: their motivations and influence.
• The impact of women as collectors and their contributions to museum collections, particularly those specialising in or holding significant pre-1900 paintings.
• Women trustees and their decision-making roles in institutional governance. 
• Museum employees in historically overlooked positions (e.g., framers, conservators, educators, administrators).
• Case studies of individual women whose contributions have been historically undervalued.
• The intersection of gender, class and race in women’s contributions to museums.
• The challenges and opportunities in researching ‘hidden’ histories.
• Methodologies for uncovering and interpreting archival material related to women in museum history.
• Reassessing historical narratives and their inclusion of women in museum settings.
• Comparisons of women’s roles across different museums and cultural institutions, nationally and internationally.
• Contemporary reflections on women’s underrepresentation in museum narratives. 

Submission Guidelines

Abstracts of no more than 300 words, along with a short biography (maximum 150 words), should be sent to waf.network@nationalgallery.org.uk by Monday 17 February 2025. Please include your name, institutional affiliation (if applicable), preferred email contact details and any accessibility requirements. We will aim to let contributors know the outcome within two weeks after the closing date. 

The conference will take place in person at the National Gallery’s Sainsbury Wing Theatre on Thursday 23 October 2025. 

We look forward to receiving your proposals and to engaging in thought-provoking discussions that will bring these hidden histories to light.