New exhibition will celebrate the amazing lives and achievements of female pioneers from Chichester District

A psychoanalyst who fled Nazi Germany, a hockey captain who established the Womens Sport Foundation (now Women in Sport), the coordinator of evacuee arrivals in Selsey during the Second World War, a principal who transformed a teacher-training college and a suffragist who spent time in Holloway Prison are just some of the fascinating women whose stories are being featured in a new headline exhibition at The Novium Museum which opens on 17 October 2026. 

 ChichestHER is the culmination of a two-year project made possible thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund which awarded the project a grant of £117,266.

 The exhibition celebrates the lives, work, and achievements of women, past and present across Chichester District, and explores the impact women have made to local life, from suffrage and education to art, medicine, sport, and beyond.

 More than 40 volunteers signed up to help with the project, working with the museum team to identify women for inclusion, carry out research and digitise items for the museum collection.

 The project has included research on over 100 women so far and the stories of 19 women will be featured in the exhibition. 

 Among the women to be featured in the main exhibition are:

 

• Kate Friedländer (19021949): A remarkable psychoanalyst who fled Nazi Germany in 1933 and later worked in Chichester. One of very few women in her field during the Second World War, Friedländer established and lead the West Sussex County Council Child Guidance Service in 1945. Her influential publication The Psycho-Analytical Approach to Juvenile Delinquency continues to be influential to child guidance research today.

 

• Dr Carol Anita White CBE (1945present): A lifelong advocate for women in sport, White has made a huge contribution to sport as an athlete, educator, scholar and advocate for gender equality. A former England hockey captain, she led the team to victory at the 1975 Womens Hockey Championships before campaigning for greater recognition for women in sport. She helped establish the Womens Sport Foundation (now Women in Sport), and founded initiatives supporting female sports leaders worldwide.

 

 

• Katherine Murray (19091998): During her 23-year tenure as Principal of Bishop Otter College, Chichester, a womens teacher-training institution at the time, Murray transformed the college. She oversaw its development into a co-educational institution, tripling student numbers and expanding its facilities and cultural assets. Beyond education, she played a significant role in shaping Chichesters cultural and heritage landscape, supporting the development of Pallant House Gallery, the Weald & Downland Living Museum and major archaeological projects. A passionate conservationist, she dedicated four decades to protecting the Sussex Downs, inspiring the creation of the Murray Downland Trust.

 

• Ethel Turner (18841948): A talented artist born and brought up in Chichester, Turner later became a leading member of the Womens Freedom League in the city. She organised events, delivered public speeches and campaigned tirelessly for votes for women. Her commitment led to imprisonment in Holloway Prison in 1909 following a suffrage demonstration in London, an experience that strengthened her resolve. Later, she dedicated 25 years to the Association of Moral and Social Hygiene, championing equality, social justice and support for vulnerable women.

 

 

• Vera Buxton-Knight (18931969): Buxton-Knight was a central figure in Selseys wartime efforts during the Second World War, providing outstanding leadership, compassion and community support. She coordinated the arrival and care of more than 800 evacuees, served as a transport officer for the Womens Voluntary Service and Air Raid Precautions, and worked as a senior ambulance officer and first responder. Her home became Selseys emergency coordination centre, where she trained volunteers and led emergency responses. Buxton-Knight also organised major fundraising campaigns, including the Selsey Spitfire Fund, and worked tirelessly to boost morale.

 

The stories of more familiar names are also shared, including the late Chichester-based actress, Dame Patricia Routledge; best-selling author, Kate Mosse and local singer and performer, Dawn Gracie.

 

The main exhibition will be accompanied by a new interactive website where the public can submit stories, photographs, and research about local women creating a digital archive accessible to all and representing the whole of the district. People are also encouraged to contribute to a contemporary collecting initiative, donating everyday objects that tell local womens stories and enriching the museums representation of female lives.

 

Museums, organisations and individuals have loaned items for display as part of the exhibition including the People's History Museum, Manchester; Fishbourne Roman Palace; University of Chichester, West Sussex Record Office, The Mary Rose Trust and Lakeland Arts Trust, Kendal.

 

The exhibition will also feature interactive activities for visitors that directly link with the stories on display. These include solving puzzles, trails, dressing up, a Ladybird book library, designing a mosaic, playing musical instruments and much more.

 

The museum has collaborated with Illustration and Design students from Chichester College to create five animations that tell some of the womens stories which will be displayed in the exhibition.

 

Local community groups have worked with local artists to create artistic responses to some of the womens stories and these will also be on display. 

 

ChichestHER will also be accompanied by a community events programme, featuring talks by inspirational women, family activities, tactile tours, and 'Makers Mornings' led by local women to share their skills, creativity, and expertise.

 

Councillor John Cross, Cabinet Member for Culture, Sport and Place at Chichester District Council, says: We are thrilled to be bringing this important exhibition to the district. As well as filling in gaps in our districts historical record, we want to inspire future generations by making the achievements of women both past and present visible, valued and remembered. The stories uncovered are astounding and show great courage, tenacity and compassion. The actions of these women have left a lasting legacy for the district and I am sure that they will inspire many visitors to the exhibition.

 

The community has played a crucial part in helping bring this exhibition together and so I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who volunteered with this project, or made a contribution to help showcase these inspirational stories. A lot of these stories wont be familiar to people, so we hope that this exhibition will help build a fuller, more inclusive picture of our local heritage and preserve these womens achievements for generations to come.

 

Michelle Roffe, Head of Investment - London & South at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: "We are thrilled to have supported the ChichestHER exhibition and the exciting activity programme at The Novium Museum that will shine a spotlight on the many stories from women that have shaped the district's heritage and enable visitors to discover more about these important role models. Thanks to National Lottery players, we are very proud to have played a part in the museum's work to platform and celebrate women's heritage and the impact they have had on Chichester's social history." 

 

For more information about the exhibition and ChichestHER project, please visit: www.thenovium.org/chichesther