Supported by O2 and in partnership with Getty Images, the exhibition shines a light on how women’s sport has been portrayed through photography in the past 50 years
Global passion marketing agency, M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment, has partnered with Getty Images to launch a brand-new exhibition at London’s iconic Saatchi Gallery titled, ‘In-Focus: Women’s Sport Through the Lens’, open to the public from 12 April 2022 and supported by O2.
Against the backdrop of 2022’s action-packed women’s sporting calendar, featuring global women’s events including the UEFA Women’s EURO England 2022 and Rugby World Cup, M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment is raising awareness of the opportunity for brands to be part of the growth of women’s sport through the power of the image.
This free entry photography exhibition shines a spotlight on how women’s sport has been captured over the last 50 years and will feature some of the most iconic images from sporting history. From empowering imagery of Billie Jean King holding court with media in 1971 through to the emotive image of Serena Williams comforting Naomi Osaka at the 2018 US Open, the exhibition brings to life the moments that lit up our TV screens, splashed across the newspapers, sparked conversation, debate, and broke the internet.
‘In Focus: Women’s Sport Through the Lens’ represents the first example of how M&C Saatchi Group is supporting Saatchi Gallery as a principal patron – a partnership that is focussed on driving positive cultural change and making art, culture, and creativity accessible to all. This exhibition will put women’s sport in the spotlight through a powerful platform.
The exhibition has been curated in partnership with some of the leading voices in women’s sport, including Anna Kessel MBE (Women’s Sport Editor, The Telegraph), Shaunagh Brown (England & Harlequins Rugby Player), Jude Hamer (British Wheelchair Basketball Athlete), Lauren Rowles MBE (British Paralympic Rower) and Jacqueline Bourke (Getty Images).
Inspired by some of the biggest cultural conversations behind the image of women’s sport – Equality, Anatomy, Motherhood, Mental Health and Activism – the ‘In-Focus’ exhibition concludes with an empowering vision for how female athletes could be portrayed in the future, reflecting the creative style that fans, brands, and media want to see more of.
Jenny Mitton, Women’s Sport Lead at M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment comments: “This is going to be a monumental year for women’s sport. As an agency we want to shine a light on not only the positive role brands can play in the growth of women’s sport, but the commercial benefit they can expect to see as a result. We’re seeing rapidly growing audiences who are young, diverse, and value brands who champion equality. As an agency, we are dedicated to making passions more equitable and inclusive, helping brands drive meaningful change, starting with representing female athletes as they want the world to see them.”
Jacqueline Bourke, EMEA head of creative insights at Getty Images says: “At Getty Images, we passionately champion the authentic representation of female sports. Bringing transformative equity forward for women and girls in sports requires work on a multitude of fronts. We believe media companies, brands and sports rights holders can all do their part in changing the perceptions of female sport by changing the visuals they choose (or create). Being more inclusive and intersectional, moving away from stereotypes of female athletes to images that focus on skill and athletic ability – it has never been more important to reimagine a new world for female sports.”
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