Transmedia Project

It's 1918. After years of rallies, protests, arrests and hunger strikes, women in the UK have won the right to vote, and are one step closer to equality. You're about to travel back in time, and experience it for yourself. Are you ready? [[Where do you want to go?]] [[Exit]]

[[The rally.]] [[The Ladies' Gallery.]] [[The prison.]] [[The Derby.]]

You can now close this window. Goodbye.

You're in Hyde Park on a warm June day. A huge crowd swarms, made up of both Suffragette women and policemen. You stop for a moment and watch. Every woman is wearing a striped sash that reads "Votes for Women", and some are carrying banners and signs. The police are struggling to hold them back. There are thousands of people, and you can't hear yourself think over the noise of them shouting, chanting and talking. What do you do? [[Walk away and leave them to it, it looks far too dangerous.]] [[Move closer.]]

You're stood in a dimly lit corridor opposite a tall door, and you can hear muffled voices on the other side. A plaque on the door reads "Ladies Gallery". Do you open it? [[I'll open it.]] [[I'll keep it closed.]]

You're sat on a single chair in a dark, cold room, your hands tied behind your back. A single lamp hangs from the ceiling, and there's a chill in the air. [[What's going on?]]

The sun is high in the sky and you can smell freshly cut grass. Up ahead there is a crowd of people lined up beneath a sign reading "Epsom Racecourse." [[You decide to go in.]]

Where do you want to go now? [[The rally.]] [[The prison.]] [[The Derby.]] [[Exit]]

You have no idea where you are. A tall metal door is on the wall opposite you.You hear footsteps approaching. [[You panic. ]]

Suddenly the door opens. A tall policeman, baton in hand, stands in the doorway. [["Don't try anything. I'm here to let you out." he tells you in a loud, commanding voice.]]

Let you out? You realise you're in a prison. You can hear more footsteps, and loud voices from the corridor outside. [["Look sharp. You're on the way out now, I'm here to release you." He snaps.]]

He strides over and unties your hands. Your wrists are sore from being tied with the rope. The policeman takes you by the shoulder and marches you out of the room. As you exit, another policeman appears in the corridor, struggling to keep control of the woman he's escorting. She's dressed in a simple grey dress, but you notice the striped sash she's wearing that reads "Votes for Women". You turn your head and watch as she's dragged, literally kicking and screaming,into the prison room. [["What just happened?"]]

Realising you're going to go quietly, the policeman lets go of your arm. "Another one of those Suffragettes. She's just been brought in for the second time this month." The woman's shouts can still be heard. [["Why has she been arrested?" you ask.]]

"Well", the policeman sighs. "We originally arrested her last month for vandalising a local church, but she's been on hunger strike ever since." [[He doesn't notice how shocked you are.]]

"No matter what happens, they never learn", he rolls his eyes. "They don't pay the fines for whatever it is they've done - smashing windows, vandalising churches, what have you - so we have to arrest them." "Then they go on hunger strike, and we have to let them out." [["What happens after that?" you ask.]]

By now you're reached the main prison entrance. The sunlight hurts your eyes. "Well, now that the new Cat and Mouse Act has come into action, once they're well again, we can arrest them again and bring them straight back here", explains the policeman. [["That's horrible", you say.]]

Where do you want to go? [[The Ladies' Gallery.]] [[The rally.]] [[The Derby.]] [[Exit]]

Where do you want to go now? [[The Ladies' Gallery.]] [[The prison.]] [[The Derby.]]

As you walk closer, you see some women handing out pamphlets, and selling items to a long line of people. You ask a woman in front of you what they're selling. "I believe they've got badges, brooches and - oh look at this!" She points to a handkerchief one of the women is holding. You can just about see that it has a small map of the park stitched into it. [[You decide to buy a pin.]]

The doorknob is faded and brassy, and squeaks as you push the door open. It opens into a large room with a high ceiling, full of women sat on tiered benches. The room is dimly lit, and the windows are covered by a wrought iron grille. A woman in a plain pale dress appears. "Can I help you?" she asks. [[Where am I?]] [[Who are you?]]

Where do you want to go now? [[The rally.]] [[The prison.]] [[The Derby.]]

"This is the Ladies Gallery", smiles the attendant. "Here you can watch the debates taking place in parliament." She glances around at the crowded room. "If you can find a seat, that is." [["Why is it so busy?" you ask.]] [["I've seen enough, thankyou", you tell her.]]

"I'm an attendant here at the Ladies Gallery", she says. You glance around, and notice the women sat in the room. All of them are well-dressed, some in fine hats and jewellery. "Would you like a seat?" asks the attendant. [[Sit down.]] [["Why is it so busy?" you ask.]]

The attendant laughs. "The gallery is always this busy when debates are going on." You notice the grille again. [[Sit down.]]

Where do you want to go? [[The rally.]] [[The prison.]] [[The Derby.]]

The room is still very dim, despite a few lamps fixed on the walls. Now you've sat down, you realise the grille is nearly impossible to see through. You catch the attendant's eye. [["How am I supposed to see with that grille in the way?" you ask.]]

The attendant sighs. "When the committee rebuilt this place after that fire in 1834, they decided to put those grilles over the windows. Apparently it's so we're kept seperate from the men and won't cause a distraction." "Not to mention they keep the lighting dim in here too, just so the men can't see us. It's ridiculous", she continues. [["Is there anything you can do about it?" you ask.]]

"We tried." She says. "Back in 1896 Mr Burnie MP asked if we could have better lighting, but the Office of Works said it would "not have an agreeable effect", so now we just have to sit here in the dark." The other women in the room are squinting through the grille, desperate to get a better view. [["Why do you put up with this?" you ask.]]

"It's all we have." She says. "As we're not allowed to vote, or do anything else, we put up with the terrible view." You decide to [[Head back outside.]]

To your surprise, the policeman laughs. "If you think that's bad, just try force feeding them!" He turns to walk back into the prison. "Now, be on your way", he tells you. What now? [[Find out more about the imprisoned Suffragette.]] [[Go somewhere else.]] [[Exit]]

You attach the pin to your jacket, and begin to move away from the mass of people. As you walk on, you notice a few brass bands playing music. They seem to be enjoying playing to so many people. Around the edges of the crowd are raised platforms, with women wearing the same striped "Votes for Women" sashes. [[All of them give speeches to an excited and eager crowd.]]

At once, the bands strike up and the crowd begins to move in procession. Women begin chanting and singing, and raising their banners above your head. [[You step back and break away from the crowd.]]

The arena is full of people, some buying tickets, some sipping drinks and others smoking cigarettes. You decide to watch the next race. Do you: [[Head towards the track.]] [[Decide to place a bet.]]

As the crowd gathers behind the fence, you can't believe your view. You've managed to get a clear view of the track, and can even see the gates in the distance. A woman brushes past you in the crowd. The brightly coloured scarves in her hand catch your eye, as does the striped sash she's wearing. Do you: [[Stay put, as the race is about to begin.]] [[Follow her.]]

You make your way towards the betting office. It's very hectic, and the line of people seems never ending. You decide not to bother. [[Head towards the track.]]

A voice sounds over the speaker, telling the crowd that the race is starting. You hear the voice mention that jockey Herbert Jones is going to be riding the King's horse today. After a few moments the gates bolt open and the horses tear down the track. The crowd cheers and watches as they speed past. Suddenly, you spot the woman on the other side of the track, pushing her way through the crowd. [[Keep watching her.]] [[Keep an eye on the race.]]

She glances round anxiously, and seems out of place. You wonder why a Suffragette would be at a racecourse on derby day. You move to follow her, but the crowd holds you back. After pushing past a few people, and being tutted at, you realise you can no longer see her. [[Stay put, as the race is about to begin.]]

The voice over the speaker announces that this is the final lap. You feel the tension and energy in the crowd. The horses will pass by at any moment. Suddenly, the woman pushes past the fence and waits on the track. The horses appear from around the corner. People in the crowd point and call out to her. On the other side, people reach out and try to pull her back. [[The horses are about to ride by.]]

As the crowd jostles, you find it harder to get a good view of the race. You can't help but feel a rush of excitement everytime a horse dashes past. A few of the jockeys wave to the crowd as they go by. No matter what though, you can still see the woman edging further towards the track. [[Keep watching her.]]

What happens next feels like a blur. The woman sees the horses approaching and moves onto the track. Her arm reaches out, a scarf in her hand. Next thing you know, the horses rush past. When they pass, the woman is lying motionless on the ground. [["Someone help her!" a woman next to you cries.]]

A hush falls over the crowd. A group of spectators rush over to her. You can't believe what you've just seen. A man calls out for the crowd's attention. [["Someone! Get help, she's unconcious!"]]

The crowd panics, all of them trying to either get help or move away from what's just happened. [[You feel yourself being pushed and shoved, and eventually find yourself stood outside the racecourse gates.]]

Where do you want to go now? [[The rally.]] [[The Ladies' Gallery.]] [[The prison.]] [[Exit]]

Where do you want to go now? [[The Ladies' Gallery.]] [[The prison.]] [[The Derby.]] [[Exit]]

Welcome to The Suffragette Experience. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Wqk3guA846c" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe> Ready to begin? [[Continue.]]

The most iconic Suffragette was Emily Pankhurst, who founded the Women's Social and Political Union in 1903. It was her determination and courage that led to women winning the right to vote in 1918. As well as a political activist, she was also a writer and published her autobiography. (link: "Follow her on Twitter.")[(open-url: 'https://twitter.com/EPankhurst18')]