The importance of Changemakers to inspire future generations

Posted on 14 July, 2022

Nanette Louchart-Fletcher lives, eats and breathes her work as Head of Exhibitions at the Museum of Australian Democracy (MoAD).

But as the mum of teenagers, including 16-year-old daughter Eliane, the newly opened Changemakers exhibition is one which has a particular resonance for Nanette. It’s also been a Herculean task to pull the exhibition together amid the pandemic and in spite of the front doors of MoAD being set on fire last year during a demonstration.

She takes five minutes with HerCanberra to reflect on the journey presented by Changemakers.

Dame Quentin Bryce, Virginia Haussegger, and Nanette Louchart-Fletcher explore MOAD’s Changemakers exhibition. Photography: Pew Pew Studio.

How did Changemakers come about?

The Changemakers Gallery is part of an exciting redevelopment of our permanent exhibition spaces at MoAD. Changemakers came about as a way of ensuring that MoAD always has a space dedicated to the voices of groups in the Australian community who’ve had to struggle and advocate for rights.

Our first exhibition in the gallery showcases the story of the women of Australia. Generations of women (and men) have worked—and continue to work—to change laws and attitudes and make a real difference to the lives of Australian women. We call them the changemakers.

How did you get the ball rolling, who was drafted to be involved and how long has it been in the preparation stages?

Like all exhibition development, the gestation felt long and agonising! It also suffered from a series of unexpected events including COVID and a fire at the front of the building which caused MoAD to close to the public. It’s a testament to the passion and determination of the brilliant team who worked on this project that we opened the doors to the public about two years after we started working on it.

The idea for a gallery dedicated to telling the story of the generations of changemakers, past and present, who change the future came from a series of robust discussions between our curatorial and exhibition teams.

Changemakers features hand-embroidered banners by Australian craftivists. Photography: Pew Pew Studio.

What does the exhibition mean to you personally and also as the mum of a daughter?

It means a lot to me as a mum. All my projects are developed through the prism of how my children see the world. This one has special resonance for me as a mother of teenagers. I love the fearless questioning and strong sense of justice that we see in many young people today. This exhibition shares the stories of many women and male allies who’ve fought tirelessly for progressive change in Australia to ensure women are on an equal footing with men across all aspects of society. There’s a lot of inspiring people, stories and objects in this exhibition to put a fire in the bellies of future changemakers.

Of course, there is much more to do and change is not always progressive. Things can go backwards if we are not vigilant. We only have to look at the Roe Vs. Wade reversal by the Supreme Court in the United States to understand this. Our rights are precious, hard-won victories that need to be protected and celebrated. How great if we all worked together with this common purpose.

Has Eliane seen it yet and what does she think?

Eliane has seen a lot of exhibitions in her life thanks to a mother who lives, eats and breathes them. She is a pretty tough customer and hard to impress. That said, she really connected with Changemakers. She was fascinated by objects like the early contraceptive blister packet that was hidden discreetly inside a comb case because of the taboo. She also connected with Natasha Stott-Despoja’s Docs and the way she wore these both as a student activist and as a parliamentary representative.

Changemakers shares the stories of many women and male allies who’ve fought tirelessly for progressive change in Australia. Photography: Pew Pew Studio.

How do you hope young students who come to view the exhibition will perceive it? Do you want them to feel inspired to make change themselves?

Yes! Absolutely. We have about 90,000 school students a year who will come through and experience Changemakers. The exhibition has been designed with them in mind—our hope is that each and every one of them finds some connection between their own lived experience and that of the people in the exhibition. Changemakers are no different from you and I. We all have the capacity to bring about change in our communities.

What are some of the hidden gems of Changemakers and the stories behind them?

We have a phrase at MoAD, a humble object = a hero story. Small pieces of material culture can embody huge social change. Take Grace Tame’s first 5000 signatures for her #LetHerSpeak petition, it’s a pretty modest object that ignited a campaign to amend laws that prevent sexual assault survivors from telling their story.

Do you have a favourite exhibit? And why?

The absolute showstopper when you arrive at the entrance to the Changemakers Gallery is the series of 16 banners with feminist slogans drawn from important campaigns in the Australian women’s movement. These were made with love in each stitch by five of Australia’s best-known craftivists. There’s a healthy amount of glitter, sparkly, braid and fringing with a nod to the suffragette roots of the women’s movement. I dare you to walk past them without smiling.

Photography: Pew Pew Studio.