Books like that and conversations like that didn’t exist when I was at school. I didn’t learn anything about what women did at school,” says Pankhurst. “Conversations I have with children are more direct and informed now.” Her second book in the series, Fantastically Great Women Who Made History, was published last Thursday and features another suffragette, Flora Drummond, as well as Harriet Tubman, Boudicca and Ada Lovelace. Fantastically Great Women is, essentially, to Six what Pretty Little Liars was to Desperate Housewives: a weaker, lighter take on similar themes for a younger audience. I would have loved the show if I was a kid. The children in the audience seemed to be having a great time. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed myself, and I might have even felt a little emotional at the end (when Jade was comforted by Rosa Parks and Anne Frank), but I recognise that the musical’s target audience is families. Over half of all the visual artists working today are women, but the paintings and sculptures shown in many galleries and museums tell a different story because they're usually the work of men.

Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World | Wales Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World | Wales

Her first book, Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World, was published in 2016 and seemed to capture the zeitgeist. It has sold 150,000 copies and has now been adapted into a musical. The show follows a young girl, Jade, as she discoverers the history of some influential women on a school trip – including aviation pioneeer Amelia Earhart (Photo: Pamela Raith)Celebrated - and often forgotten - women from history are brought to life on stage, from Rosa Parks to Sacagawea, Amelia Earhart to Marie Curie, Mary Seacole to Frida Kahlo and Jane Austen, and Pankhurst's own relative Emmeline. Inquisitive heroine Jade breaks away from her class trip to the local museum to take a peek at the Gallery of Greatness. Audiences can join Jade in meeting these incredible and inspiring women from the past: from explorers and scientists to artists and secret agents, hear the stories of some of history's independent icons who really did change the world. Pankhurst does a lot of work in schools, sharing her books and having conversations with young children (her books are aimed at ages 5+). “The stories you know about when you’re young plant a few seeds and show you what was and wasn’t possible in the past. It’s one part of the jigsaw that gives you positive messages about what women can do and how people change things.”

Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World

Based on the award-winning children’s picture book by Kate Pankhurtst, Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World is a brand-new, pop musical from the producers of Six.Initially, it seemed like an interesting bit of family trivia, but as my illustration practice developed, all the bits of the jigsaw fell into place,” she says. The idea was staring me in the face, but it took a while to see it,” says the illustrator and children’s author Kate Pankhurst. Surprisingly, she didn’t know she was related to the suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst until, 15 years ago, her aunt dug into the family archives and told her that Richard Pankhurst, Emmeline’s husband, is her three-times-removed first cousin. Processing your personal information is in Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World legitimate interests Bursting full of colourful illustrations and fascinating facts, Fantastically Great Women Who Saved the Planet is an inspiring introduction to just a few of the incredible women who show that all actions, big and small, can be powerful in the fight against climate breakdown. I especially enjoyed the inclusion of Manchester’s own Emmeline Pankhurst – who Kate Pankhurst discovered she is related to whilst writing the book. Kirstie Skivington spoke with a broad Mancunian accent for the role, which was a nice touch.

Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World - BookTrust

Overflowing with vibrant and beautiful illustrations, and wonderfully engaging text, Fantastically Great Women Who Made Historyis a celebration of just some of the inspirational women who put their mark on the world we live in. Toilets, washrooms, bathrooms or loos - whatever you call them, it's likely that you'll want to visit ours while you're here. Definitely. You can’t wing it because they are real people, and you don’t want to either because you want to respect these women what they did and do them justice so we did a lot of research. But what was really lovely and helpful, the young cast, the girls that play Jade, started a week before us and had a week of learning, and made big posters on each of the characters, made a timeline, pictures and everything. When the adult cast started, they gave us a presentation on everyone and it was really amazing to learn from their perspective on top of our own research. and but then to have that bonding experience with everyone and talk about these women collectively. Join our inquisitive heroine Jade as she breaks away from her class to take a peek at the not yet open Gallery of Greatness in the local museum. On her journey she meets the incredible wonder women Frida Kahlo, Rosa Parks, Amelia Earhart and Emmeline Pankhurst to name just a few.Whilst the musical is no Six, it’s a great follow-up. It’s fun, poppy, light-hearted, and heart-warming – which is sometimes exactly what you want. The music, though not the most memorable, is aurally pleasing, and the story, though straightforward, is well-thought-out – with a fitting ending. Aside from Jade, who is the main lead in the show, there are four adult actors in the company and we all multi-role, so I play Emmeline Pankhurst, Agent Fifi and Jade’s teacher Miss Johnson. The other women featured are Sacagawea, Frida Kahlo, Marie Curie, Amelia Earhart, Rosa Parks, Mary Seacole, Gertrude Ederle, Jane Austen, Mary Anning, Anne Frank.