New Exhibition Spotlights Rich History of Women in Computing
Opening on October 5th, Computing History: Where did all the women go? will present a timely and fascinating new insight into the unrecognised contributions of pioneering women in the computing industry, whose stories have often been written out by a focus on the ‘great men’. Suw Charman-Anderson will return the following evening to give a presentation about why she set up Ada Lovelace Day, an international celebration day of the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) which occurs on October 10 this year. As part of the Centre’s Ada Lovelace Day celebrations there will be two high impact performances on October 12. The first is part of an all-day event IT Began with Ada for over 100 girls (aged 11 to 16) and the second an evening performance Show and Tell. These both feature story teller and tech entrepreneur, Zoe Philpott with her award winning show Ada. Ada. Ada. in which Ada Lovelace tells her story using an LED dress which she operates – live on stage – using her wearable tech satin glove. Image: Zoe Philpott – Ada.Ada.Ada. performance Notes to Editors Ada Lovelace Day (ALD) was founded by Suw Charman-Anderson in 2009 and aims to raise the profile of women in science, technology, engineering and maths by encouraging people around the world to talk about the women whose work they admire. This international day of celebration helps people learn about the achievements of women in STEM, inspiring others and creating new role models for young and old alike. The inspiration for Ada Lovelace Day came from psychologist Penelope Lockwood, who carried out a study which found that women need to see female role models more than men need to see male role models. "Outstanding women can function as inspirational examples of success,” she said, "illustrating the kinds of achievements that are possible for women around them. They demonstrate that it is possible to overcome traditional gender barriers, indicating to other women that high levels of success are indeed attainable.” Hidden Figures is the hitherto untold tale that reorients our view of the space race of the 1960s by telling the stories of three brilliant African-American mathematicians at NASA (Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson) who serve as the brains behind a stunning achievement that galvanised the world but who were then written out of history. Delia Derbyshire It was Delia who created the most famous piece that ever emerged from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, the theme tune to Doctor Who (1963). She did it by taking a simple score by Ron Grainer and transforming it into the uncanny, iconic masterpiece we know, using her very own methods. A true seamstress of sound, she turned organic and everyday material into some of the earliest modern British electronic compositions that were way ahead of their time. Centre for Computing History Established in 2006, the Centre for Computing History is a charitable heritage organisation with a strong focus on learning. Since opening in Cambridge in August 2013, the Centre has made a deep impact on the educational and cultural life of Britain. Through interactive displays and exhibitions, our schools programme, learning events and workshops, and an astonishing collection of computers old and new, we help people understand how tech has shaped the modern world and revolutionised the way we live, work and play. For further information please contact:
Date : 03-10-2017 |
