We're so excited to announce WOW's The Hope Brigade, a galvanising photography exhibition that spotlights trailblazing women from across the globe, is now on display in King's Cross to celebrate International Women’s Day 2023.

The free exhibition showcases the images of more than 50 women working at the forefront of their fields, from conflict to climate justice, in countries including the United Kingdom, Turkey, America, Pakistan, China, Australia, Brazil, Nigeria and Nepal. It was first published as an online exhibition during the pandemic, in partnership with Google Arts & Culture.

The exhibition is the latest in a series of always-on, always-free and always open art on the streets of King’s Cross, N1C as part of The Outside Art Project – one of the largest outdoor gallery spaces in London. It can be found on the outdoor art benches in Granary Square and Canal Square and runs to the end of March.

Through beautiful photography taken by emerging artists from around the world, it tells a story of global feminism and charts the progress that has been made so far, offering hope and encouraging others to continue fighting for gender equality. The Hope Brigade was created by WOW partners from across the globe, from Beijing to Brisbane.

Jude Kelly CBE, Founder & CEO of The WOW Foundation, said:“We are thrilled to be showcasing this life-affirming photography exhibition in King’s Cross. The outdoor art benches are so popular with visitors to the neighbourhood and have helped so many organisations before us to spread their messages of hope and change.

“Launching this exhibition on International Women’s Day will be a terrific opportunity for passers-by to get to know The WOW Foundation and the amazing achievements of women worldwide. It forms part of our annual WOW Festival taking place 10-12 March, which is dedicated to celebrating women, girls and non-binary people, and tackling gender inequality. We hope people will visit the exhibition in King’s Cross and be inspired to come and visit us at the Southbank Centre for the festival.”

The photographers whose work makes up the exhibition are:

• Istanbul - Elif Kahveci

• Baltimore - Khamaree Owens

• Karachi - Khaula Jamil

• Beijing - Liao Lulu

• Brisbane - Mana Salsali

• Rio - Aline Fonseca

• Nigeria - Mohini Ufeli

• Kathmandu - Bunu Dhungana

• Kurdistan region of Iraq - Storytelling Sisters

• London - Paula Abu “Narcography”

If you can't get to King's Cross, don't worry! You can view the exhibition online and find out more about the WOW partners involved here.