UNCHAINA: Chinese Feminist Diaspora Stages Their First Exhibition in London
This past March, the BLOC cinema on Queen Mary’s Mile End Campus transformed into a hub of resistance and creativity as it launched a three-day cultural program, UNCHAINA –– the first public exhibition and creative workshop dedicated to the activism of Chinese feminist diaspora in the UK.
Academics and/as Activists
Supported by the Centre for Public Engagement at Queen Mary University London, UNCHAINA exemplified the potential of alliances formed between feminist scholars and grassroots movements. This three-day event, in partnership with the activist collective, @weareallchainedwomen, brought together 250 participants for a powerful exploration of intersectional and transnational feminism through art, film and protest. Researchers from the School of Arts and the School of Politics and International Relations, together with the Gender Research Network at the Queen Mary, provided crucial institutional supports for the organising of this program.
From Screens to Streets: A Multi-Sensory Activist Experience
The programme included documentary screenings and creative workshops. Two selected documentaries, Bad Women of China (2021) and Answer (2024), offered historical and contemporary perspectives on themes of feminist struggles in contemporary China, including independence and autonomy, family and kinship, and intimacy and sexuality.
Activist-led poster and stitching workshops transformed feminist slogans and ideas into visceral actions and artefacts. In the poster-making session, participants collaborated with seasoned activists/artists to create bold visual statements, their designs echoing social justice initiatives and actions emerging across national borders and cultural contexts, anchoring the Chinese diaspora’s struggle into this international tapestry of resistance and defiance. The stitching workshop took a more intimate but equally potent approach, with participants stitching fragments of personal clothing to weave together a collective political slogan which signifies defiance against patriarchy and authoritarianism.
Following this three-day program, the emotional crescendo came on International Women’s Day (8th March), when participants took their newly crafted protest art to the streets. Chants in Mandarin and English formed a living soundscape of Chinese feminist diaspora as the march wound through central London. For many young diaspora women, this marked their first experience of public protest.
Digital Resonance and Transnational Solidarity
As well as bringing together over 250 participants and visitors, the immediate impact of UNCHAINA was also demonstrated by the ripples across digital landscapes. Instagram posts documenting the event gathered 182,400+ views, with comments pouring in from within and outside the UK. Our collaborator (@weareallchainedwomen) gained 450+ new followers in the short duration of the exhibition. The success of this event was measured not just in numbers but in the impromptu responses collected in the guest book and post-it notes, overflowing with emotional reflections: ‘I love you all.’ ‘What you gals are doing is incredible.’ ‘Solidarity is beautiful.’ ‘Liberation to all oppressed.’ ‘Eye opening and inspiring. Freedom for all women across the world.’ ‘I will do what I can to advocate for women’s voices and for women in China.’ These handwritten notes, along with follow-up survey responses, revealed a profound need for spaces for Chinese diasporic and feminist communities. These digital resonance and gestures of solidarity across national borders mirrored the grassroots organising tactics employed by Chinese diaspora feminists—coming together online, taking feminist issues to the streets, and creating ripples that resonated both digitally and physically.
Beginning of A Transformative Journey
The overflowing workshops, heartfelt comments on post-it notes on the feedback wall, and vibrant engagements via social media collectively testify to a profound message to all of us: our time demands a more transnational, postcolonial and anti-authoritarian form of feminist activism that intertwines art and politics with a sense of community. Based on trust and mutual understanding, this event has sparked inspiring ideas for future collaborations between Queen Mary researchers, activists, artists, and London’s broader Asian diaspora communities. In a sense, UNCHAINA was not merely an effort to document a significant and ongoing social movement based in London; it was also a platform to amplify underrepresented voices that deserve be heard far and wide.
Xumeng Xie
Email: xumeng.xie@qmul.ac.uk