Inspiring Women Talk: Clare Siviter

Clare Siviter is Associate Professor of French Theatre at the University of Bristol. Her research explores how theatre history helps us understand rights, participation, and power—essentially, who gets to speak, act, and be heard, and why. These questions resonate just as strongly today as they did centuries ago.

Clare’s journey is one of defiance and creativity. Diagnosed with dyslexia as a child, she was told she wouldn’t succeed in languages or English. Yet, as her family moved across continents—from the UK to Chile, Sri Lanka, the UAE, and France—she discovered that she could learn languages, just not in the way schools taught them. Initially discouraged from studying history due to the reading load, she found a path through Modern Languages and is now a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

Dyslexia still presents challenges, but it also fuels her creativity and ability to make unexpected connections. She’s also navigating life with epilepsy and, more recently, motherhood—adding new layers to her experience as a working academic.

This session explores the realities of being a working mother. It isn’t just a talk – it’s a conversation. Clare will share stories from her research of historical women who broke boundaries: actresses with maternity rights over 200 years ago, female entrepreneurs who resisted being confined to the private sphere, and creatives who redefined what women could do. These trailblazers were written out of history, but their stories offer radical models for today.

But Clare doesn’t have all the answers—and that’s the point. The second half of the session is dedicated to discussion, inviting participants to share their own experiences, challenges, and ideas. Together, we’ll explore how we can rethink the relationship between motherhood and paid labour, and how history can help us imagine new possibilities.

Whether you're a parent, a carer, an ally, or simply curious, your voice matters. This is a space to reflect, connect, and co-create.

This session will be live drawn by the Bristol-based illustrator, Camille Aubry, so those attending can keep a visual record of our discussions.

Camille Aubry is a French live illustrator and cartoonist based in Bristol. She records what is happening during events in real time through illustrations and sketchnotes. Social & climate justice, as well as accessibility and care, are recurrent themes in her work where she strives to amplify marginalised voices. She's a resident at Watershed's Pervasive Media Studio where she experiments with creative technologies and cross-disciplinary collaborations in order to enhance connection and audience immersion.

** Please note that this event is open to individuals who identify as women and non-binary people who feel this event will benefit them.