Making HER Mark

At Maddox Gallery in London, women across the arts and creative industries gathered for Women Shaping Culture, an International Women’s Day event held in collaboration with Mumble Forum, the growing network for female founders and leaders. Bringing together cultural voices and entrepreneurial networks, the evening reflected a broader shift towards community-led influence and collaboration.

Founded by Monique Hodgson, who was recently named the Global 100 – 2026 award winner for Most Influential Women’s Industry Platform CEO (UK), Mumble Forum has become an increasingly prominent force in this space. Designed as a collective for female leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators, it offers curated events, thought leadership, brand partnerships and a membership network centred on collaboration and growth.

At the heart of the evening was HER, a female-led exhibition spanning generations of artists, from emerging voices to established figures. Yet the exhibition formed just one part of a wider conversation – one shaped by the growing influence of networks like Mumble Forum, where cultural engagement and commercial opportunity intersect. As Hodgson’s platform continues to expand through its membership community, app and strategic ventures, its focus remains on building an ecosystem where connection drives both creativity and business.

Rachel Thomas the moderator and chief curator of Hayward gallery says, ”Beyond the gallery walls, the “Creative Force for Change” must reach those whose voices are currently being silenced. This is why the Mumble Forum is so essential: it utilises the power of art and female voices to bridge the gap between isolation and inspiration. By centering exhibitions through a new lens, one that recognises the woman artist not as a “niche” category but as a primary driver of 21st-century culture. We can create a different future.”

For Fi Lovett, Global Director at Maddox Gallery, the exhibition reflects both progress and the history that precedes it: “The exhibition brings together female artists across generations, from emerging talent to pioneering figures such as Yayoi Kusama and Bridget Riley, now in their nineties, showcasing the remarkable breadth of creativity. For much of history women have been denied access and visibility, particularly within the creative fields. Those barriers are being dismantled as women increasingly challenge, shape, and expand the contemporary art canon.”  The intergenerational mix is intentional. Established artists appear alongside younger practitioners, highlighting how recently many structures of the art world have shifted. 

While women have long shaped contemporary art, recognition has often been uneven –  a lack of clarity that Lovett suggests makes the sector difficult to navigate: “The creative sector is inherently challenging, not least because historically it’s not been a meritocracy. Without clear metrics and fixed rules, it can be easy for talent to be dismissed without explanation. Yet market indicators such as auction results provide an index that can’t be ignored, increasingly driving recognition and demand. The lesson for women in any industry is to know your worth, be fearless in asserting it and steady the ladder for those who follow.” Another notable shift is the rise of women collectors. As more women build wealth and influence across finance, technology, and entrepreneurship, their presence in cultural investment has grown. Events like HER reflect that changing landscape, bringing artists and collectors together to foster new relationships.

Among the featured artists is Charlotte Rose, whose pathway into the art world mirrors these evolving opportunities. Rose taught herself to paint during lockdown before staging her debut solo exhibition, I Quit Last Week, in 2021. Instead of relying on traditional gallery routes, she built an audience through social media, reaching collectors directly while developing her practice. Her fashion background also offered early exposure to the realities of creative work: “I think being an artist and a model has bled into each other quite nicely; each thing supports the other. I was able to learn a lot about what it takes work ethic wise to make it in the arts from working alongside top creatives such as photographers and creative directors from such a young age. Both are extremely competitive and difficult industries to thrive in so it took a lot of grit and work to get a foothold in either.”

That experience reflects a wider shift across creative industries, where networks and visibility are increasingly central to opportunity. Platforms such as Mumble Forum play a growing role in this ecosystem, offering access not only to audiences but to collaboration, knowledge-sharing and commercial pathways. Rose notes: “Events like HER are so important to give women the opportunity to showcase their talent and work in a still largely male dominated industry. It was a great way to introduce new talented female artists to female collectors! In my experience I’ve seen a huge increase in women buying my artwork in recent years and from what Fi had described in the talk it sounds like that is the story for many other artists.”

The growth of female-led networks within the art world is increasingly visible. Women are not only producing work but also building the communities and markets that sustain it. Yet, for Lovett, lasting progress depends on addressing structural barriers to access: “A real shift would start with greater public investment in arts education. Current provision is extremely limited, yet early exposure to the arts is often where creative confidence and ambition take root. . If the next generation of women is to thrive creatively, they need both the opportunity and the conditions that allow talent to develop and endure.”

As Mumble Forum continues to evolve into a global membership community and app-based network, its offering spans expert-led workshops, immersive experiences and curated partnerships aligned with purpose. Central to Hodgson’s vision is the idea that human connection – not just visibility — underpins sustainable growth, both culturally and commercially. Through its expanding platform, as well as Mhouse Agency and upcoming media ventures, the focus remains on creating meaningful access and long-term opportunity.

Ultimately, the evening pointed to a broader shift. While exhibitions like HER highlight creative talent, it is the networks behind them that are increasingly shaping how that talent is supported, seen and sustained. Through platforms like Mumble Forum, women are not only participating in cultural conversations but actively building the structures that define them – creating a more connected, collaborative and forward-looking creative economy.