Womens Amateur Theatre in Rural Britain, 19191945

Womens Amateur Theatre in Rural Britain is the first book-length study of the National Federation of Womens Institutes amateur drama groups, which served as an umbrella organisation for womens amateur drama. This work addresses a key historical gap by covering the activities, lives, and labour of women in rural England, Wales, and Scotland. It challenges gender-based assumptions about the value of womens amateur theatre, highlighting the need for leisure opportunities and social connections in rural villages. The rapid expansion of womens amateur drama groups is assessed in conjunction with major developments of the period, including the effect of post-1918 reconstruction efforts in rural regions, the revaluation of informal adult education schemes, the laws influences and restrictions on amateur performances, and the impact of the Second World War on the ability of the Womens Institutes to carve out a space for all-womens drama groups that empowered women through education and skill-building programmes to aid in personal and community development. The broad scope of this research will appeal to undergraduates, postgraduates, scholars, and non-specialists interested in cultural history and the lives of rural women after the First World War.