A new Dawn - Light sculpture celebrating women's vote revealed

New Dawn is located above the entrance to St Stephen's Hall, the site of numerous demonstrations, so that visitors to Parliament  will literally stand in the footsteps of the hundreds of thousands of women and men who came to Parliament to fight for women's right to the vote.

New Dawn is a contemporary light sculpture by artist Mary Branson and was commissioned by the Works of Art Committee as a permanent addition to the Parliamentary Art Collection.  It is the first piece of abstract art commissioned for permanent display in the historic Palace. Measuring over six metres high, the massive scale of New Dawn is intended to reflect the size of the campaign, and the unique hand-blown glass scrolls that make up its dawning sun reflect the many individuals who were involved in the movement and the special contribution they made to modern democracy. 

The glass scrolls are a direct reference to the Act Room at the Parliamentary Archives, where the legislation which brought women the vote and a say in the laws that govern them is stored. The scrolls are mounted on a portcullis structure – the principal emblem of Parliament – raised over the entrance to St. Stephen's Hall, symbolising women's long-awaited access to democracy. The circular scrolls combine with the metal portcullis to create 168 distinct ‘Venus' symbols, representing the women who fought for their right to vote. 

New Dawn has also been influenced by the campaigners it celebrates.  The rainbow of colours used in the artwork reflects the numerous organisations that were involved in the struggle. 

The title of the piece comes from the language of the campaigners themselves, many of whom conceived of the vote as offering a ‘new dawn' for women. 

The lighting of New Dawn's sun shape will rise and fall over a twelve and half hour cycle, linked to the tide of the Thames.  The ebb and flow of the illumination reflects the ever rising tide of change that campaigners were certain would bring women the vote in time.  Each scroll is individually lit, and the appearance of the artwork will change moment to moment, encouraging visitors to Parliament to reflect on the value of the vote and women's role in democracy.

Caroline Nokes, Chair of the Speaker's Advisory Committee on Works of Art, said:  “Mary Branson's New Dawn is a moving celebration of the vast numbers of ordinary women and men who worked and struggled for the vote, the bedrock of modern democracy.  With its complex layers of symbolism, New Dawn conveys and celebrates the scale and power of a mass campaign, while being a perfect visual fit for the ancient site of Westminster Hall.”

• Watch short films about New Dawn 

Image: Parliamentary copyright