Our work
The Hypatia Trust has always been about making women's work visible, in Cornwall and beyond. We collect and care for writing, art, documents, and artefacts that tell the stories of women's lives, and we make them available to anyone who wants to find them.
The Hypatia Trust works to build and share accessible archives of women's work and art from Cornwall and beyond, highlighting the significance of women's contributions to society and culture.
We foster a vibrant community of knowledge and empowerment by curating events and activities that explore and appreciate these contributions. In honour of our namesake, Hypatia of Alexandria, our mission is to support and inspire women to pursue their passions, engage in lifelong learning, and contribute positively to society.
We're currently working on several fronts:
The archive and library
We're building on thirty years of collecting — making our holdings better catalogued, better preserved, and more accessible. We know there are gaps, particularly around underrepresented communities, and we're actively working to address that.
Events and education
We run talks, readings, workshops, and discussions at our Chapel Street space, and we're developing programmes that bring women's history and creativity into schools, universities, and community groups.
Community and partnerships
We work with local organisations, cultural institutions, and advocacy groups who share our belief that women's voices deserve to be heard — in Cornwall and nationally.
The bookshop
Our Chapel Street space is a working bookshop, a research resource, and somewhere to gather. We're exploring how to make it more useful to more people — including through volunteering, mentorship, and events open to all.
The community space
Our space is also somewhere you're welcome to come and think: whether that's a quiet afternoon with the archive, a meeting room that feels nothing like a meeting room, or simply a good place to sit with a book.
Residencies
Artists’ residencies include local, Cornish artists and academics, working in deliberate collaboration with artists and academics from elsewhere in the and the world. And their dogs!
Women in Cornwall
An archive documenting the lives and achievements of women in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Women have made significant contributions to this region and we aim to foreground their stories, moving women from the margins of history to the centre.
Past projects archive
We’re developing a proper listing page to tell the story of our activities thus far. There’s a lot to tell, so if you fancy getting involved do get in touch, we need all the help we can get!
Through collaborative initiatives, mentorship and education and resource sharing, we create an environment where every voice is heard. 30 years ago our founder saw that women's achievements are often overlooked. And while we have successfully built a growing archive, and engaged the public, we recognise that there still remain cultural and institutional barriers that we must tackle if we want to enable women's full participation in all areas of culture and society.
Our core activities are to curate and preserve inclusive and accessible collections of works by women in Cornwall and beyond, and to work with community partners to design and deliver activities that enhance women's cultural and academic participation and engage in the public in their appreciation. Our onsite and online bookshop and archives (held both locally and at institutions elsewhere) provide access to literary, artistic, and scientific works by and about women from varying backgrounds and experiences.
We host talks, readings, exhibitions, and workshops open to all and designed to showcase women's contributions across all fields of endeavour. We also collaborate with local organizations, schools, and universities to promote women's art and work, and create platforms for women to share their stories and celebrate their achievements. This includes an emphasis on partnering with diverse groups to advocate for inclusion and influence social policy towards systems change.
Through all of our activities we provide opportunities for women to share their ideas and experiences, and for the wider public to learn from and celebrate these contributions.