Sue and Jack’s documentary launched on Netflix earlier this year, and the duo are taking the show on the road – with a pit stop at Loughborough – to share their work and to continue the conversation about women’s sport.
Around 70 students, alumni, staff, and members of the community were in attendance for the event – including children.
Visiting Member, Dr Jo Jennings, and Pro Vice-Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), Professor Charlotte Croffie opened the event, welcoming the panel and discussing the importance of the documentary and its links with EDI, before the screening began.
The documentary – which features several alumni and many references to Loughborough – raises and confronts a number of controversial issues that have delayed the progress of women’s sport. It looks at women’s sport in the past, but it also looks to the future.
Following the screening, Sue hosted a Q&A panel, allowing the audience to share their thoughts and ask questions.
On the panel were:
Sue Anstiss MBE
Women’s sport activist, producer of Game On: The Unstoppable Rise of Women’s Sport, author, podcast host, CEO of Fearless Women, and Co-Founder of The Women’s Sport Collective. Sue graduated from Loughborough in 1988 with a degree in English and Physical Education.
Jack Tompkins
Director and producer of Game On: The Unstoppable Rise of Women’s Sport, Partner at Ben and Jack Studio. He graduated from Loughborough in 2013 with a degree in Sport Management.
Dr Ali Bowes
Ali is a Senior Lecturer in Sociology of Sport at Nottingham Trent University. Ali features in Game On: The Unstoppable Rise of Women’s Sport and she has a BSc and a PhD in Sports Science as well as a PGCE from Loughborough
Emma Wiltshire
Emma is the Athletics Programme Manager at Loughborough University. She has a BSc in Sport and Exercise Science, an MSc in Management, and also competed for Loughborough as an athlete.
Dr Ali Bowes and Jack Tompkins
Members of the audience asked the panelists questions about women’s sport, intersectionality, sport at Loughborough, and the parental impact on sports chosen at a young age. There were conversations about specific areas of sport including athletics, netball, and particularly football – with discussions focusing on how the women’s game can learn from the positives, without becoming a copy of the men’s game.
Attendees were keen to discuss how to bring more men on board for women’s sports, as well as how to diversify sports not just at athlete level, but also operationally.
The audience was also able to ask about production, research for the documentary, and “what’s next?”.
Sue and Jack are keen to use their piece to pave the way and to show others that there is a space for women’s sport content. Watch this space!
Find out more about the work that Sue does to drive change in women’s sport.
Learn more about Jack Tompkins’ work.
Thank you to Sue, Jack and our panel for their time and contributions. View photos of the event.