The Pump Room

The Rising Tide: Women at Cambridge exhibition attracted nearly 54,000 visitors to Cambridge University Library from October 2019 to March 2020, and examined the incalculable impact women have had on the University over centuries.

As part of the wider programme of events on the subject of women at Cambridge, for which University staff and students were asked to contribute, the University Library commissioned two independently produced films featuring the lived experiences and voices of female students and researchers who combine their study and work with motherhood.

Created by filmmaker, Polly Card, these projects have been created to provide a platform for women at Cambridge to share their stories visually and explore some experiences of motherhood during graduate studies and returning to work. The films are collaborations between researchers, artists and educators and use visual methods to explore the issues, challenges and opportunities experienced by mothers at Cambridge.

In this documentary film, we follow five women as they articulate and share their experiences of juggling motherhood with the intensity of academia at one of the world's most prestigious universities.