Beauty and the Bike

A project established in 2008 to explore more deeply the reasons why girls stop cycling in the UK, which began with a small group of teenagers and young women in the northern English town of Darlington, most of whom did not cycle on a regular basis. They told us why - cycling is not cool, friends don’t cycle, it isn’t safe, and not very pleasant. When we put them in touch with a similar group of girls in Bremen, Germany, where most young women cycle, another image presented itself – relaxed cycling on dutch bikes, dressed in whatever you want. The girls were wowed by the style and ease, and together began to establish what for Darlington was a cycling avant garde.

A discussion with producers and representatives of Auto*Mat Initiative will follow the screening.