London, 23 June 2026 — The Dagenham Agates, a landmark public artwork, has been unveiled this morning in Dagenham Green, East London, to honour the Ford Dagenham sewing machinists whose historic strike action in 1968 and 1984–85 paved the way for the landmark 1970 Equal Pay Act.

Created by renowned artist Ruth Ewan, the sculptures appear as two 2.1-metre-high boulders split open to reveal ‘agate-like’ bands of colour, with each layer individually crafted by local residents and students to represent each individual striker. The colours used are matched to the paint colours of the cars in production during the respective strike periods—including the iconic Ford Cortina—when the Dagenham plant was a hub of British car manufacturing.

"It’s exciting to see the sculptures installed on-site. This is the work of many hands—just as the fight for equal pay was a collective effort, not an individual one. That collaborative spirit was at the heart of our process with students from Barking and Dagenham College, many of whom were discovering the achievements of these incredible women for the first time. Passing that knowledge on is vital—these stories must be remembered," said Ruth Ewan.

Situated at the heart of Dagenham Green—a major new East London neighbourhood built on the site of the former Ford Dagenham car plant expected to deliver over 3,500 homes—the sculptures were commissioned by not-for-profit housing association Peabody and housebuilder The Hill Group. Positioned near the site of the original picket lines, the work takes its inspiration from 'Fordite' (also known as 'Dagenham Agate')—waste car paint once salvaged from the plant’s spray booths and crafted by workers into jewellery.

Attending the unveiling, Justine Simons OBE, London’s Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries, highlighted the necessity of public monuments that recognize the women who have made history and shaped our world:

“The Dagenham Agates are a wonderful new piece by artist Ruth Ewan. They tell a big story—of the Ford Dagenham Sewing Machinists, who took on the forces of inequality and won. Their determination changed the course of history, not just for Dagenham but for women across the country, helping bring in the Equal Pay Act 1970. It is an inspiring piece that reminds us of the power of culture to keep our stories alive in the heart of our neighbourhoods, as we build a better London for everyone.”

Making the case for historical and cultural narratives to be woven into the fabric of the places we call home, Adriana Marques, Peabody's Assistant Director of Cultural Programming and Strategy, said:

"Initiatives and commissions such as this should not be regarded as decorative add-ons, but as essential civic infrastructure. We often think about roads, homes and public spaces as the building blocks of a new neighbourhood. But stories, heritage, culture and creativity are part of the infrastructure too. They help people understand the place where they live, feel a sense of belonging, and provide an anchor in an ever-changing city."

The development of Dagenham Green also honours the areas past in its newly established thoroughfares—including Rose Boland Avenue, Vera Sime Street, Gwen Davis Way, and Eileen Pullen Walk—that directly commemorate the leaders of the historic strikes. "By recognising their contribution through these artworks and these street names, we are ensuring that, as this new neighbourhood grows, it remains connected to the people and stories that shaped it,” added Marques.

Talking about the role of art in shaping communities, Simons said: "Public art is not an alien form landing out of nowhere. Great public art turns a space into a place—a place with stories, pride, and belonging."

The unveiling of The Dagenham Agates is complemented by the exhibition Materiality of Memory at the Women’s Museum in Barking, featuring archival material that tells the story of the strikes commemorated by the sculptures.

"What felt important through the making of the work was not only sharing the process but also sharing the history of the Ford Dagenham sewing machinists, which is on the edge of living memory," said Ruth Ewan. "It feels like a crucial moment to pass this history on to a new generation and also to collectively recognise that the struggle for equality in the workplace is not over."

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Notes to Editors

Ruth Ewan

Ruth Ewan is an artist based in Glasgow. Her practice takes a pluralistic approach which includes creating installations and writing alongside events, objects and places. In contrast to this varied approach to form she creates deeply focused, context specific projects which emerge from immersed research and collaboration, often drawing on conversations with others. She has shown extensively in galleries and museums including The National Gallery London, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, CAPC Bordeaux, the Museum of Modern Art Warsaw, Kunsthal Charlottenborg, New Museum, The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Victoria & Albert Museum, São Paulo Biennial, Camden Arts Centre and Tate Britain. She has developed public projects with Artangel, High Line and Folkestone Triennial. She is currently developing a permanent multi-sited public project, Everything Must Change, an alternative perpetual time system for the urban space around Korsvägen Station in Gothenburg, Sweden. In 2024 she was awarded Stuttgart’s Major Public Art commission for The Green Fuse, an urban forest and arboreal calendar. She has lectured at numerous art schools and universities and created workshops with museums, galleries, schools, hospitals and gardening groups. She has published several artists books including Twenty-Nine Thousand Nights and Liberties of the Savoy with Book Works. Her writing has also appeared in In One Woman’s Life – Celebrating Mary Brooksbank, 2022 and she is co-author of Ploughing the City: Art and Future Public Space in Scotland with Sorcha Carey, 2022. Her work is in the collections of Tate London, McManus Galleries Dundee, Museum of Modern Art Warsaw, FRAC Champagne Ardenne, The Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh University and CAAC Seville. ruthewan.com

UP Projects

UP Projects is the UK’s leading public art organisation specialising in socially engaged public art commissioning. We bring world class artists out of the gallery and into public spaces to create new work with communities across the UK and beyond. Our work is always responsive to context, often activating unexpected corners of the public realm. Our 20 years’ experience champions a bold yet sensitive approach that values time and takes care to bring about social change. upprojects.com

Dagenham Green

Dagenham Green is part of a 45-acre regeneration project on the site that was occupied by The Ford Motor Company's Stamping and Tooling Operations. Phase one of Dagenham Green is already under construction and is being delivered in partnership with The Hill Group. This first phase will provide 935 homes - including 328 affordable homes - along with the initial section of a five-acre urban park featuring a pond, children’s play areas, and the first part of a heritage trail marking the site’s historical milestones, including the machinists’ strikes. It will also include more than 1,600 square metres of space for commercial, social and leisure use. Construction is progressing well, with some homes finished and occupied by new residents. dagenhamgreen.co.uk

Peabody

Peabody is one of the UK’s oldest not-for-profit housing associations, founded by philanthropist George Peabody in 1862 to help Londoners in need. Today we take a local approach, working with residents and communities to strengthen our 140 neighbourhoods, provide quality homes and deliver a range of services to support people when they need it most. We look after 109,000 homes and 220,000 residents across London and the home counties, plus the community centres, play areas, and green spaces that bring these areas to life. We provide residents with reliable landlord services and keep these places well-maintained. We also provide care and support services to around 25,000 customers including specialist accommodation and vital support for people affected by a range of social and health issues. We’re focused on listening to residents so we can deliver better services and better homes and places. Our local teams work closely with residents, councils and partners to tackle inequality, improve wellbeing and strengthen communities. Alongside this, we’re committed to play our part where we can in building more affordable homes which our communities need. With an average rent of £147 a week, we offer real value, and our homes remain significantly more affordable than the market. In 2024–25, we spent £431 million in maintaining and improving residents’ homes.

peabodynewhomes.co.uk

The Hill Group

The Hill Group is a top 10 housebuilder and one of the leading developers in London, the home counties, and the South. The company is renowned for its partnership ethos, specialising in the building of distinctive new places and communities where people want to live, work, and socialise. In its 27th year, this family-owned and operated company has grown to establish itself as the UK's second-largest privately-owned housebuilder, with an impressive and diverse portfolio of projects ranging from landmark, mixed-use regenerations, and inner-city apartment developments to homes in rural communities. Hill is donating 200 fully equipped modular homes to local authorities and homeless charities as part of a £15 million pledge through its Foundation 200 programme, launched in 2019 to mark Hill’s 20th anniversary. LinkedIn | @HillGroupUK | @CreatedbyHill

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