There are a lot of women in Wales who inspire me. One in particular I wrote about for international women's day last year. Here name is  Hester (‘Hettie’) Millicent Mackenzie (nee hughes) and she was the first female professor appointed in the UK. The year was 1904, and she was appointed as a Professor of Education at Cardiff University. 

For International Women's Day in 2013, I was approached by We Are Cardiff to write a blog post about a woman or women in Wales who inspire me.

I decided to write about Hettie. 

While doing my research, I started to notice that except from her books, there is little information publicly available about her. Much has been written about her husband, but little about her work and her life at Aberdare Hall, and the significance of what she did for women in higher education as well as in Wales.

From the research I did, I managed to piece together her story.

You can read my blog post here on We Are Cardiff. 

I'm still researching Hettie's life story as I feel she deserves more than a blog post and a portrait at Cardiff University. 

I'd like to turn her story into a play, preferably with a modern adaptation, a story of our time as well as hers. 

And I don't want to do it on my own. 

I'd like to collaborate with a playwright or dramatist in Wales (I'm now in Chicago) to develop her story into a play.   

With this Saturday, 8th March being International Women's Day again, I'd like to kick of this year by reaching out to playwrights here on the National Theatre Wales community, to see if there is interest in collaborating with me on this project. 

To start the conversation if you are interested in this project, please: 

1. Read my blog post about Hettie on We Are Cardiff
2. Craft an idea around how you'd like to dramatize her life story as a story also of our time
3. With the subject line: Hettie, send it to me in an email to: drkellypage[at]gmail.com  

Don't hesitate to email me if you have any questions. 

Best

Kelly