‘After four hours, I was tired, thirsty and shaking’: the women taking photography to extremes

‘I was very scared’ … Sethembile Msezane as a bird at the statue’s toppling; this is re-enacted at South London Gallery’s Acts of Resistance show. Photograph: Courtesy of the Artist

‘What’s great about my age,” says Hannah Starkey, “and going through the menopause, is that you leave the male gaze behind. And it’s really liberating. You can’t really sell me anything. And I’m dangerous – because I can tell you the truth!”

A piercing, perilous honesty and a fully emancipated female gaze are characteristics that rebound in Acts of Resistance: Photography, Feminisms and The Art of Protest, a major show at South London Gallery, organised with the V&A. Crossing continents and generations, this galvanising group show seeks to join up ideas about image-making and dissent, offering a visual manifesto for a fourth wave of feminism.