Women across Derry are being invited to take part in an exciting three day celebratory festival titled Women of the World, taking place for the first time in the city next month as part of the City of Culture Programme for 2013.
The festival features a free jam-packed programme of debates, workshops, music, comedy and performance celebrating the achievements of women, and exploring the issues and challenges that they face in everyday life.
The events take place from 8-10 November in the Playhouse and will be delivered in partnership with the Southbank Centre, whose artistic director Jude Kelly first staged WOW in London in 2011 to coincide with the centenary of International Women’s day.
The dynamic programme addresses numerous themes and issues affecting women of all ages from teenagers to pensioners, and this year will have a distinctly Derry flavour, as programmer for the Culture Company Claire McDermott explained.
“We are absolutely delighted to be hosting WOW this year, and opening it up as a free event to all local women, who play such a valuable role in our city,” she said.
“I believe that the contribution made by women here is phenomenal and this is a unique chance to recognise and celebrate that. This event is about opening up conversations about the issues that affect us most, building relationships, and sharing the stories and experiences that set us apart.
The festival discusses everything from the heritage of the factory girls in the city and the role women played in the keeping communities cohesive throughout the Troubles, to issues around ageing, breastfeeding, access to education and living in a society where we are judged by how we look.
International issues are also tabled, with a keynote from Dr. Urvashi Sahni on how she is encouraging young women in India to carry the torch of empowerment into their communities using drama and film.
Friday 9 November is dedicated to younger audiences and open to local secondary schools. A special panel discussion chaired by Jude Kelly will run from 2.30pm – 3.30pm titled “Strong Female Role Models’”and will include panellists Shona McCarthy, chief executive of Culture Company, and Aideen McGinley, BBC Trust.
The Festival opens to the general public on Saturday and Sunday for a series of debates, discussions and workshops.
The shirt factory women are celebrated in a factory girl reunion on the afternoon of Saturday 9 November from 3.00pm – 4.30pm in the theatre space in the Playhouse. All factory girls are welcome to attend this event for a catch-up with each other and a chat about what life was like in the shirt factories.
One of the real highlights of the Festival this year is a visit by the Fabulous Fashionistas, Jean Woods and Sue Kreitzman, who will be sharing their inimitable passion for life, fun and fashion and helping redefine our perceptions of old age.
The festival is also delighted to welcome the award winning Malian singer and musician Rokia Traore, who will be bringing her unique and compelling brand of traditional music to the Nerve Centre, for a ticketed event on Friday November 9. This really is a performance not to be missed, and tickets priced £16.50 are available from the Nerve Centre.
For more information about the Women of the World Festival go to www.cityofculture2013.com, and to find out more about WOW at Southbank go to www.wow.southbankcentre.co.uk
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