WOW – Women of the World is coming to Cardiff between the 23rd and 25th of November 2018, organised in partnership with Chapter Arts Centre and London’s Southbank Centre.
The WOW – Women of the World festival, founded in 2010 by Southbank Centre’s Artistic Director, Jude Kelly CBE, is the biggest gathering of women and girls across the globe, reaching over 1.5 million people in 20 cities across five continents.
Each WOW festival, made up of talks, debates, music, activism, comedy, workshops, mentoring, pop ups and performance, celebrates women and girls, takes a frank look at what prevents them from achieving their potential and raises awareness globally among women, men, girls and boys, of the issues they face as well as creating possible solutions.
The WOW – Women of the World Cardiff programme includes a range of workshops, talks, debates, performances and art open to the public on 24 & 25 November after a Schools Day on 23 November.
WOW – Women of the World Cardiff will feature Gwenno Saunders, Charlotte Church, Michael Sheen, Sian Evans, Lula Mehbratu (The Digital Migrant), Sahar Al-Faifi, Sian James former MP, Gemma Price (Boxing Pretty), Anna Hursey, Shahien Taj OBE, Lucy Owen (BBC Wales) and LayFullStop among others.
The full programme is available to download and tickets available to buy from Chapter’s website.
The programme has been inspired by a series of ‘Thinkins’ that took place in May which invited women, men, girls and boys from across the city to contribute their ideas about the WOW – Women of the World Cardiff festival. There will be a launch event at Chapter Arts Centre later this month to celebrate the release of the festival programme, inviting everyone who has been involved in the creation of the festival so far.
Southbank Centre Artistic Director and WOW – Women of the World Founder, Jude Kelly said: “WOW – Women of the World Festivals are designed to be agents of change in their host cities, providing a space for women to participate in discussion, education and collaboration on the issues that most impact their lives. Launched in 2010 in London, WOW Festivals have engaged and inspired more than one and a half million women across five continents and cities in Australia, Egypt, India, Pakistan, the UK, and at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem. WOW is the biggest gathering of women and girls across the globe, and I’m so pleased that Cardiff is part of this story for change.”
WOW – Women of the World Cardiff 2018 is part of Southbank Centre’s expansion of its global WOW network of festivals to create nine new WOWs in five cities across the UK to mark the centenary of female suffrage in 2018. These nine festivals are being funded by Spirit of 2012.
Chief Executive of Spirit of 2012, Debbie Lye said: “It is with a mixture of pride, sadness and excitement that we look forward to WOW Cardiff: the last of nine regional festivals we funded as part of our WOW Spirit programme. We are delighted to have been a part of the WOW movement over the past three years, and to have played a part in empowering and inspiring girls and young women across the UK. The line-up for Cardiff looks incredible and we will be there to capture as much of the action as we can.”
WOW – Women of the World Cardiff programmers, Rhiannon White & Charlotte Lewis said: “WOW Cardiff gives us an incredible opportunity to stop, take stock and celebrate every part of this city. From Ely to St Mellons, Whitchurch to Butetown, we want WOW Cardiff to capture and celebrate the women across the city, across Wales and across the world. We have so much to be proud of and this is our chance to shout it from the rooftops. We are truly excited to marry this ambitious global festival with our vibrant city. To encourage an energy of optimism and drive, sparking conversation between strangers and real opportunities for positive change.”
Hannah Firth, Director of Programme at Chapter said: “We are so thrilled to be working with WOW – Women of the World Cardiff and Southbank Centre teams to host this important festival in Wales. In the year that marks the 100th anniversary since some women got the vote in the UK, WOW offers an invaluable opportunity to reflect on the historic and seismic changes brought about through the power of communication and collaboration, whilst also bringing together the voices of women and girls of all ages to transform the future. We are really excited to play host to an event that offers a globally ambitious programme that includes some of the most talented, creative and exciting thinkers, doers and makers in Wales today. Chapter is proud to be part of the team and we look forward to welcoming everyone through our doors.”
See the full programme & buy tickets: https://www.chapter.org/season/women-world
