a groundbreaking new festival with Yasmin Alibhai-Brown Shami Chakrabarti Imogen Heap Bianca Jagger Annie Lennox Dr Precious Lunga Jyoti Mhapsekar Juliet Stevenson Sandi Toksvig & Sue Perkins Joanna Trollope
11 - 13 march
Launching this year, WOW – Women of the World – is a joyous celebration of the formidable strength and inventiveness of women. A groundbreaking annual festival, that presents, recognises and celebrates women, and acts as a conversation space for issues of all kinds.
WOW BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour Live Broadcast Friday 11 March: Jenni Murray launches the festival with a live edition of Woman’s Hour from Southbank Centre. Page 9
WOW Festival Conference Three days of talks, debates, workshops and more: with Shami Chakrabarti, Rosie Boycott, Helena Kennedy QC, Marin Alsop, Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, Linda Grant, Kathy Lette, Juliet Stevenson, Dr Precious Lunga, Susie Orbach and Barb Jungr amongst others. Page 2 – 7
WOW festival Events With Annie Lennox, Paloma Faith, V V Brown, Krystle Warren, The Taylor Maids, Shirley Collins, Imogen Heap, Micachu, Annie Nightingale, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Sue Perkins and more. Page 8 – 13
Jude Kelly, Women of the World Festival Director ‘Through a series of debates, conversations, networking opportunities, presentations, showcases and places to meet, talk and have fun, this festival celebrates the potential and achievement of women and addresses some of the obstacles that they face across the world. Joining us are leading women across all sectors, and together we explore in depth some of the most potent topics for women today.’
southbankcentre.co.uk/wow 1
WOW FESTIVAL CONFERENCE 11 March – 13 March
Enemies of Good Art
Buy a three-day WOW Festival Conference Pass for £30 (concessions £15, under-18s £10), which includes access to WOW daytime events. WOW Day Pass £12 (concessions £6)
In his 1938 novel Enemies of Promise Cyril Connolly asserted that ‘there is no more somber enemy of good art than the pram in the hall.’ Since July 2009 Enemies of Good Art has debated the issues arising from this infamous quote. This public meeting chaired by Kate Mosse questions why so few women win the big creative prizes. Children and babies are welcome. This event is audio recorded and photographed.
The three-day pass also entitles you to a 20 per cent discount on a ticket for one ticketed evening event or for Life Cycle on Sunday 13 March at 1pm. Event discount for three-day WOW Festival Conference holders only available by phoning 0844 847 9910. Check our website for programme updates and full schedule. Spaces for talks and events may be subject to availability. southbankcentre.co.uk/wow
Friday 11 March Boudicca in the Boardroom - heading to the top Pioneering women in their 60s, 70s and 80s including Katharine Whitehorn, Rebecca Stephens MBE and Felicity Green describe what it felt like to crash through the glass ceiling without a safety helmet. In collaboration with Forum UK.
Why Liberty Matters Shami Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty, sets out the story of women’s struggle for freedom in countries across the world.
Lynne Franks Presents B.Ethical: a WOW women’s business forum Author, entrepreneur and lifestyle guru Lynne Franks quizzes eight high-profile women all running their own ethical businesses; the choices they make, and how they define success.
Love for Sale Trafficking, prostitution and grooming: Writer Kay Mellor, creator of the groundbreaking series Band of Gold, introduces her new series exploring the grooming of young girls. She is joined by Helen Bamber, founder of the Helen Bamber Foundation an organisation that works with survivors of gross human rights violations. This is followed by a discussion led by journalist Bidisha. This session includes a performance of one of Eve Ensler’s powerful new monologue for young girls - “A Teenage Girl’s Guide to Surviving Sex Slavery”. S
smartGrrls: Girls’ Education Vanessa Ogden, the inspirational Headteacher from the girls’ comprehensive Mulberry School in Tower Hamlets, argues passionately that changing girls’ education is the key to changing the world. Shami Chakrabarti 2
Amazons or Administrators: How to be a leader of men World famous conductor Marin Alsop joins one of our most senior cabinet ministers and chews over experiences of being told they’re doing a man’s job.
Mother Earth
Plus… Market activities and networking opportunities.
Saturday 12 march
Can women radicalise the way we save the planet? Campaigning author and journalist Rosie Boycott chairs a panel including founder of Climate Rush, Tamsin Omond, who stormed Parliament dressed as a suffragette, Caroline Lucas MP, leader of the Green Party, and Jyoti Mhapsekar, founder of womens’ liberation organisation Stree Mukti Sanghatana, an inspirational initiative with the women waste pickers of Mumbai.
UK Feminista
wow Bites: friday
Post feminism – Thank God That’s Over
Why Can’t I be Einstein? – Sixth Formers from the Mulberry School discover the lost women of science. Helen Storey presents Pollution is our Paint - a short tale of what happens when an artist and scientist collide. Radharani Mitra on the condom normalisation campaign in India. Heidi Wigmore on the connections between witches and Essex girls. Rebecca Mordan, founder of Scary Little Girls, discusses the battle girls and young women face to retain their individualism in the face of a hyper-sexualised media – and what we can do to help them come out on top. From Ambridge to Afghanistan: Felicity Finch (Ruth from The Archers) and Shirazuddin Siddiqi (from the BBC World Service Trust, the international development charity) discuss the role of radio soaps in tackling stigma and addressing social change. Whose Voice Is It Anyway?: Shivani Singh Tharu and Fiona Ledger work for the BBC World Service Trust in Nepal on using improvisation techniques to cast local non-actors in development-themed radio dramas.
Premier screening of ‘Summer School’ – a documentary by filmmaker Marcie MacLellan about a new generation of young feminist activists willing to fight for what they believe in. Followed by a debate on the future of feminism, where UK Feminista founder Kat Banyard is joined by special guests to discuss what comes next in the struggle for equality between women and men.
Sandi Toksvig takes us on a journey through the feminist era and out the other side.
Sandi Toksvig
Power dressing Baroness Helena Kennedy QC confronts the reality of how much power women really have in the world.
Helena Kennedy QC 3
Is feminism an f-word? Have you ever said ‘I’m not a feminist, but…’? Is the word too steeped in controversial history, or is it really our best friend? Start the weekend’s running debate with Kat Banyard, author of The Equality Illusion and founder of UKFeminista.
Girls – an endangered species or our next world leaders? A panel of 14 to 18 year olds tell us what needs to change to truly release girl-power. This session includes a performance of two of Eve Ensler’s powerful new monologues for young girls; ‘I am an emotional creature’ and ‘Free Barbie’.
Going Public From pushchair access to security and lighting; from toilets to lad mags in supermarkets: women’s relationship with public space is a challenging one. What role should women play in redesigning our world? In collaboration with London Feminist Network.
In God’s Own Image: Women and Faith How do women of faith deal with the roles that many religions dictate for them? How much scripture is manmade language? And can women harness other spiritual forces? Kate Mosse lifts the lid on the God box with members of the clergy and a female shaman.
Women and Health Laura Lee from the Maggie’s Centre explains how design and beauty can directly impact on health of patients with cancer; Dr Precious Lunga, an epidemiologist from Zimbabwe, reveals HIV to be the greatest killer of women in Africa and the amazing research that is providing new hope; and the White Ribbon Alliance explain the shocking statistics surrounding childbirth mortality. All three panellists ask what value is placed on women’s health. 4
Dr Precious Lunga
Below the Belt – Violence Against Women in War and Peace From rape as a weapon of war, female genital mutilation, burning brides and domestic violence, we ask why we allow women to suffer horrific injuries and death from strangers, families and lovers. Sandi Toksvig chairs.
Waging War: Women and Pay Since 1880 women have struggled for equal pay and although Made in Dagenham stirred our hearts, the pay gap remains. Jo Morris from the TUC captured the voices of famous female campaigners from Asian women machinists to dinner ladies from Hull. Helena Kennedy QC joins them for a riveting history and asks why the struggle still continues.
Women and the Law Women now make up more than 50% of the intake into the country’s legal profession so why are they so under-represented within the senior ranks? International law firm Eversheds will chair a panel of leading lawyers including Baroness Helena Kennedy QC and Baroness Scotland who will debate what can be done to create conditions in which women can achieve their full potential.
Femme Fatale Authors Linda Grant and Kathy Lette join forces to rail about why women are judged by what they wear. Do women have to make greater efforts than men not to send out messages that can be misunderstood? Why is taking pleasure in dress a frivolous preoccupation? (And what about shoes?!)
Speed Mentoring Speed-mentoring: get answers from high-level experts across all fields, potentially identify a new mentor and exchange ideas and stories.
Finance and Microfinance Women are said to own just over one-per-cent of the world’s wealth. A formidable group of women from the London School of Economics demystify the banking system and explain how a fresh look at finance could shift that statistic.
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown Yasmin Alibhai-Brown presents her impassioned one-woman show Nowhere to Belong: Tales of an Extravagant Stranger. Yasmin Alibhai-Brown
the Campaign Trail Many causes are launched but once the WI get involved they’re almost certain to succeed. Ruth Bond, chair of the National Federation of Women’s Institutes, swaps stories with Bianca Jagger and other campaigners and asks whether iron fists are better in velvet gloves.
Make a zine in a day Creative? Crafty? Got something to say? Join female arts collective Storm in a Teacup in creating your very own zine in a day.T
The Feminist Roadshow : Whatever Happened to Cunning Stunts? Sphinx Theatre Company present a celebration of iconic prose and dramatic texts by women that changed history; a panel discussion explaining the glory days of the leading 1970s and 1980s women theatre companies; and a cabaret presentation of A…My Name is Alice.
Pan Asian Women’s Association and Funny Women present a showcase of Pan Asian comedy Defying the traditional submissive stereotype of Asian women we present a showcase of stand up and comedy sketches by the newest female comedy acts across the UK, headlined by Shazia Mirza.
wow Bites: SATURDAY The White Ribbon Alliance on the scandal of women and childbirth. Harriet Boatemaa from the Ghanaian farmers’ cooperative that owns Divine chocolate talk about the women behind the leading Fairtrade brand. Annie Nightingale reveals the music that’s exciting her the most. Film producer Jess Search on how women are using media to change the world. The sisters behind Pink Stinks challenge the culture of pink. The Orchid Project talk on the trauma of female genital mutilation. From Q to P – Paromita Vohra on how planning policy for Indian public toilets has damaged the health of millions of women. Finn Mackay tells us about why we need to Reclaim The Night. Frances Osborne talks about guilt and why she writes about women. The Fawcett Society present Cutting Women Out: the effect of the Government’s current cuts on women’s equality. The UK launch of SNACK – the new Chinese art magazine with an all-female attitude. Kate Mosse explains why she started the Orange Prize for Fiction and why it’s still so important.
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Plus… Market activities and networking opportunities.
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Sunday 13 March Mutton and Lamb Catherine Mayer, London Bureau Chief at Time Magazine and author of new book Amortality, leads a debate with Susie Orbach and Katharine Whitehorn around the changing perceptions and realities of age and ageing, and in particular how women are impacted by and drive these changes.
Susie Orbach
Giving Birth The tough and taboo aspects of birth, miscarriage, infertility and post-natal depression are aired in this candid discussion, prior to the performance of Life Cycle, the new set of songs about the process of becoming a mother, by Emily Hall and Toby Litt.
Spinsters of the Parish What prejudices do childless women experience and how do they avoid attracting pity, suspicion or envy? (Women only session)
Bring out your feminist side–Men Talk Is feminism a woman-only pursuit or are we all in it together? Kwame Kwei-Armah leads a discussion where the boys bare their souls, with DJ Nihal.
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Ignite! BBC World Service Trust brings together writers, producers and other development practitioners from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Nepal and Nigeria to present a multimedia look at the transformative power of media in the developing world, and its role in helping to inform, educate and empower women and girls.
Songs without words women composers Although one of the earliest composers ever documented – Hildegard of Bingen – was a woman, a myth caught on and somehow stuck that women can’t write music. ‘A woman must not desire to compose – there has not been one able to do it’ said Clara Schumann, although she wrote a lot of music. Maestro Marin Alsop and Southbank Centre’s Head of Contemporary Culture Gillian Moore conduct a revealing session.
Speed Mentoring Speed-mentoring is a fun and fast way to get answers from high-level experts across all fields, potentially identify a new mentor and exchange ideas and stories.
Journeys Juliet Stevenson and other actors tell the true stories of women who have sought asylum in the UK in an event that will both shock and inspire. Followed by a conversation between Juliet, Natasha Walter, and women refugees who can speak from their own experiences. In collaboration with Women for Refugee Women. Juliet Stevenson
Make a zine in a day Creative? Crafty? Got something to say? Join female arts collective Storm in a Teacup in creating your very own zine in a day.
is feminism an F Word: the round-up The culmination of the weekend debate – cast your vote.
Elif Shafak
WOW Den
Plus…
Throughout the weekend you’ll be asked to give ideas on a postcard that you think will change women’s lives for the better. Our panel of ruthless women pick five of the best to present to the conference and are given the third degree followed by an audience vote. A magnificent prize awaits.
Market activities and networking opportunities.
WOW bites: sunday
Reflections on the self
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FIVE AFRICAN WOMEN PHOTOGRAPHERS Celebrating the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day, Reflections on the Self features five contemporary African women photographers whose work deals with women’s narratives, either through selfportraits or portraits of others.
Zanele Muholi Red Light District Series 2009
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homadeyourpants? show us their W utterly splendid pants and tell us why they make them. Women from the LSE tell us what would happen if they ran the banking world. Elvis Presley and Bruce Springsteen are given a woman’s twist in an a capella set by Barb Jungr, one of the great European chanteuses. Artist Tamsyn Challenger talks about the story behind her conceptual work 400 Women, a mass collaborative project with nearly 200 artists in response to the murders of women in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico and gender violence. Elif Shafak on the power of storytelling and being Turkey’s most widely read woman writer. Film and opera director Penny Woolcock talks about the films that are exciting her. Joanna Trollope on what her fictional women have taught her. Susan Watts on the gaps in medical research relating to women’s healthcare. Artist Suzanne Lacy talks about how the narrative of gender violence is shaped in Spain and how artists, activists, and abused women joined together to question the narrative in a year-long art project.
Single-day WOW Festival Conference Pass (£12 / concessions £6) includes access to WOW daytime events. Does not include entry into any ticketed evening events, or Life Cycle on Sunday 13 March at 1pm.
Spirit Level, Royal Festival Hall Tuesday 8 March – Sunday 3 April A Hayward Touring exhibition. Admission free 7
friday 11 march
WOW FESTIVAL events
Annie Lennox Kate Nash
Paloma Faith V V Brown
EQUALS LIVE
Join VV Brown, Paloma Faith, Annie Lennox and Kate Nash for a special EQUALS evening to celebrate the strength and unity of women across generations and mark the centenary of International Women’s Day. From new works to classics, we welcome you to a night of passionate song, powerful words and brilliant speakers, recognising women’s accomplishments and raising awareness of the inequalities and challenges that women still face. EQUALS is a partnership of over 20 leading charities brought together by Annie Lennox to celebrate the centenary of International Women’s Day and step up the call for a more equal world. Royal Festival Hall, 7.30pm Tickets £50 £40 £30
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Woman’s Hour LIVE BROADCAST
A live broadcast from Queen Elizabeth Hall. Jenni Murray presents a live edition of Woman’s Hour from Southbank Centre, interviewing some of the guests and performers appearing at WOW, with special one-off performances and a chance for audience members to contribute to discussion and debate. Audience members required to be in their seat for 9.15am, live broadcast from 10am. Queen Elizabeth Hall, 9.15am Admission free but ticket required
Eska FRIDAY TONIC
Legacy: Songs & Words with Jumoké Fashola & Hollie McNish FRIDAY LUNCH Jumoké Fashola explores the musical legacy of women in jazz and blues, from Mahalia Jackson onwards. She performs some of their greatest hits alongside performance poet Hollie McNish. With rising star Anthony Strong on piano. Level 2 Central Bar at Royal Festival Hall, 1pm Admission free
The Taylor Maids
Eska
Eska – a talented vocalist, celebrated arranger and conductor. Her new solo project English Skies, in which she works alongside Matthew Herbert, reveals Eska as an outstanding folk singer/songwriter. The Front Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall, 5.30pm Admission free
The Taylor Maids
After a successful career in TV, cabaret and variety, having performed with Shirley Bassey, Max Wall, Des O’Connor and The Billy Cotton Band Show, and also in a number of West End Musicals, The Taylor Maids reformed in 2010 and appeared at the Edinburgh Festival. Together again, Terry, wife of Barry Cryer, and Jackie, wife of Edmund Hockridge, charm audiences with songs and anecdotes from their career in the 1950s. Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall, 7pm £10
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Emmy the Great + Phildel Birds Eye View Sound & Silents: Live music to silent film
Emmy the Great
Having won great acclaim for her debut album First Love, Emmy The Great is back with new songs and her trademark deft observations and stark admissions, cloaked in arrangements of disarming simplicity and beguiling melody. Support comes from Phildel, whose haunting music has her tipped as one to watch. Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall, 9pm £12.50 Imogen Heap
The Birds Eye View Film Festival presents specially commissioned live scores for seminal works by women filmmakers, from animation pioneer Lotte Reiniger to a genre-setting thriller by Lois Weber. A line-up of cutting-edge female musicians includes pop sensation Micachu and Grammy winner Imogen Heap, performing alongside the Holst Singers in her new score for Dulac’s surrealist The Seashell and the Clergyman.
The Boxettes
Queen Elizabeth Hall, 8pm £25 £20 £15 £10
An unconventional a capella sound with tight beatbox work set against dreamy, sundrenched harmonics: Alyusha, Yvette, Neo and Harriet, and current World Female Beatbox Champion Bellatrix come together to evocative and powerful effect. The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall,10.30pm Admission free
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saturday 12 march
Shirley Collins – America Over the water Legendary folk singer Shirley Collins undertook an extraordinary journey in the summer of 1959 to the deep Southern States of America’s musical heartland to collect traditional song. Here she retells the story of that trip in a performance which includes readings by Shirley and actor Pip Barnes accompanied by original photography and her field recordings. Shirley Collins
Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall, 5pm £12
voices of the world Nassima brings her stunning voice to London for the first time, transporting us to Moorish Spain and contemporary North Africa; and singer-songwriter Claudia Aurora wows with the first collection of original fado songs recorded in the UK. Curated by composer Priti Paintal and co-promoted by Equator/ShivaNova.
Nassima
Queen Elizabeth Hall, 8pm Tickets £20 £15
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baaba maal: in praise of the female voice Icons and exciting new talent come together for this unique highlight of the WOW festival. Experience a celebration of the female voice with a line-up that includes rising pop star V V Brown, Mercury Prizewinner Speech Debelle, West African singer Annie Flore Batchiellilys, legendary South African singer Yvonne Chaka Chaka, the astonishing Krystle Warren and, as their special guest, Senegalese superstar singer and guitarist Baaba Maal. Royal Festival Hall, 8pm £40 £35 £25 £20
Speech Debelle
Krystle Warren
Baaba Maal
sunday 13 march
Annie Nightingale Come and join Annie Nightingale as she plays a DJ set in The Clore Ballroom. Annie was the first female presenter on the BBC and is the Radio 1’s longest-serving presenter. The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall, 10.30pm Admission free The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall at 10pm – Annie Nightingale in conversation with Jude Kelly, Southbank Centre Artistic Director. Admission free
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Annie Nightingale
Ayanna Witter-Johnson
Ayanna Witter-Johnson
Cellist and singer Ayanna Witter-Johnson presents her songs with a selection of special guests for this one-off London show. Last autumn she won the Talent Night at the Harlem Apollo following in the footsteps of legendary performers from Ella Fitzgerald to James Brown, Michael Jackson, Lauryn Hill and Luther Vandross. For this one-off London show, she presents some of her best songs with a selection of special guests.
Life Cycle by Emily Hall and Toby Litt Loss, love and sleep deprivation pervade this new set of songs about the traumatic, funny and surreal process of becoming a mother. Toby Litt’s spare, unflinching words combine with Emily Hall’s beautiful, emotionally charged music across 20 songs, that act as chapters in the story of new motherhood. Brought to life by vocalist Mara Carlyle, Southbank Centre artist in residence Oliver Coates on cello, and John Reid on piano. Toby Litt is one of Granta’s 20 Best Young British Novelists. Emily Hall has written for the London Sinfonietta, the LSO and The Brodsky Quartet. Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall, 1pm £15
Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall, 8.30pm £12.50
Mirth Control: Sandi Toksvig with Sue Perkins in March of the Women In the grand finale of WOW, national treasure Sandi Toksvig and comedian-turnedconductor Sue Perkins bring us an evening of comedy, stories and music inspired by the great women of the suffragette movement. Sue Perkins conducts an all-woman orchestra in the suffragette composer Dame Ethel Smyth’s March of the Women. Queen Elizabeth Hall, 8pm £20 £15 Sue Perkins
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how to book Three-day WOW Festival Conference Pass £30 (concessions £15, under-18s £10) WOW Day Pass £12 (concessions £6) See page 4 for details. southbankcentre.co.uk/wow (£1.75 transaction fee*)
Phone 0844 847 9910 9am – 8pm daily
(£2.75 transaction fee*)
In person Royal Festival Hall Ticket Office 10am – 8pm daily
* No transaction fee for Southbank Centre Members
Groups and schools Discount available Phone 0844 875 0070 9.30am – 5.30pm Monday – Friday Concessions A limited allocation of half-price tickets are available for recipients of Jobseekers Allowance, Income Support, Pension Credit, those aged 16 and under and full-time students. Appropriate cards to be shown and discounts cannot be combined. Access Southbank Centre is accessible to people with disabilities. Join our free Access List: phone 0844 847 9910, or email accesslist@southbankcentre.co.uk Public Transport Waterloo & Embankment Buses: Waterloo Bridge, York Road, Belvedere Road & Stamford Street Waterloo, Waterloo East & Charing Cross 20% off at Feng Sushi for everyone with a WOW event ticket during the festival. Just present your ticket at the restaurant and get sushi for less. Valid 11 – 13 March 2011.