Supported by
6 – 10 March 2013 London
Full programme Passes: £12 each day (£6 concessions) or a £30 three-day pass (£15 concessions)
Join the debate #wow2013
Jude Kelly © Sara Shamsavari
Jude Kelly, Women of the World Festival Director WOW London is now in its third year, and with the help of hundreds of people who have contributed their time and ideas, we are really proud to present this year’s programme, which puts the spotlight on the incredible things women do around the world, but also talks about the obstacles they face. WOW is a force for progress, a place where everyone can congregate to debate big ideas about a fast-changing world and hear from some of the amazing people who are making change happen. It is an opportunity to pass the baton on to new generations, and for men and women to get together to discuss everything from war, peace and race to beauty, religion and sex. This year we launch the WOW Parliament, where we’ll be asking you to vote on a motion that we’ll take to UK Parliament as well as formulating a message for David Cameron about the UK’s stance on violence against women. We hope you’ll explore the festival and get immersed in the conversations, find a cause you believe in, enjoy the experience of new ideas, and make change happen too.
Bloomberg’s support builds on a long history of support across Southbank Centre for a wide range of art exhibitions, public commissions and literature programmes. Through its philanthropy programme, Bloomberg helps charities and non-profit organisations around the world with education and literacy programmes, health and medical research, social work, arts and culture, public parks and the environment. Southbank Centre is grateful to Ms Miel de Botton, Simon and Midge Palley and Ms Mercedes Zobel for supporting WOW 2013
Join the WOW debate In the lead-up to this year’s WOW festival, go to the WOW website, Facebook or Twitter to get involved in the debate around our daily hot topic. You can also get up-to-the-minute information about the festival, the programme speakers and performers. Many of our talks across the WOW weekend are BSL interpreted. On Sunday 10 March some talks are also Speech to Text Transcribed. Please see website for full details.
Highlights SARAH BROWN P8 GORDON BROWN MP
P8 + P9
ZIAUDDIN YOUSAFZAI
P8 + P9
ANGELIQUE KIDJO
P13
AHDAF SOUEIF P14 ZAINAB SALBI P17 NAOMI WOLF P22 JENNI MURRAY P28 MIRTH CONTROL
P32
ALICE WALKER P32
/womenoftheworldfestival
#wow2013
@WOWtweetUK
southbankcentre.co.uk/wow 3
wow Stuff that’s useful to know
WOW Market
nailwraps: influences
Stallholders include everyone from hairdressers, manicurists, female plumbers and DIY experts, to designer-makers and charities supporting women. Browse our extraordinary market and discover activities all weekend long.
Artist Phoebe Davies has been working in collaboration with groups of women exploring current attitudes to feminism, female expectation and celebrated / forgotten women of influence. This has resulted in a set of nail art designs depicting women of personal influence or significance. Over the WOW weekend the nailwraps will be applied and distributed from a nail bar – so come and have a nailwrap applied, exchange opinions, learn the history of the woman you’re celebrating, and submit your personal nomination for the next set of nailwraps. Open to men and women!
Friday 8 – Sunday 10 March
Level 2 Foyers at Royal Festival Hall 10am – 6pm
Crèche
Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 March Crèche facilities are available – leave your little one in safe hands. Spaces are strictly limited to 10 children at any time. Please contact the ticket office to book your place (see back page for more details). Sunley Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall 12 noon – 5pm
Friday 8 – Sunday 10 March
Nominate your women of influence on Twitter with #femiheros #WOW2013 Nailwraps: Influences is produced by Artsadmin and supported by Southbank Centre and WAH! Nails.
Level 2 Foyers at Royal Festival Hall 10am – 6pm Free
WOW Hack Day
Saturday 9 & sunday 10 March Southbank Centre hosts a live two-day coding event in partnership with Rewired State and Young Rewired State. At WOW Hack Day, talented young people will build web and mobile applications to explore issues facing women today. A higher proportion of participants than usual will be female in a vital move towards encouraging more women to code. See the results at Hack Day Presentaion (page 31). Level 4 Green Bar at Royal Festival Hall 10am – 6pm
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Nailwraps: Influences © Phoebe Davies
ALEXIS M TEPLIN: SSS T !!
Speed Mentoring at WOW
Alexis M Teplin’s new body of work relates to the earliest moments of abstract art in the 20th century. Brightly coloured and abstract, Teplin’s paintings and sculptures visually reference Kandinsky’s approach of bringing music, colour and composition together.
WOW celebrates International Women’s Day with the return of our mass speed mentoring. Join experts across many fields including theatre directors, journalists, scientists, campaigners, artists, WOW speakers and many more. Your mentoring ticket is for an hour-long session which includes four individual 15-minute mentoring sessions to share your challenges, exchange ideas and stories and potentially identify a new mentor.
wednesday 6 – Sunday 10 March
Hayward Project Space, 10am – 6pm, late nights Thursday and Friday until 8pm Free
WOW Education WOW aims to encourage young people to question issues related to gender equality, find women who inspire them and empower them to be their generation’s pioneers for a fair world for women and men. On 7 March the WOW Education summit, delivered in partnership with Mulberry School, asks: How can education contribute to a fair world for women?
Friday 8 March
The event includes an opening keynote by opera singer Jessye Norman and will be closed by WOW Artist-in-Residence, choreographer and dancer Claire Cunningham. The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall 2.30pm – 4.15pm (arrive for registration at 2.15pm)
Throughout the festival a team of ‘WOWsers’ – young ambassadors for WOW – will talk on panels, write for our blog and add their voices to the debate.
WOW Global WOW is a global festival originating at Southbank Centre. In 2013, WOW will launch in Australia – Sydney, Brisbane and Katherine in Northern Territory – and in Derry-Londonderry as part of City of Culture 2013, as well as in Liverpool and Southend. The first WOW outside of London took place in Baltimore in 2012. Each WOW festival reflects its locale and at the same time benefits from the WOW community – the WOW festivals feed into each other, swapping stories, performers and keynote speakers to create a network of people and ideas. In this way, local knowledge and experience from one part of the world can impact on another in meaningful and long-lasting ways.
Jessye Norman © Carol Friedman
saturday 9 & sunday 10 March Sign up to one of the speed mentoring events happening across WOW. Spirit Level at Royal Festival Hall SATURDAY 11.30am – 1pm 3pm – 4.30pm SUNDAY 12 noon – 1.30pm 3.30pm – 5pm
Speed mentoring at WOW is free, but sign up is required as places are limited. Sign up to be a mentee via the Southbank Centre website or Ticket Office. If you’re interested in being one of our WOW mentors please email wowmentoring@southbankcentre.co.uk for further information. These are women-only events. 5
wow events
MITSUKO UCHIDA
Wednesday 6 March A chance to hear the great Mitsuko Uchida – regarded as one of today’s greatest pianists – explore some of Schumann’s most fascinating and beautiful piano works.
‘[Uchida] always hears the music in Schumann’s bravura... Schumann the poet and virtuoso evoked in perfect balance.’
(The Sunday Times)
Waldszenen is an intimate hymn to nature, featuring the mysterious ‘Prophet Bird’, the Second Sonata is a characteristically passionate work and the Gesänge der Frühe (Songs of Dawn) were among the composer’s last works, pieces of touching purity and reflection. In contrast, Uchida performs Preludes and Fugues by Bach and Schoenberg’s Op.19, a set of short pieces in a suitably Schumannian format. Royal Festival Hall, 7.30pm From £10
Mitsuko Uchida © Roger Mastrioianni
Ménage à Trois
by Claire Cunningham and Gail Sneddon with National Theatre of Scotland Wednesday 6 March
WOW Artist-in-Residence Claire Cunningham makes outstanding work based on honing skills specifically created by her physical impairment and looking at perceived limitations as advantages. This critically acclaimed production returns to Queen Elizabeth Hall for WOW festival. A darkly humorous and deeply personal portrait, Ménage à Trois explores Claire’s 20-year relationship with her crutches and asks if it’s possible to find love when there are already three of you in the relationship. Created in partnership with National Theatre of Scotland. Supported by Creative Scotland. Originally commissioned for Unlimited. Queen Elizabeth Hall, 7.30pm From £10 6
‘ Fearless, fierce and beautiful.’
★★★★ (The Times)
Claire Cunnigham © Sven Hagolan
Ruth Ozeki: A Tale for the Time Being Wednesday 6 March
Acclaimed filmmaker, novelist and Zen Buddhist priest Ruth Ozeki makes a rare appearance to talk about faith, fiction and Hello Kitty lunchboxes. She is joined by writer and broadcaster Mary Loudon, author of Unveiled: Nuns Talking and Revelations: Clergy Questioned.
‘ Her evocative, heart-stopping soul voice will halt you in your tracks.’ (Time Out)
Level 5 Function Room at Royal Festival Hall, 7.30pm £8 Ruth Ozeki
Birds Eye View presents Bushra El-Turk: live score for ‘The Adventures of Prince Achmed’
COLD SPECKS
Thursday 7 March
Thursday 7 March
+ Phildel + Prince Innocence
The world premiere of a live score by rising star composer Bushra El-Turk, accompanying ground-breaking film The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926), the world’s first feature-length animation. Performed by a unique ensemble of Western and Middle Eastern instruments. Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall, 8pm £15
Bushra El-Turk
Canadian songwriter and vocalist Cold Specks performs at Queen Elizabeth Hall for one night only with tracks from her critically acclaimed debut album I Predict a Graceful Expulsion. Describing her sound as ‘doom soul’, Cold Specks’ music is steeped in the musical traditions of the American Deep South. Queen Elizabeth Hall, 7.30pm From £14
Cold Specks © Jim Anderson
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FRIDAY 8 MARCH day pass Events If you have a Friday/3-Day Pass, choose one event to attend in each time slot and arrive early, as it’s first come, first served.
Stephanie Flanders on the Economy Friday 8 March
Stephanie Flanders, BBC Economics Editor, gives a keynote talk on the state of the UK economy and how it relates to the rest of the world. Whether you’re an economist or not, come and hear about how economic and financial problems affect you. Stephanie is then joined on stage by Editor-in-Chief of MoneyWeek Merryn Somerset Webb, banking executive Cathy Turner and Savita Patel and Jamuben Ayar from the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) in India to discuss women’s role in shaping the economy. Followed by a Q & A. Chaired by Jude Kelly. Queen Elizabeth Hall 9.30am – 11am
International Activism Friday 8 March
In a session focussing on the power of the individual to change the world, we are joined by Sarah Brown, campaigner and Patron of the White Ribbon Alliance, who opens the session with a keynote speech about power, and communicating effectively for causes that matter, followed by Valerie Amos, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, on the Millennium Development Goals, and why empowering and educating women and girls is the key to international development. They will be joined by Gordon Brown MP, the UN Special Envoy for Global Education, and Ziauddin Yousafzai in his first major public appearance since his daughter Malala Yousafzai was shot by the Taliban in October 2012, who will talk about Malala’s campaign – and why girls’ education is crucial in achieving a fairer world for both women and men. Chaired by Jude Kelly.
Shyness in Networking: How to love something you distrust Friday 8 March
Did you know that the world’s first Professor of Networking is a woman, and a British woman to boot? Julia Hobsbawm, businesswoman and Media Woman of the Year 2012, tells you how to tap into your networking skills to get the best out of your connections and help you progress in life. Her secret to success? Admitting that it all starts with shyness… The Front Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall 1.30pm – 2.30pm
The Rape Myths Friday 8 March
What is rape? Who does it? Who does it happen to? Myths and untruths around rape and sexual assault have devastating effects on how many rapes are reported and the decisions made by juries and judges. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt of the Met Police, national lead for adult sexual offences, Rosamund Horwood-Smart QC, who in her 38 years at the Bar has tried many rape and serious sexual offence cases, and Professor of Law Joanne Conaghan set the record straight and explain why changing the debate around rape, which has long been dominated by ideological and fixed views, is crucial to prevention. Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall 1.30pm – 2.30pm Sarah Brown © Brian Aris
Queen Elizabeth Hall 11.30am – 1pm
Gordon Brown ©Tom Miller, copyright OGSB
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Economics 101
Crash and Burn
Economics is the branch of knowledge concerned with the production, consumption and transfer of wealth, and helps answer questions such as: Who gets what? and Why do some people have jobs and others don’t? Money has no value in itself, but gives us access to real products, and studying money and finance helps us answer questions such as: Why do prices rise and fall? Why did the banks get into trouble and why does it matter?
We all have the capacity to self-destruct. Rosie Boycott, a recovering alcoholic, is joined by panellists Ruby Wax, who was hospitalised with what she calls ‘the tsunami of all depressions’, and Katherine Baldwin, who has battled an eating disorder and other self-harming, addictive behaviours. They open up about what happens when your life hits the wall.
Janet Hontoir, senior lecturer at the IFS School of Finance, leads an interactive session on the difference between economics and money, and gives you a grounding to understand more about the bigger financial picture.
Learning from Malala
Friday 8 March
Please note spaces are limited for this event. First come first served.
Level 4 Blue Bar at Royal Festival Hall 1.30pm – 2.30pm
What is a social enterprise? Friday 8 March
Thinking of starting your own social enterprise? In this first of two lively, dynamic workshops Lynne Franks, women’s business champion, founder of SEED (Sustainable Enterprise and Empowerment Dynamics) women’s network and B.Hive women’s business clubs, tells you what you need to know. Lynne interviews three women social entrepreneurs from different backgrounds and with very different social purpose businesses.
Friday 8 March
Spirit Level at Royal Festival Hall 1.30pm – 2.30pm
A discussion with Gordon Brown MP and Ziauddin Yousafzai Friday 8 March
Gordon Brown MP, the UN Special Envoy for Global Education and former British Prime Minister, is joined by Ziauddin Yousafzai, the father of Malala Yousafzai who was shot by the Taliban in October 2012 for fighting for girls’ right to education. This is the second of two special discussions as part of WOW – Women of the World – that focuses on Malala’s campaign, and the chance to hear from two men dedicated to ensuring every girl has the right to learn. Weston Roof Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall 1.30pm – 2.30pm Children walking home from school © istockphoto.com-Bonnie Jacobs
They each tell their story, what social enterprise means to them and how they started. The interviews are followed by a Q & A with all three on what worked and didn’t work for them and what to learn from their experiences. Level 5 Function Room at Royal Festival Hall 1.30pm – 2.30pm
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FRIDAY 8 MARCH day pass Events If you have a Friday/3-Day Pass, choose one event to attend in each time slot and arrive early, as it’s first come, first served.
the juggling act: work/ Life Balance Clinic (1) Friday 8 March
My Family Care, experts in helping both individuals and employers make work and family work, help you look at your version of having it all, and how to manage your personal ‘work and family team’. This interactive session, led by Jennifer Liston-Smith, Director of Coaching for My Family Care, explores successes and stumbling blocks, and helps you identify how you can go about changing the things you can influence and coming to terms with those you can’t. In partnership with Work+Family. Sunley Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall 1.30pm – 2.30pm
WOW Bites 1
Friday 8 March Gail Parminter asks who the advertising industry thinks it’s talking to. Cocoa farmers Mary Appiah and Esther Mintah Ephraim on how women are empowered by being members of the Kuapa Kokoo co-operative in Ghana, which co-owns Divine chocolate. Babou Olengha, founder of Mums Mean Business, on the rise and rise of the mumpreneur. Ann Jones on life in a blue suit, a feminist’s view of 25 years in the Royal Navy. Sara Shamsavari on London Veil, showing on the Clore Ballroom floor throughout WOW, Challenges,Creativity and Change. St Paul’s Roof Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall 1.30pm – 2.30pm Gail Parminter
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MASS SPEED MENTORING Opened by Jessye Norman Friday 8 March
Opera singer Jessye Norman opens the WOW 2013 speed mentoring programme with a keynote talk on ‘The Human Spirit: how the arts can inspire self-awareness, tolerance and compassion in our world’. Keynote talk open to all day pass holders. To sign up for speed mentoring see page 5. The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall Keynote 2.30pm – 3pm, Mentoring 3pm – 4pm Arrive for mentoring registration at 2.15pm
getting a broad on board Friday 8 March
Women still earn 14.9% less on average than men for the same job. This panel includes businesswoman Liz Jackson; Head of the Equality and Employment Rights Department at the TUC Sarah Veale; and the Fawcett Society. Chaired by Sarah Sands, Editor of the London Evening Standard, the panel discusses narrowing the gender pay gap, whether quotas are the answer to getting more women into the boardroom, and which organisations are fighting women’s corners. The Front Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall 3pm – 4pm
give and let live Friday 8 March
Austere times and government cuts mean that charities and startups have to rely more and more on their fundraising skills. Come and hear from women philanthropists including Anne Balfour, member of the Red Cross’s Tiffany Circle, a powerful group of women leaders and philanthropists, Dawn Austwick, Chief Executive of Esmée Fairbairn Foundation; and Maggie Baxter, chair of the Rosa fund for women and girls. They discuss what makes them give, what puts them off, and why there’s more to giving than writing a cheque. Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall, 3pm – 4pm
the juggling act: Work/Life Balance Clinic (2) Friday 8 March See page 10. In partnership with Work+Family.
Sunley Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall 3pm – 4pm
Funny Women Workshop Friday 8 March
Want to improve your confidence, presentation, and networking skills by using humour? Led by Funny Women founder Lynne Parker, who draws on 10 years of comedy experience, you’ll get a taste of how you can use comedy on stage, in business, or as part of your everyday life.
nice girls don’t get the corner office Friday 8 March
Women make hundreds of unconscious mistakes that sabotage their careers, says internationally recognised executive coach Lois P. Frankel, author of the New York Times business bestseller Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office. We asked three women – banking executive Cathy Turner; corporate broker and feminist activist Hannah Philp; and graduate careers expert Mildred Talabi – who are all at different stages of their careers to read the book, live by its advice, and tell us whether that coveted corner office is any closer. Chaired by businesswoman and networking entrepreneur Julia Hobsbawm. Weston Roof Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall 3pm – 4pm
Level 4 Blue Bar at Royal Festival Hall 3pm – 4pm
WOW Bites 2
How to start a social enterprise
Frances Osborne on moving mountains for change and 150 years of Emily Wilding Davison.
Friday 8 March
Thinking of starting your own social enterprise? In this second of two workshops Lynne Franks, women’s business champion, founder of SEED (Sustainable Enterprise and Empowerment Dynamics) women’s network and B.Hive women’s business clubs, tells you what you need to know. Using a café-style format, Lynne introduces experts on funding, legalities, marketing and other practical aspects in running your social enterprise. You will have the opportunity to join the experts in informal circles and share their specific knowledge and experience before changing tables.
Friday 8 March Yvonne Thompson on being the only female founder of Choice FM Radio – the cultural tsunami that changed the face of British popular music forever. Laura Bates on why she set up @EverydaySexism. Kate Craig-Wood on her unique perspective from both genders and how it has helped her become a top IT entrepreneur. Sister Catherine Msoni on Divine Rescue, and how she set up her charity from a bench. St Paul’s Roof Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall, 3pm – 4pm
Level 5 Function Room at Royal Festival Hall 3pm – 4pm
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FRIDAY 8 MARCH day pass Events
FRIDAY 8 MARCH Events
If you have a Friday/3-Day Pass, choose one event to attend in each time slot and arrive early, as it’s first come, first served.
claire cunningham closes wow speed mentoring WOW Artist-in-Residence Claire Cunningham is an acclaimed multi-disciplinary performer and choreographer and an ambassador for the enrichment of the arts through difference. Claire closes the WOW 2013 speed mentoring programme talking about the important role mentors have played in the development of her life as an artist. The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall 4pm – 4.15pm
Friday Lunch
THE IVORY DUO PIANO ENSEMBLE PLAYS LOLA PERRIN and thomi baltsavia Friday 8 March The Ivory Duo Piano Ensemble was formed by Natalie Tsaldarakis and Panayotis Archontides shortly after their marriage in 1994, and they have performed in Italy, Greece, Finland, Serbia and across the UK, also collaborating individually and as a duo with important conductors and composers including Mikis Theodorakis and Sir Charles Mackerras.
Julie Walters in conversation
Central Bar at Royal Festival Hall, 1pm – 2pm Free
Acclaimed actress Julie Walters, and Jude Kelly, Southbank Centre Artistic Director and founder of WOW, talk about the roles Walters has played from Educating Rita onwards and the choices she has made about portraying the struggles of all kinds of women.
MEKLIT HADERO
Friday 8 March
The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall 4.15pm – 5pm
Friday Tonic Friday 8 March Meklit is a true modern global artist. Born in Ethiopia and raised in the US, she has been nurtured for the past several years in San Francisco’s richly diverse arts scene. Add in a warm and luminous singing voice and lyrical songwriting that moves from the starkly personal to the poetically metaphoric, and you have the unique creation that is Meklit Hadero. The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall 5.30pm – 6.30pm Free
Julie Walters © David Fisher/Rex Features
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Meklit Hadero
These events are ticketed separately and are not included in the day passes. Buy tickets online or phone our ticket office (details on the back page).
QUEENS, HEROINES AND LADYKILLERS: CURTAIN RAISERS AND HIGH DRAMA Orchestra Of The Age Of Enlightenment Friday 8 March Marin Alsop’s musicianship, energy and imagination have made her one of the world’s most exciting conductors. For her WOW programme with the Orchestra of The Age of Enlightenment, Marin has chosen a programme of arias sung by strong women characters, alongside Schumann’s turbulent Second Symphony.
Bridget Christie Friday 8 March
Last year, comedian Bridget Christie noticed that misogyny, like shiny leggings, had made an unexpected comeback. But did it ever really go away? Also, what are Tory feminists? Why did Bic launch the ‘Bic for Her’ pen? Do we really need to spend £11.99 on a Smooth Groove camel toe solution, and why does the Women’s Studies Section in Waterstone’s smell of farts? Bridget Christie knows. Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall, 8pm – 9pm £7.50
Queen Elizabeth Hall, 7pm From £9
ANGELIQUE KIDJO + FATOUMATA DIAWARA Friday 8 March
Grammy Award-winning Beninese singersongwriter Angelique Kidjo returns to Southbank Centre by popular demand. Acclaimed by Time magazine as ‘Africa’s premier diva’, she was named one of The Guardian’s Top 100 Most Inspiring Women in the World. Kidjo is joined by Mali-born Fatoumata Diawara. Her acclaimed first album Fatou was voted The Sunday Times’ number 1 world music album of 2011 and WMCE’s album of the year. Royal Festival Hall, 7.30pm From £10 Angelique Kidjo
Bridget Christie © Steve Ullathorne
‘ A writer and performer of prodigious talent’ (The Guardian)
WOW Parties Hear stories from organisations who have had breakthrough success in supporting women nationally and internationally, and meet the people who have made it happen. Followed by a big free party with special guest DJ and dancing. Organisations include I’mPOSSIBLE, Migrant & Refugee Woman of the Year Awards, PAWA, Stonewall, White Ribbon Alliance, Who Made Your Pants?, Women, Inspiration and Enterprise (WIE) and Womankind Worldwide.
Fatoumata Diawara © Youri Lenquette
The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall 8pm – 11pm Free 13
saturday 9 MARCH day pass Events If you have a Saturday/3-Day Pass, choose one event to attend in each time slot and arrive early, as it’s first come, first served.
the keys to the castle Saturday 9 March
Jude Kelly, WOW and Southbank Centre Artistic Director, introduces WOW, and welcomes four of the speakers who are picking up some of this year’s big themes. Space scientist Maggie Aderin-Pocock presents The Thinking Woman’s Guide to the Universe: a journey from the familiar to the unknown in one easy step. Michael Kimmel, a founder of the National Organization for Men Against Sexism (NOMAS) in the US, on why feminism isn’t a war on men. Ahdaf Soueif on the function of women in Egypt’s revolution. Ruby Wax on why you need your brains. Angelique Kidjo on the importance of education for women in Africa.
the Guy’s Guide to Feminism Saturday 9 March
In just one generation, many age-old ideas about women have been swept aside – but what does that have to do with men? Join authors and academics Michael Kimmel, a founder of the National Organisation for Men Against Sexism (NOMAS) and Michael Kaufman, co-founder of the White Ribbon Campaign, the largest effort in the world of men working to end violence against women, who will guide both men and women through an A to Z of feminism for men, in an hour of humour, serious conversation, story-telling and hard-hitting analysis. This session is repeated on Sunday, see page 25.
Queen Elizabeth Hall, 11.30am – 12.30pm
The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall 9.30am – 11am
Michael Kimmel © The Aspen Ideas Festival
paying for poverty Saturday 9 March Ahdaf Soueif © Eamon McCabe
WOW Open Space Saturday 9 March
Here you can continue discussions started throughout WOW. Go to the space and see what’s on, join any discussion, or start one yourself. Level 2 Blue Side at Royal Festival Hall 11am – 6pm
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Evidence has mounted that helping women can be a successful poverty-fighting strategy anywhere in the world. The Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) was founded in India in 1972 and ever since has helped some of the country’s poorest women start businesses, raising living standards for the women and winning a Nobel Peace Prize for the economic and social impacts of its work. Rosie Boycott chairs a discussion with two members of the SEWA collective about why it works and how their lives have been turned around. Rosie is also joined by Becky John, of Who Made Your Pants? which employs a similar model working with women in Southampton. The Front Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall 11.30am – 12.30pm
Global Feminism & the Middle East
Under 10’s Feminist Corner
How many ‘feminisms’ are there? What does Arab feminism look like?
Feminism isn’t just for grown-ups...or teenagers. Are you a budding young feminist? Would you use the F word in the playground? If so, we’ve got the perfect session for you. Join other young feminists for an interactive workshop exploring what being a girl means and get tips on how to start a campaign in your bedroom. Led by poet and former Under 10 feminist, Caroline Bird.
Saturday 9 March
This first of two sessions examines women’s movements in the Middle East and their relationship with their sisters in the West and asks what are the core issues that affect women’s lives everywhere? Can common cause be made to deal with them? And what is the role of feminism in the Middle East in these times of revolution? Panellists include SOAS professor Nadje Al-Ali, journalist and author Victoria Brittain, and author of Sex and the Citadel Shereen El Feki. Chaired by Ahdaf Soueif.
Saturday 9 March
This event is free but ticketed. Level 3 Function Room at Royal Festival Hall 11.30am – 12.30pm Caroline Bird © Hannah Edy
Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall 11.30am – 12.30pm
Clean Break presents Hours til Midnight
BY SONYA HALE, DIRECTED BY IMOGEN ASHBY
Saturday 9 March Two half-sisters share an upbringing, an inseparable bond, and a history of addiction. When Gizzy chooses to start afresh, Meg has to decide whether to join her, or risk staying in a place riddled with bad associations. Written and performed by Clean Break Theatre Company, who work with women with experience of the criminal justice system, Hours til Midnight gives a unique view from the edge, exploring addiction, resilience and women’s relationship to crime and punishment. Includes a post-show discussion.
wow’s how tos
wills & wikipedia Saturday 9 March
HOW TOs are mini lessons in things you need to know.
Spirit Level at Royal Festival Hall 11.30am – 12.30pm
Did you know that over half of British women have not prepared wills? And did you know that over 85% of edits on Wikipedia are done by men?
SPEED MENTORING
Don’t be a statistic - in this hour slot learn how to write a will, how to edit Wikipedia – and why you need to!
See p5
Level 4 Blue Bar at Royal Festival Hall 11.30am – 12.30pm
SATURDAY 9 MARCH
Spirit Level at Royal Festival Hall, 11.30am – 1pm
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saturday 9 MARCH day pass Events If you have a Saturday/3-Day Pass, choose one event to attend in each time slot and arrive early, as it’s first come, first served.
Weave vs Natural? The Politics of Afro Hair Saturday 9 March
For centuries, women of colour have been told that their hair in its natural state isn’t good enough. Do we judge black women by whether or not they straighten their hair? Is the afro still a political hairstyle? And do Michelle Obama’s bangs really matter? Speakers include: Keysha Davis, editor of Blackhair magazine, Funmi Fetto of Tatler magazine, journalist Eva Simpson and blogger Natalie Clue of Beauty Pulse London. Chaired by journalist and author Hannah Pool. Level 5 Function Room at Royal Festival Hall 11.30am – 12.30pm
WOW Bites 3
Saturday 9 March Sabrina Mahfouz, poet and playwright, on how she found a feminist in a strip club. Dr Clara Greed, public toilet campaigner, on why she does give a shit about global toilet provision. Laura Bates on why she set up @EverydaySexism. Felicity Finch (‘Ruth’ from The Archers) and BBC Media Action’s Priyanka Dutt on how mobile phones and street theatre improve rural maternal health in Bahir. Tamsin Omond on why Boudicca’s blue is the colour of the climate revolution. St Paul’s Roof Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall 11.30am – 12.30pm Tamsin Omond © Moana Ghiandoni
Hannah Pool
caught in the net Saturday 9 March
Women scientists speak about their experiences in the field. Do women ‘do’ science differently? Why are there so few women scientists? Why does it matter? What does the future look like in the labs? Speakers include space scientist Maggie Aderin-Pocock, Heather Williams, Director of the Science Grrl website, and Mariéme Jamme, technologist and founder of Africa Gathering. Weston Roof Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall 11.30am – 12.30pm 16
Women’s voices on war Fashion, Style and Beauty and peace - An afternoon Saturday 9 March with Zainab Salbi The fashion industry contributes nearly £40bn to Saturday 9 March
We invite you to an intimate afternoon with Zainab Salbi – author, activist and founder of Women for Women International. Zainab is on a rare visit to the UK to launch her latest book If You Knew Me You Would Care for which she conducted interviews with women in Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Bosnia and Herzegovina about their definitions of war and peace, about their horrific and tragic pasts and their hopes for the future. ‘The women in this book are an inspiration to all of us who aspire to triumph over adversity. It is a personal peek at the most intimate stories as told by women who have survived war. It is a tribute to them, to their survival, their achievements, and their dreams. I hope people everywhere will take away the powerful message of survival this book inspires.’ (Zainab Salbi) Chaired by Brita Fernandez Schmidt, UK Executive Director for Women for Women International. Queen Elizabeth Hall, 1pm – 2.30pm Zainab Salbi © Rennio Maifredi
the UK economy, directly employing over 800,000 people. So why isn’t it taken more seriously? Why does a dress worn by Kate Middleton sell out in minutes? Can fast fashion ever be ethical? Join The Guardian’s Hadley Freeman, Natasha Pearlman, deputy editor of Elle magazine, ethical fashion expert Amisha Ghadiali and other fashionistas as they discuss the importance of hemlines, colour palettes and why the 1960s are back... again. Chaired by June Sarpong, presenter and co-founder of the WIE Network.
The Front Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall 1pm – 2.30pm
so you don’t have kids – now what?! Saturday 9 March
One in five women over 45 in the UK doesn’t have children, some by choice (often termed ‘childfree’), some by circumstance. However, the lifestyles, issues and concerns of ‘NoMos’ (Not-Mothers) are very rarely represented in mainstream culture other than as freak shows or cautionary tales. This session will explore what it means to be a childless woman today, including having a Plan B for a meaningful and fulfilling life without children in a culture that views NoMos as ‘leftover women’. Come and join this debate with a group of women who are living their Plan Bs: Karen Ingala Smith, Chief Executive, nia; Jody Day, author and founder of Gateway Women; Viv Oyolu, radio host, Dream Corner and Catherine Mayer, Europe Editor, TIME magazine. In partnership with Gateway Women.
Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall 1pm – 2.30pm
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saturday 9 MARCH day pass Events If you have a Saturday/3-Day Pass, choose one event to attend in each time slot and arrive early, as it’s first come, first served.
Silver Action – the conversation continues Saturday 9 March
On 3 February 2013, hundreds of women aged 60 or over met in Tate Modern to talk about women, ageing and activism as part of artist Suzanne Lacy’s new participatory artwork, Silver Action. Most of the women have taken part in significant activist movements and protests from the 1950s to ‘80s and were invited to share their personal stories in a series of workshops, culminating in a day-long public performance. These women join Suzanne Lacy again at WOW, and with tea and cake debrief on this action and determine a year-long project that will include women across the UK. Newcomers and mixed generations welcome. The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall 1pm – 2.30pm
sex and sensibilities
being a Sport
Saturday 9 March Over 80% of women aren’t doing enough exercise to stay healthy, media coverage of women’s sport is just 5% and sponsorship makes up just 5% of the total market. After a momentous summer for women in sport, with Olympians and Paralympians such as Jessica Ennis and Ellie Simmonds now household names and role models for us all, how do we build a real legacy to change some of these statistics? To discuss how women in sport are portrayed plus fitness regimes for the busy, we are joined by Sue Tibballs from the Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation, FA accredited football coach and Conservative Member on the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee Tracey Crouch MP and Natasha Jonas, the first ever British female boxer to compete in an Olympic Games. Level 5 Function Room at Royal Festival Hall 1pm – 2.30pm Natasha Jonas
Saturday 9 March
In a post-50 Shades world, are women finally in charge of their own sexualities? With designer sex toys on the rise and erotic fiction in the bestseller charts, are we giving ourselves permission to enjoy sex more than ever? The panel, including Zoe Margolis, author of Girl with a One Track Mind, Kathryn Hoyle, Founder of Sh! Women’s Erotic Emporium and Sam Roddick, founder of Coco de Mer, discuss good sex and bad sex – getting it, having it, abstaining and doing it for yourself. Spirit Level at Royal Festival Hall, 1pm – 2.30pm
wow’s How Tos blogging
Saturday 9 March Have you been meaning to set up a blog but not sure how to go about it? Let our blogging experts take you through everything from creating good content, increasing your traffic, and improving your SEO. Level 4 Blue Bar at Royal Festival Hall 1pm – 2.30pm 18
Rape
Saturday 9 March Does our culture have an attitude problem with rape? It is reported that one in five women in England and Wales has been the victim of a sexual offence or attempted offence - so why do we find it so difficult to talk about it, so we can understand more about it? Are women contributing to making it an undercover crime by internalising it as a mark of shame? Jude Kelly chairs a discussion with women who have been raped and are prepared to talk about it, and Professor Joanna Bourke, author of Rape: A History from the 1860s to the Present. Weston Roof Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall, 1pm – 2.30pm
WOW Bites 4
politics of the divine
Evelyn Foster on The Marvellous Mothers Grimm: discovering our lost women writers.
Whether it’s the question of women bishops or France’s burqa ban, women of faith face very particular challenges. Join this multi-faith panel as they discuss how faith fits with gender equality. Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin, the first black female speaker’s chaplain in the House of Commons, Tehmina Kazi from the British Muslims for secular democracy and others talk about the relationship they have with their faith and whether faith means anything different to women. Chaired by Joan Bakewell .
Saturday 9 March Gabrielle Silver, Global Head of Neuroscience at GE Healthcare, gives a snapshot of the newest innovations to support some of the most intractable diseases. Alan Pedder and Charlotte Richardson Andrews, editors of Wears The Trousers magazine, on stamping out the sexist language of the music press. Emer O’Toole on women, body hair and why she’s stopped shaving. LA-based photo-journalist Miki Turner on her new book Journey to the Woman I’ve Come to Love.
Saturday 9 March
Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall 3pm – 4pm
Writer Cathy Heffernan on Deaf Power. Ethiopian born, San Francisco-based singer Meklit Hadero on the Nile Project residency, the art of listening, and the power of you – the audience. St Paul’s Roof Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall 1pm – 2.30pm
ain’t I A WOMAN Saturday 9 March
‘When black people are talked about the focus tends to be on black men; and when women are talked about the focus tends to be on white women,’ wrote African American academic bell hooks in her seminal book Ain’t I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism. Has this changed? Are black women’s experiences valued? How do black women fit into today’s popular culture? What does Rihanna tell us about race, sex and music in the 21st century? Speakers include LA based journalist Miki Turner, Brenda Emmanus, BBC London News’ Arts, Culture and Entertainment Correspondent, Kieran Yates, author of Generation Vexed, Shirley Tate, author of Black Beauty: Aesthetics, Stylization, Politics and Grammy Award-winner Angelique Kidjo. Chaired by author and journalist Hannah Pool. The Front Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall 3pm – 4pm
Joan Bakewell
sum of their body parts? women in the media Saturday 9 March
‘Even the most accomplished and professional women are reduced to the sum of their body parts,’ concluded Lord Justice Leveson after his 16-month inquiry into the British press. Join some of the most influential women in the British media as they discuss headlines, Page 3 and the role of women within a post-Leveson media landscape. Speakers include journalist Yasmin AlibhaiBrown, correspondent for ITV’s London Tonight Ronke Phillips and Jane Hill, BBC newsreader. Chaired by The Guardian Women’s editor Jane Martinson. The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall 3pm – 4pm 19
saturday 9 MARCH day pass Events If you have a Saturday/3-Day Pass, choose one event to attend in each time slot and arrive early, as it’s first come, first served.
life drawing
Saturday 9 March Are you afraid to be nude in front of your partner? Do you feel uncomfortable in communal changing rooms? Spirited Bodies creates a space for people to try life modelling. Discover the therapeutic value of shedding your inhibitions and seeing yourself in others’ art. Adults of all ages, sizes and backgrounds take part for many reasons, from facing advancing age to embracing their body post-illness. There is a chance to draw, and to listen to women who have participated. Led by professional life models, ability to draw is not important! The context is respectful, and a safe space for models and artists. If you would like to gain confidence and experience prior to this event, check out Spirited Bodies’ (all female) preparation workshops.Come along and draw, model or both.
Child Sex Exploitation ‘Grooming’ Saturday 9 March
Recent high-profile news stories such as the Rochdale grooming trial and the Jimmy Savile case have highlighted how little we understand about child sex exploitation. Speakers include Deputy Children’s Commissioner Sue Berelowitz, Principal Policy Adviser Carlene Firmin and Ellen Broome, from The Children’s Society, as they discuss whether we’re doing enough to protect our children, the role of the courts and why not all survivors are treated equally. Chaired by Helena Kennedy QC. Level 5 Function Room at Royal Festival Hall 3pm – 4pm Carlene Firmin
This is a women-only event. Drawing materials are provided. In partnership with Spirited Bodies (spiritedbodies.com)
Spirit Level at Royal Festival Hall, 3pm – 5pm
WOW’s HOW TOs
Self-Defence – Give yourself an option Saturday 9 March
Just knowing some simple rules on verbal diffusion and self-defence techniques can give you confidence and reduce risk of suffering serious injuries from an attack. Debi Steven, a 4th Dan Black Belt in karate and Advanced Self-Defence Instructor with 20 years’ experience, gives a short course specifically designed for WOW. No prior knowledge required! In partnership with Premier Self-Defence Ltd.
Level 4 Blue Bar at Royal Festival Hall 3pm – 4.30pm
SPEED MENTORING SATURDAY 9 MARCH See p5 Spirit Level at Royal Festival Hall, 3pm – 4.30pm 20
The F Word debate – Young women Saturday 9 March
A panel of teenagers talk about the word ‘feminism’ and what it stands for – does their peer group think it’s relevant? Or is it over? And has anything taken its place? Speakers include Celeste Houlker, editor of LIVE magazine, Natalie Robinson, young campaigner and youth representative, and one of the team of WOWsers, the young people who help put WOW together. Led by award-winning poet Caroline Bird. Weston Roof Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall 3pm – 4pm
WOW Bites 5
ruby wax: out of Her Mind
Saturday 9 March Lynne Franks on the power of the crone. Cardiff University ‘Living in a World of Digital’ is the WOW13/CU competition brief. Young women from across Wales and Cardiff University tell their stories of life in the digital age. Rachel Mars, performer and writer, on uses and abuses of humour, and what happens when you don’t go for the easy gag. Gemma Rolls-Bentley and Hannah Philp on why feminists just want to have fun – doesn’t everyone? Monique Newton, powerlifter, on how sport and charity conquered her depression. St Paul’s Roof Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall 3pm – 4pm
Directed by Thea Sharrock Saturday 9 March
The legendary writer, comedienne, interviewer and documentary-maker leads audiences through the bittersweet ups and downs of mental illness, its stigmas, and the freedom discovered when you share life’s darkest moments. Out Of Her Mind breaks the rules of theatre, and touches on envy, fame, television, the insatiable drive to win, getting rich, getting the perfect body, marriage, kids, careers, and, above all, staying busy while looking like you’re having a nice day. At some point in our lives, one in four of us will be affected by mental illness. This acerbic and honest show sees Ruby bring her distinctive wit and worldly wisdom to tell how she is one of those people. Joanna Lumley called it ‘too important, too funny and thought-provoking, too touching and inspiring to miss.’ The Front Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall 4.30pm – 5.30pm Ruby Wax
Monique Newton
Conversation between the sexes Saturday 9 March
In theory, Jude Kelly and Shami Chakrabarti are from Venus and Michael Kaufman and Michael Kimmel are from Mars. This is a chance to hear them discuss the battle of the sexes and find out if they’re speaking the same language. The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall 4.15pm – 5.15pm 21
saturday 9 MARCH day pass Events
saturday 9 MARCH Events
If you have a Saturday/3-Day Pass, choose one event to attend in each time slot and arrive early, as it’s first come, first served.
50 Shades of Feminism
NAOMI WOLF
Fifty years after the publication of The Feminine Mystique, is being a woman today really just about submitting to desire, in its variations of sex, shopping and even masochism? As the antidote to this notion, Lisa Appignanesi, Rachel Holmes and Susie Orbach were compelled to invite 50 contributors to write about what being a woman means to them today. 50 Shades of Feminism features 50 women young and old – writers, politicians, actors, scientists, mothers and non-mothers responded. In this special launch event for the book, the editors will be joined by contributors including Elif Shafak, Diana Quick, Ahdaf Soueif, Xinran, Timberlake Wertenbaker, Laurie Penny, Joan Bakewell and Juliet Stevenson.
Naomi Wolf has become one of the most sought-after speakers in the world for her incisive, humorous and personal accounts of her voyages into some of the most taboo subjects. In this major summary of her work to date, she talks about the journey she has been on as an academic, a public figure, and a writer who became the voice of a generation when she published The Beauty Myth in 1991. She talks about what personal challenges lie ahead, as well as taking us through major world debates. Followed by Q and A.
Saturday 9 March
Saturday 9 March
Royal Festival Hall, 7.30pm From £10
The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall 5.30pm – 7pm
Susie Orbach
Naomi Wolf © Sigrid Estrada
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These events are ticketed separately and are not included in the day passes. Buy tickets online or phone our ticket office (details on the back page).
SUSANA BACA + support
Saturday 9 March Grammy Award-winning Afro-Peruvian vocalist Susana Baca performs at Queen Elizabeth Hall for one night only. She plays tracks from her latest album Afrodiaspora, which explores the pervasive African influence on Latin American music and culture. ‘A beautiful, continent-crossing soul journey.’ ★★★★★ (Songlines on Afrodiaspora) Queen Elizabeth Hall, 7.30pm From £14
Susana Baca © N Chappell, Archivo de R Pereira
WOW Criptease
R.A.P. Party
New York legendary nightlife artstar Julie Atlas Muz guest-hosts CRIPTEASE, an outlandish, outrageous evening of neo-burlesque celebrating disabled women’s bodies for WOW 2013. With music and dancing throughout the night, this show features some of the best comic and sexy, deaf and disabled women in the UK. Come on down, celebrate with us and strip away your inhibitions! It’s diversity gone wild!
From Lauryn Hill to Ms Dynamite, MC Lyte to Shystie, Nicki Minaj to Azealia Banks, Estelle to Lisa ‘Left-Eye’ Lopes, the trail-blazing female voices in hip-hop are too far and few between. What might the eloquent voices of the poetry and spoken word movement have to say about hiphop’s past, present and future?
Saturday 9 March
Not suitable for children, parental guidance recommended.
The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall 9.30pm – 11pm DJ Blind Bling from 9pm, CRIPTEASE performance from 9.30pm till 11pm.
Saturday 9 March
Come chill, and find out at Inua Ellams’ Rhythm And Poetry Party, specially curated for WOW – a nostalgic, no-clutter, no-fuss, straight-up evening of hip-hop inspired poems and favourite hip-hop songs, featuring Warsan Shire, Kat Francois, Hollie McNish, Bridget Minamore, Deanna Rodger, Talia Randall, Lyric L, Kristiana Rae Colón hailing from Chicago, New York’s Aja Monet and The Guardian music journalist Kieran Yates. With Vjay – Zainab Adamu and Djay – Marsha Smith. Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall, 8pm £12.50 Zainab Adamu
Caroline Bowditch
Aja Monet
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sunday 10 MARCH day pass Events If you have a Sunday/3-Day Pass, choose one event to attend in each time slot and arrive early, as it’s first come, first served.
women, power and change Sunday 10 March
Jude Kelly, Southbank Centre’s Artistic Director and founder of WOW talks with Helena Kennedy QC and Shami Chakrabarti about the distribution of power in the world. The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall 10am – 10.30am
Looking the Part Sunday 10 March
What does it mean to be a woman? What does it mean to be man? This panel, including author and activist Naomi Wolf; genderqueer blogger Peter J Piercy; transgender woman and editor of META Paris Lees; and filmmaker Campbell X, looks at femaleness and maleness in a society at large that is uncomfortable with people who look neither male nor female, but in which most people are actually a mixture of both. The panel asks why masculinity in women is reviled, and why feminine lesbian women are often not read as lesbians, yet the stereotype butch lesbian identity can be seen as letting the side down. Chaired by DIVA Editor Jane Czyzselska. In partnership with DIVA.
The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall 10.30am – 11.30am Jane Czyzselska © L+R
Helena Kennedy QC
Global Feminism & the Middle East Sunday 10 March
In this second of our two panels on the subject, we look deeper at women’s movements in the Middle East and their relationship with their sisters in the West. Can common cause be made to deal with them? And what is the role of feminism in the Middle East in these times of revolution? Panellists include SOAS professor Deniz Kandiyoti, Jordanian/British author Fadia Faqir, Kings University Professor Madawi Al-Rasheed, and BBC journalist Shaimaa Khalil. Chaired by Ahdaf Soueif. The Front Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall 10.30am – 11.30am
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Jane Austen
Sunday 10 March As Pride and Prejudice celebrates its 200th anniversary, we ask why this classic story of witty girl meets snooty rich boy has enthralled readers for two centuries. What does Austen have to say to a 21st-century audience? Authors, fans and historians get together to debate and celebrate the genius of Austen. Chaired by Bidisha. Level 5 Function Room at Royal Festival Hall 10.30am – 11.30am
WOW Open Space
wow bites 6
Here you can continue discussions started throughout WOW. Go to the space and see what’s on, join any discussion, or start one yourself.
Shami Chakrabarti on Liberty and why she’ll always fight for it.
Sunday 10 March
Level 2 Blue Side at Royal Festival Hall 12 noon – 6pm
The Archers: An EveryDay Story of Feminism? Sunday 10 March
Sunday 10 March Barbara Hannigan, renowned Canadian soprano on why she loves Lulu. Gillian Moore, Head of Classical Music at Southbank Centre, on the life and work of composer Galina Ivanovna Ustvolskaya. Nosarieme Garrick on My Africa Is. Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall 12 noon – 1pm
Among the cow pats, falling milk prices and polytunnels, The Archers has a long history of strong female characters. With stories such as Kathy’s rape, Helen’s donor baby and Vicky’s decision to become a first-time mother in her late 40s, what does the world’s longest-running soap opera teach us about women’s lives? Join Vanessa Whitburn, the show’s editor for more than 20 years, Felicity Finch (Ruth Archer), Pat Gallimore (Pat Archer), and Mary Cutler, the show’s longest-serving writer, to discuss whether Lynda and Jolene are feminist icons, and how far the show has come from its roots as a communicator for some of society’s most important messages. Chaired by Telegraph radio critic Gillian Reynolds. The Front Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall 12 noon – 1pm
Shami Chakrabarti
the Guy’s Guide to Feminism Sunday 10 March
In just one generation, many age-old ideas about women have been swept aside – but what does that have to do with men? Join authors and academics Michael Kimmel a founder of the National Organisation for Men Against Sexism (NOMAS) and Michael Kaufman co-founder of the White Ribbon Campaign, the largest effort in the world of men working to end violence against women, who will guide both men and women through an A to Z of feminism for men, in an hour of humour, serious conversation, story-telling and hard-hitting analysis. This session is repeated on Saturday, see page 14. The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall 12 noon – 1pm
Ms Vanessa Whitburn © Mike Park
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sunday 10 MARCH day pass Events If you have a Sunday/3-Day Pass, choose one event to attend in each time slot and arrive early, as it’s first come, first served.
fat talks back
Being Mixed Race
The average UK dress size is 14 – 16 and yet the media feeds us a diet of skinnier = better. Our panel discusses the rise of fat activism, the politics of size, and ask whether fat is still a feminist issue. Panellists include fat activists Charlotte Cooper, Stacy Bias, Isha Reid and Caroline Walters. Chaired by leading fat activist and fat studies academic Corinna Tomrley.
In the 2011 census over a million people in the UK classed themselves as ‘mixed race’ – but for some, the label is meaningless. So what are the identity politics of the ‘Jessica Ennis generation’? Join broadcaster Reya El-Salahi, celebrity make-up artist Kay Montano, and Irish-Nigerian visual sociologist Emma Dabiri as they discuss the joys and challenges of being a dual heritage woman in modern-day Britain.
Sunday 10 March
Spirit Level at Royal Festival Hall, 12 noon – 1pm
Under 10’s Feminist Corner
Sunday 10 March
Level 5 Function Room at Royal Festival Hall 12 noon – 1pm Reya El-Salahi
Sunday 10 March See page 15.
This event is free but ticketed. Level 3 Function Room at Royal Festival Hall 12 noon – 1pm
WOW’s How Tos
Bag of Creative Surprises Sunday 10 March
Writer and curator Anna Sexton leads a workshop in developing creative tools to think through problems, and deepen your ability to trust and take risks. In partnership with Open To Create…. This workshop has a limited number of spaces. First come first served.
Level 4 Blue Bar at Royal Festival Hall 12 noon – 1pm
SPEED MENTORING Sunday 10 MARCH See p5 Spirit Level at Royal Festival Hall 12 noon – 1.30pm
Domestic Violence: NO REFUGE Sunday 10 March
Erin Pizzey is the founder of one of the first women’s refuges, and has dedicated her life to eradicating domestic violence ever since. As refuges are facing closure across the country, this panel discuss the nature of the cycle of violence, how refuges are needed to help stop it, and how police campaigns, like the week-long campaign by the Met Police targeting violence within the home, are effective in battling it. Erin is joined by Sue Wallis, CEO of North Devon Against Domestic Abuse, Dr Sundari Anitha, trustee of Asha, which works in the South Asian community to end violence against women and girls and Professor Joanna Bourke, author of Rape: A History From 1860 to the Present. Weston Roof Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall 12 noon – 1pm
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WOW Bites 7
Whats New in African Feminisms?
Sunday 10 March Jody Day, voice of childless-by-circumstance women, on creating a meaningful and fulfilling life without children. Bellatrix, female world beatbox champion, on being a woman in the music industry. Emma George on why the female orgasm matters. Anna Minton on how security creates fear and paranoia. Ashira Ramadan and Duna Kafri on social media in the Palestine territories. St Paul’s Roof Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall 12 noon – 1pm Bellatrix © Tom Griffiths
Sunday 10 March
African women are gaining force in music, writing and film, offering powerful and subversive views on gender, power and the future. In partnership with the African Feminist Forum and the African Women’s Development Fund, this session looks at what is fresh in African feminist thought and action, and the relationship between diaspora and continentbased activism. Speakers include Pontso Mafethe, Women’s Rights Manager at Comic Relief, Jessica Horn, writer and women’s rights consultant, and Rita Ray, renowned DJ and African music specialist. Chaired by Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah of the African Women’s Development Fund. The Front Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall 1.30pm – 3pm
Claire Cunningham Sunday 10 March
Pornography Sunday 10 March
Has pornography hijacked our sexuality? What does it mean to live in a society that is only two clicks away from hardcore porn? Has porn become normalised? Is it time to reconsider how we think about it? Join feminist activist and academic Julia Long, journalist and former editor of Loaded, Martin Daubney, campaigner Julie Bindel and Chitra Nagarajan of Black Feminists UK as they discuss all things porn – from credit card bans to whether the term ‘feminist porn’ is an oxymoron. Chaired by Helena Kennedy QC. Queen Elizabeth Hall, 1.30pm – 3pm
WOW Artist-in-Residence Claire Cunningham’s unique performance style integrating the dynamic use of her crutches has been acclaimed for its humorous and intelligent challenges to issues of disability, aesthetics and dance. In her dance performance Ménage à Trois (Wed 6 March), Claire asks whether her crutches have prevented potential partners from being interested in her or if she uses them as a defence mechanism. Her next project Pink Mist explores the legacy of landmines and conflict in Cambodia and their role in creating a population with one of the highest instances of disability in the world. A much sought-after performer internationally, Claire discusses her views on work, life, disability and sexuality in conversation with Southbank Centre’s Head of Performance and Dance, Wendy Martin. Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall 1.30pm – 3pm
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sunday 10 MARCH day pass Events If you have a Sunday/3-Day Pass, choose one event to attend in each time slot and arrive early, as it’s first come, first served.
Jenni Murray Sunday 10 March
As Woman’s Hour presenter for almost 30 years, Jenni Murray has interviewed some of the most extraordinary women in the world. For this very special event, Jenni Murray brings together two of the most brilliant minds in Britain - philosopher Baroness Mary Warnock; and politician Baroness Shirley Williams. The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall 1.30pm – 3pm
‘She said what?!’Women’s bodies shaped by words Sunday 10 March
‘Words are like eggs dropped from great heights; you can no more call them back than ignore the mess they leave when they fall.’ (Jodi Picoult, Salem Falls) ‘Words are, in my not so humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic; capable of both inflicting injury and remedying it.’(JK Rowling) Fat, skinny, curvy, butters, beautiful, cute, pretty – the words we use have power. The comments we make and the way we talk about our own and each other’s bodies shape the way we think. This workshop discusses how everyday conversations and the words used in the media fuel a culture of body hatred. Can we bond over something other than diets, and dispel the myth that all women are in competition with one another? Led by AnyBody, the UK chapter of the local-global organisation Endangered Bodies, which is convened by Susie Orbach. Level 5 Function Room at Royal Festival Hall 1.30pm – 3pm
Jenni Murray © Fiona Hodge
wow’s How Tos world of work
Sunday 10 March HOW TOs are mini lessons in things you need to know. This HOW TO session focuses on the world of work. Learn how to ask for a pay rise, spruce up your CV and manage your inbox, from our group of experts. Level 4 Blue Bar at Royal Festival Hall 1.30pm – 3pm
Women & Protest: taking to the streets Sunday 10 March
Whether it’s in support of Malala Yousafzai, shot by the Taliban in Pakistan, in solidarity with Indian women after the Delhi rape, or in support of Russia’s Pussy Riot, protest has come back into fashion. But does taking to the streets really change anything? Join Hadeel Ibrahim, executive director of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, Shahida Choudhry from the Women’s Networking Hub on the campaign to have Malala Yousafzai nominated for the Nobel peace prize, Sophie Bennett from Object on the anti-Page 3 campaign, and Darinka Aleksic from Abortion Rights as they talk about women, protest and the power of a good placard.Chaired by Lee Webster of Womankind Worldwide. Weston Roof Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall 1.30pm – 3pm
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WOW Bites 8
Misogyny and Misandry
Valerie Vargas on tattoos, a perspective from one of London’s premier tattooers.
Misogyny is the hatred, dislike, or mistrust of women. Some men claim ‘misandry’ (a hatred and devaluing of men) is even more rampant. But does it even exist? Is there a difference between individual hatred and a contempt that underlies centuries of discrimination? And what are the deep roots of misogyny among men? Michael Kaufman and Michael Kimmel explore.
Sunday 10 March Cath Bowdler on truth, reconciliation and art in remote Australia. A world run by women would certainly be a different place. But would it be a better one? Catherine Mayer thinks she may know the answer. Bex Mbewe from Positively East, and the African HIV Policy Network, on living with HIV and celebrating life. A short vodcast by Jepchumba on Digital African Art. Sixth form students form Mulberry School for Girls on body image and the definition of beauty. St Paul’s Roof Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall 1.30pm – 3pm
Sunday 10 March
The Front Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall 3.30pm – 4.30pm
What The Frock! Sunday 10 March
What The Frock! is about redressing the gender imbalance on the comedy circuit. For WOW, What The Frock! is bringing a taster of its regular comedy events with an hour-long show compered by Rosie Wilby, with sets from Danielle Ward (Absolute Radio host, Time Out and Chortle award winner) and multi-award winner Shazia Mirza (Have I Got News For You). The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall 3.30pm – 4.30pm Shazia Mirza
Catherine Mayer © Cindy Palmano
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sunday 10 MARCH day pass Events If you have a Sunday/3-Day Pass, choose one event to attend in each time slot and arrive early, as it’s first come, first served.
Camellia and the Rabbit wow’s How Tos craftism
Sunday 10 March
Rachel Snider performs her one-woman show, suitable for all tea-lovers: It is the elixir of the Gods. It has stirred wars, created vast fortunes and advanced medical science. It is at its prime in the afternoon. It has infused women’s liberation. And it can always be relied upon in a crisis. It is Camellia sinensis – or tea – and it has rescued a rabbit, charmed a magician and saved Rachel’s life. A true story seen through the gauze of an Assam tea bag, that most reliable of teas. Dramaturgy by Polona Baloh Brown. Spirit Level at Royal Festival Hall 3.30pm – 4.30pm Rachel Snider © Becky Palmer
Sunday 10 March A spoonful of craftism helps the activism go down…leading craftivist Sarah Corbett guides you through the basics of a craftivist campaign in this hands on workshop. You’ll come away with crafty know-how to boost any campaign. Level 4 Blue Bar at Royal Festival Hall 3.30pm – 4.30pm
‘women don’t paint very well – it’s a fact’ Sunday 10 March
The painter Georg Baselitz’s comments in an interview with Der Spiegel in January 2013 – that women painters didn’t pass the market value test and couldn’t paint – are shocking, as many would argue that there have been generations of brilliant women painters but without the recognition they deserve. So are Baselitz’s views more widespread than we think, bubbling under the surface in the world of visual arts? Or is he an old-fashioned anomaly? And does this have anything in common with other art forms? Sally Tallant, Director of the Liverpool Biennial, and Maestra Marin Alsop, the first woman to head a British orchestra, an American orchestra and a South American orchestra, investigate with a panel of industry experts. Level 5 Function Room at Royal Festival Hall 3.30pm – 4.30pm
SPEED MENTORING Sunday 10 MARCH See p5 Spirit Level at Royal Festival Hall, 3.30pm – 5pm
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Marin Alsop © Grant Leighton
Your Own Personal Heatwave Sunday 10 March
Hot flushes, changing moods, loss of libdo... the menopause has a bad reputation. But is the second half of a woman’s life necessarily the worst? Is there a conspiracy of silence? Do women of a certain age become invisible? What does how we talk – or not talk – about the menopause say about how society views women? Join writer India Knight, comedian Angie Le Mar, octogenarian journalist Katharine Whitehorn, TV presenter Miriam O’Reilly and Jill Shaw Ruddock, founder of The Second Half Centre, as they discuss ageing and whether 50 is the new 30. Weston Roof Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall 3.30pm – 4.30pm
WOW Bites 9
Sunday 10 March Sarah Lightman on ‘Graphic Confessions by Jewish Women’, in partnership with JCC for London. Sonya Robotham, on the need for Red Tent spaces where ordinary women and girls can build something together. Kate Nicholls, who lived among lions for 11 years, on similarities between female and maternal relationships in lion and human communities.
hack day presentation Sunday 10 March
As WOW Hack day draws to a close, a selection of the ‘hacks’ or prototypes will face a vote, with awards given to the best ideas and creations tackling some of the main WOW themes. Drop in from 3pm to see the results of 30 hours of continuous coding! See page 4 more details. Level 4 Green Bar at Royal Festival Hall 3pm – 4.30pm
WOW Parliament Sunday 10 March
You are invited to become a Member of WOW Parliament. With Sandi Toksvig as speaker, our ministers, including Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, Catherine Mayer and Shami Chakrabarti propose a motion to take to parliament on behalf of WOW, and ask you to help formulate a message to the Prime Minister about the UK’s stance on violence against women on the international stage. Become a backbencher and challenge our ministers, before voting on legislation you want to see enacted. The Clore Ballroom at Royal Festival Hall 4.45pm – 6pm
Melanie Brown on women’s boxing in Afghanistan. Music critic Jude Rogers on angry women in rock. Natasha Hoare on The Yellow Wallpaper – a group exhibition of female artists exploring the themes in the novella by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. St Paul’s Roof Pavilion at Royal Festival Hall 3.30pm – 4.30pm © Melanie Brown
Jude Kelly and the WOW team would like to thank the WOW Advisory Board for all their help and support. We couldn’t have done it without you. The WOW Advisory Board are: Rosie Boycott, Shami Chakrabarti, Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, Catherine Mayer, Kate Mosse, Frances Osborne, Sandi Toksvig, Dame Gail Rebuck DBE and Gauri Sharma Tripathi. 31
sunday 10 MARCH Events These events are ticketed separately and are not included in the day passes. Buy tickets online or phone our ticket office (details on the back page).
Alice Walker Sunday 10 March
A world exclusive premiere of Alice Walker: Beauty In Truth, a feature documentary film by Pratibha Parmar, about the life and art of the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Color Purple. The 6.30pm screening will be followed by a conversation with Alice Walker and Pratibha Parmar. The 9.30pm screening will be introduced by Pratibha Parmar and Alice Walker. Queen Elizabeth Hall, 6.30pm & 9.30pm From £10
MIRTH CONTROL, deeds not words Sunday 10 March
Back by popular demand after sell-out performances in 2011 and 2012, Sandi Toksvig hosts Mirth Control, an electrifying night of comedy and music inspired by great women. This year, special guests include one of Britain’s most successful singers Petula Clark, plus Sue Perkins and Fascinating Aida. Join our WOW Women’s Orchestra and more soon-tobe-announced guests for an evening of fun for all men and women. Royal Festival Hall, 7.30pm From £10
Alice Walker © Ana Elena
Sandi Toksvig
SEAMING TO + Kira Kira
Seaming To
Sunday 10 March
Captivating singer, multi-instrumentalist and composer Seaming To presents her song cycle ‘Songs For My Grandmother’. This is a compelling homage that traverses vocal and experimental electronic music. Icelandic composer and audio/ visual artist Kira Kira opens the evening with a solo set incorporating material from her latest album Feathermagnetik. Purcell Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall, 7.45pm £10 32
Kira Kira © Antje Taiga Jandrig
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how to book
SHOP & EAT
Online southbankcentre.co.uk/wow (£1.75 transaction fee*)
Southbank Centre has a vast array of restaurants, bars, cafes and shops, plus we have some special WOW-only opportunity:
Phone Ticket Office: 0844 847 9910 9am – 8pm daily (£2.75 transaction fee*)
In person Royal Festival Hall Ticket Office 10am – 8pm daily (no transaction fee) * No transaction fee for Southbank Centre Members and Circles Supporters
Groups and schools Discount available Phone 0844 875 0070 9.30am – 5.30pm Monday – Friday Concessions
Unlimited number of half-price tickets and day passes available. Visit southbankcentre.co.uk/ concessions
Transport & Access Access Southbank Centre is accessible to people with disabilities. Email: accesslist@southbankcentre.co.uk Phone: 0844 847 9910 Fax: 020 7921 0607
Feng Sushi 020 7261 0001 Get 15% off food when you show your WOW ticket or day pass. Ping Pong 020 7960 4160 Skylon 020 7654 7800 Foyles Choose from an extensive selection of literature about women, for women and by women. Caffè Vergnano 1882 020 7921 9339
Le Pain Quotidien 020 7486 6154
Canteen 0845 686 1122
Queen Elizabeth Hall Bar & Food Counter
Concrete 020 7921 0758
Riverside Terrace Café
EAT 020 7401 2989 Giraffe 020 7928 2004 Las Iguanas 020 7620 1328
Strada 020 7401 9126 wagamama 020 7021 0877 Wahaca 020 7928 1876 YO! Sushi 020 3130 1997
Shop Three Southbank Centre Shops: Royal Festival Hall Festival Terrace Hayward Gallery
Public Transport
Southbank Centre is located on the Thames riverside between Golden Jubilee and Waterloo Bridges.
Underground: Waterloo & Embankment Buses: Waterloo Bridge, York Road, Belvedere Road & Stamford Street National Rail: Waterloo, Waterloo East & Charing Cross
WOW.SOUTHBANKCENTRE.CO.UK /womenoftheworldfestival
@WOWtweetUK
All listings correct at time of going to press 36