Storyhouse Women A festival for everyone that celebrates women and girls 26 – 29 April
#storyhousewomen
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hello and welcome
Thursday Friday 26 April 27 April
Welcome to Storyhouse Women, a festival that celebrates and explores what it is to be a woman and a girl today. The programme explores everything from surviving social media to modern day slavery. Talks on body image, workshops on balancing hormones, feminism for kids, musical performances, standup comedy, free arts and crafts and developing business ideas – you can expect joy, laughter, passion, insight and a chance to share your own stories. We look forward to meeting you there…
Access We aim to make this and all Storyhouse events as inclusive and accessible as possible. Please contact us if you have any accessible requirements or need any information about attending. Telephone 01244 409 113 or visit storyhouse.com
How to book Check individual events for prices, age recommendations and booking requirements
Talk
Louise Minchin: Dare to Tri From the BBC Breakfast sofa to representing Great Britain at the World Triathlon Championships Dare to Tri is the amazing story of TV presenter Louise Minchin’s journey from the BBC Breakfast sofa to representing Great Britain at the World Triathlon Championships. What started out as a fun BBC Breakfast cycling stunt in 2012 culminated in Louise Minchin wearing the colours of Great Britain at the World Triathlon Championship in 2015 – this is the story of how a newly discovered sport became a passion and then an obsession. Garret Theatre £8 | 7pm
Talk
Cheshire Enterprising Women – Making Your Business Idea a Reality A Chester Voluntary Action project This inspiring session will bring together women to explore their business ideas, find out what owning your own business entails, how it could work for you and what the next steps are. Mums are very much encouraged to attend (no need to find a babysitter). Garret Theatre Free | 18+ | 10am (1 hr)
2 Talk
Hedy Lamarr – The Woman Who Invented WiFi A fascinating talk about the remarkable life of the Austrian-born Hedy Lamarr – considered the most beautiful woman in the world by her Hollywood peers in the 1940s and 50s. Presented by Here and Now Chester, a charity supporting social isolation amongst the over 50s. Cinema Free | 14+ | 10am (45 mins) Talk
Domestic Abuse – The Facts Linda Davies, who founded the successful CIC Tools for Change based in Blacon and has 17 years’ experience in the field of Domestic Abuse will take you through an informative quiz which may dispel common myths and provide support options. Kim Heyes who has been researching and lecturing on abusive behaviours for the past 8 years will focus on those who use abusive behaviours within their relationship. Garret Theatre Free | 16+ | 11.30am (1 hr)
Film
Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story 12(A) Director: Alexandra Dean Hollywood star Hedy Lamarr was known as the world’s most beautiful woman – Snow White and Cat Woman were both based on her iconic look. However, her arresting looks and glamorous life stood in the way of her being given the credit she deserved as an ingenious inventor whose pioneering work helped revolutionize modern communication. She was an Austrian Jewish emigre who invented a covert communication system to try and help defeat the Nazis, then gave her patent to the Navy, but was ignored and told to sell kisses for war bonds instead. It was only towards the very end of her life that tech pioneers discovered her concept, which is now used as the basis for secure WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth. Produced by campaigning film star Susan Sarandon. Cinema £8.50 / £6 (Under 26s) | 12.30pm Film also showing: Sunday 29 April | 1pm Monday 30 April | 8.45pm
3 Performance
So Strong A performance that explores the impact of living with an eating disorder, created with the advice and guidance of medical professionals and real stories of people’s experiences. Created and developed by Assemble Theatre Company from Bishops High School. Garret Theatre Free | 12.30pm TALK
Body Positivity This session will raise questions about why we feel the way we do about our bodies and put our current body trends into context. Rachel Walker, from Body Positive, will present her fun and engaging session on healthy sex and STIs and discuss the impact some porn can have on body image and expectations around healthy sex. Rachel will be joined by Emi Lou Howe, an activist fronting the BodEquality campaign which aims to change the current laws surrounding branding and advertising to represent real body shapes. This is a schools event but open to all young people. Garret Theatre Free | 14+ | 1pm (90 mins)
Performance
University of Chester Dance A variety of ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary and hip hop. The Kitchen Free | 2.30pm (30 mins) TALK
Slavery: It’s Happening Here, Now, Today Modern day slavery and human trafficking affects millions of men, women and children in every town and city. That means it’s happening in Chester. Would you recognise a victim of modern day slavery? Would you know what to do? Join members from Soroptimist International of Chester and find out what action you can take to support victims and help put a stop to this form of human exploitation. Garret Theatre Free, booking required 14+ | 3pm (1 hr)
Workshop
Paint Party Join the Paint Republic for an evening of relaxed painting, hosted by their master artist, who will help you unleash your creativity by loosely instructing you how to paint a picture chosen for the event. The jokes are bad, the music’s loud, and the banter’s high. Two hours later you’ll have a canvassed painting you can take home. Beginners welcome. Ticket includes a free drink and nibbles! Garret Theatre £25 | 18+ 6.30pm for 7pm start
4 Film
Westwood: Punk Icon Activist (15) The first film to encompass the remarkable story of one of the true icons of our time, as she fights to maintain her brand’s integrity, her principles – and her legacy. Cinema £9.50 / £7 | 8.30pm Film also showing: Saturday 28 April | 1pm Workshop
Speed-Friending Speed dating but for friends! Hosted by The Life Orgasm Project, you will be steered through a series of creative talking points and games, plus tunes from DJ Ben ‘Roman’ Haslett who will be playing his vinyl collection including retro, disco and world. The Kitchen £5 includes complimentary drink | 18+ | 8pm
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Saturday 28 April Talk
Social Media: A Survival Guide Are you petrified at the thought of your children becoming a YouTube sensation? Why do we feel so inadequate after scrolling for half an hour? Join blogger, social media expert and mother Angela Ferguson who will tell her story and guide you through a series of dos and don’ts as a parent. Garret Bar Free | 10am (90 mins) Family
Arts and Crafts for Kids Drop in for an afternoon of free themed craft activities for little ones. The Den Free | 11am - 3pm
Workshop
Workshop
Creative Art
The Gremlin
CSASS (Chester Sexual Abuse Support Service) create a safe space for conversation, support and sharing.
A workshop using guided visualisation and group coaching exercises to look at the Goddess and the Gremlin within. You will come away with a deep connection to your own inner resources, as well as techniques to either tap into your personal Goddess or manage your Gremlin.
10am – 12pm You are invited to be proud, loud and empowered! Find out about Reclaim the Night 2018, and how to get involved and make your voice heard. 1pm - 4pm A pop-up, drop-in craft session. Bring along your own project to work on, or use our materials to add your own message to our beautiful bunting, created by survivors and supporters in Chester. The Kitchen Free | Drop-in Film
Brave (PG) Merida, the daughter of Scottish King Fergus and Queen Elinor, will do anything to carve out her own path in life. Cinema £4 | 11am Film also showing: Sunday 29 April | 11am
Meeting Room £5 | Capacity 15 | 18+ 12pm (90 mins) Film
Westwood: Punk Icon Activist (15) See page 4 Cinema £8.50 / £6 (Under 26s) | 1pm Film also showing: Friday 27 April | 8.45pm Workshop
Crochet and Knitting Join us for knitting, crochet and a chat. This group also meet at Storyhouse on the 3rd Saturday of every month. Meeting Room Free | Drop-in 1.30 – 3.30pm Performance
So Strong See page 3 Garret Theatre Free | 2pm
6 Family
Feminippers Feminism isn’t just for grown-ups!
Talk
Proud and Polish in Chester Join four Polish girls living in Chester to hear their stories and funny anecdotes, along with advice and tips about how they learned to integrate themselves into Chester and British culture. Followed by a chance to carry on conversations in the bar with a Polish delicacy in hand. Garret Theatre Free | 12+ | 2pm Workshop
Women’s Health and Hormones Essential Oils Hormones get blamed for a lot; bad moods, aggressive moments, even sad days. Deserved or not, it is clear hormones play a significant role in many of the body’s functions. During this workshop we will look at how women can support and empower themselves to manage health and hormones naturally. Meeting Room £5 | Capacity 15 | 4pm (2 hrs)
Are you a budding young feminist? Do you think girls should have the same opportunities in life as boys? 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. The Den Free | 5-10 year olds Girls Only! 11am & 4pm (1 hr) Boys Only! 2pm (1 hr) Family
Flipside Radio on Tour Rach A Rama and Parsley will be roaming Storyhouse collecting stories in preparation for a special Storyhouse Women Weekend show on 2 May at 6pm on the popular Flipside Weekly, part of Chester’s community radio station Flipside Radio. Throughout the day in Storyhouse
Talk
Burlesque Buzz – Glamour, glitz and naughty bits! Founder of the first Burlesque & Striptease school, Goodtime Mama Jojo’s ethos is that all women should feel fabulous and that Burlesque is an allinclusive art-form. Includes a talk and Q&A, plus a few Burlesque movements to tease you and leave you wanting more. Prepare to feel your confidence grow! Garret Theatre £5 | Age 18 + | 3.30 – 5pm
7 Comedy
Our RITA’s presents Storyhouse Women Comedy night Opener Kiri Pritchard-McLean (Russell Howard’s Hour and Comedy Central’s Stand Up Central) Headliner Vikki Stone (The John Bishop Show, Impractical Jokers UK, I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here… Now) Performance
A Handbag of Harmonies Chester’s choir of vivacious women sing in four-part harmony with dazzling choreography, and guarantee to leave audiences with smiles on their faces. The Kitchen Free | 5.30pm Performance
Storyhouse Young Company Young Company members aged 17-25 present a scratch performance of their current project – a piece of theatre devised in partnership with West Cheshire Domestic Abuse Family Safety Unit (DAFSU). This piece will explore various themes around the subject of teenage relationship abuse. Catch the performance in full on 5 & 6 July. Garret Theatre Free | 14+ | 6pm (30 mins)
MC Nina Gilligan (Liverpool Comedian of the Year) Plus support to be announced Line-up may be subject to change Garret Theatre £12.50 | 16+ | 8pm
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Sunday 29 April
Family
Feminippers Feminism isn’t just for grown-ups!
Talk
10 minute tales Hosted by Sam Platt, vice chair of Chester Pride and member of the Cheshire Hellcats. Short talks, performances, readings and soapbox moments delivered by all sorts of women and amazing stories: Rachel Walker from Body Positive is on a mission to help women learn more about the vulva. Lynne Humphries from Brightlife talks about the loneliness epidemic especially in the over 50s living in our community. Lindsay Rocke shares her transition from working on the business side of National Geographic to working as a Personal Transformation Coach. Heather Jones of The Brain Trainer – shares her story of overcoming emotional eating and sugar addiction with brain training. Lemis Akmuqdad a Syrian refugee, having lived in the UK for 7 years Lemis tells her personal story, she is now promoting hope to new families who have recently arrived in Chester as part of the current resettlement programme. Garret Theatre Free | 10am (1 hr)
Performance
Le Wu Yuan to perform QiPao with Chinese Umbrella Show
Are you a budding young feminist? Do you think girls should have the same opportunities in life as boys? 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. The Den Free
The Kitchen Free | 10.30am
Girls Only! 5-10 year olds | 11am (1 hr)
Performance
Girls Only! 10-13 year olds | 11am (1 hr)
Chester Guitar Duo Enjoy some classical guitar on a Sunday morning. Followed by a postperformance talk to find out from the performers how you can get involved. The Kitchen Free | 11am (45 mins) Family
Arts and Crafts for Kids Drop in for an afternoon of free themed craft activities for little ones. The Den Free | 11-3pm
Family
Creative Activity Take part and get creative by writing a short Japanese traditional poem (haiku) – this might be to describe how you are feeling or to touch on issues that you may want to explore. The Kitchen Free drop in | 11-4pm Film
Brave (PG) See page 5 Cinema £4 | 11am
9 Talk
Fantastically Great Women Who Made History Join author and illustrator Kate Pankhurst as she talks you through her new book which includes her, wait for it …great, great, grandfather’s, brother’s, son’s wife: Emmeline Pankhurst – British political activist and leader of the British suffragette movement who helped women win the right to vote. Followed by a book signing. Garret Theatre £5 | 12pm (1hr) Film
Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story
Talk
What is feminism, by a teenager Hear from a panel of Storyhouse Young Leaders as they discuss what feminism means to them and what issues really winds them up! Chaired by Samantha Dixon, leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council Garret Theatre Free | 2pm (60mins) Workshop
Courage and Community: Women Making a Difference
See page 2
Based on the Story Cafe interactive conversational model, these sessions will be participatory, and have an element of creative word play.
Cinema £8.50 / £6 (Under 26s) | 1pm
Meeting Room £5 | 2pm
Performance
Chester Philharmonic Orchestra All female wind quartet performance. The Kitchen Free | 1.30pm
Performance
Deva Flamenco The Kitchen Free | 3pm Performance
House of Dance Come and join us to celebrate these insanely talented youngsters from across Chester. The Kitchen Free | 3.30pm
Workshop
Hum & Drum Drop into an informal workshop where you can share your work with other writers and discuss the theme Voices and Silences, before performances at 4pm. Garret Bar Free | 14+ | 3pm (1hr) Performance
Hum & Drum: Voices & Silences A mixture of poetry, script reading, spoken word, rap and acoustic music written and performed by the community on the theme of Voices and Silences. How to submit your writing: Please submit your work to Liz Milne (Hum & Drum Volunteer by email at lizmilne74@ googlemail.com). Pieces should last no longer than five minutes. If you prefer not to perform your work, please submit at least two weeks in advance and we will endeavour to find a performer! If your work is chosen you will be informed in good time. This event is for everyone, no need to be a writer or performer to attend. Garret Theatre Free | 4pm (1hr)
10 Film
The Illusionists plus Panel Discussion Multi-billion-dollar industries saturate our lives with images of unattainable beauty, exporting body hatred. The Illusionists turns the mirror on the media, exposing the absurd, sometimes humorous, and shocking images that seek to enslave us. Cinema ÂŁ6 | 6pm plus panel discussion
PERFOrmanCE
Chester Little Youth Theatre presents Loud Hailers This year Chester Little Youth Theatre discovered the relatively unknown story of the Suffragette Mary Phillips’ protest against the Prime Minister, Herbert Asquith, outside Chester Town Hall in 1912. Performance created by Jenny & Paul Shryane. Written by Jan Bengree. This performance is to celebrate the centenary of the Representation of the People Act of 1918. Garret Theatre Free | 6pm (1hr)
Storyhouse Women Young Leaders
Period Poverty
The Storyhouse Women Young Leaders are young Chester based volunteers aged 16-25 who are working together in the lead-up to the festival to create a project to be showcased at Storyhouse Women weekend. The Storyhouse Women Young Leaders are also speaking on various panels throughout the weekend, ensuring that the voices, opinions and interests of Chester’s young people are represented.
Help end period poverty in your community The Welcome Network and Chester Voluntary Action have set up a drop-off point for sanitary products which will then be distributed to several local charities and community groups who help those most in need. Storyhouse Women will give this collection a boost over the weekend so please throw a few extra sanitary products in your bags to donate during your visit to Storyhouse. @welcnetwork @chestervol For more info: chesterva.org.uk/newperiod-poverty-schemein-chester
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