Events 24 June – 30 June
Some dates for your diary of events around the country that are for and about women in the week 24-30 June.
Activism:
29 June: Hollaback! at PRIDE, Dublin
Dublin Pride Parade, Dublin from 1pm
Join Hollaback! at the Dublin Pride Parade – they’ll be making a banner and marching with Dublin’s LGBTQ community from the Garden of Remembrance to Merrion Square.
30 June: Walk for Women, Oxford
The Head of the River, Oxford at 1pm
1000s of women marched across England for the right to vote in 1913, you can honour those first wave sisters by marching from the Head of the River to the Isis pub in Oxford. There will be a rally and speeches.
Conferences:
26 June: National Union of Journalists “Turning the Page on Media Sexism”, London
NUJ Headquarters, Headland House, 308 Gray’s Inn Road, London, WC1X from 6pm
A century ago, Emily Davison and suffragette colleagues were campaigning for equal rights for women. Today, we have Page 3, Lads mags and a media in which women are still not being considered for the top jobs. Women presenters are shown the door when the odd wrinkle starts to show and during the last general election, women politicians hardly got a mention unless they committed a fashion faux pas. Isn’t it about time that the media started to reflect the real lives of women in the 21st century? Are you tired for the continual trivialisation and sexualisation of women in the media? Come and discuss all this with speakers Cath Elliot, Seema Malhotra, Reni Eddo Lodge, Michelle Stanistreet, and Sophie Bennett. The event is free, but seats are limited so please register your intention to attend.
28 June: Sussex Centre for Gender Studies annual event, Brighton
Friston Building, University of Sussex, Brighton from 2-5pm
Beginning with a lecture by Professor Barbara Einhorn, the event will also include the annual Gender Studies meeting.
All are welcome at the event, and you do not have not be affiliated with the University to attend. RSVP.
29 June: Scotland United Against the Bedroom Tax Conference, Edinburgh
Meadowbank Sport Centre, 139 London Road, Edinburgh from 10am-2.30pm
As part of the Austerity Uncovered Campaign, the STUC are hosting a Conference focussed on the Bedroom Tax. Attendees will have the opportunity to question politicians and take part in workshops.
To register for a free ticket, visit the website.
Entertainment:
26-29 June: To Freedom’s Cause, London
Tristan Bates Theatre, 1A Tower Stree, Covent Garden, London, WC2H
The ‘Emily Inspires!’ Centennial programme brings To Freedom’s Cause by Kate Willoughby to London. One hundred years ago this June, suffragette Emily Wilding Davison died for what she believed in by stepping in front of the King’s horse at the Epsom Derby. Her action altered thousands of other lives including that of the King’s jockey, Herbert Jones. Most of us would have walked on by or looked the other way, so going nothing to change the lives of others, but Emily dared to risk it all. How far are you prepared to go for what you believe in?
27 June: Pussy Riot – A Punk Prayer + Q&A with co-director Mike Lerner, London
Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, London from 8pm
On 21 February 2012, following the controversial re-election of Vladimir Putin, Russian feminist punk group Pussy Riot committed a very public act of defiance on the altar of Moscow’s most venerated cathedral. Their 40-second ‘punk prayer’, performed in their now iconic multi-coloured balaclavas, openly challenged Putin and the Russian Orthodox Church, and set in motion one of the greatest ‘show trials’ of recent times. Pussy Riot were immediately arrested on charges of religious hatred and when three members of the group were sentenced to three years in a penal colony the severity of the punishment galvanised international support and protests across the world. With unparalleled access, PUSSY RIOT – A PUNK PRAYER puts a personal face on an act of rebellion, going beyond the media furore and following three women prepared to defend their actions whatever it may cost them.
Fundraisers:
28 June: The Wheel of Time Fashion event, Galway
The Bridge Mills restaurant, Galway, from 6.30pm
The concept behind The Wheel of Time is a relaxed environment for fashionistas to enjoy a top-of-the-line runway show and have the opportunity to place orders and interact with the designers. Admission is by donation, with proceeds to the Galway Rape Crisis Centre (GRCC). There will be a rare opportunity to view and purchase the collections as the Bridge Mills will host The Wheel of Time pop-up show for two weeks, with 20 per cent of all proceeds going to the GRCC.
29 and 30 June: The Vagina Monologues, Chichester
Vicars’ Hall, Cathedral Green, Chichester
Julia Goodman, Serena Gordon, Nimmy March, Helena Michell and Amanda Waring perform a reading of ‘The Vagina Monologues’, Eve Ensler’s award winning play based on interviews with more than 200 women. With humour and grace, the piece celebrates women’s strength and sexuality. This is a benefit performance in aid of The Helen Bamber Foundation and Rape Crisis UK.
29 June: March for Mothers, London
Greenwich Park, London, SE10 from 10am
Health Poverty Action has teamed up with Medact for March for Mothers 2013 – a 5km walk around Greenwich Park to improve maternal health for women in the world’s poorest communities. By registering for the event, you can help ensure women across the world receive the healthcare they need to give birth safely to a healthy baby. 800 women die every day from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, often because women find themselves a long way from the nearest health centre.
Workshops:
25 June: Women’s Rights Under Attack, Taunton
Unison House, The Crescent, Taunton from 10am-3.15pm
Equality South West and fair Play South West are hosting a free event which will focus on women’s rights and the impact of current government policies. We want to examine how women, including activists, practitioners and academics, can respond to the current challenges they face. Booking is essential, as spaces are limited.
27 June: Archiving Contemporary Feminist Activism, Bristol
M Shed, Princes Wharf, Wapping Road, Bristol, from 7-9.30pm
Feminists and women’s rights activists have often made a strong connection between history and social change. Simply put, when women are written out of the history books, their culture, achievements and lives are seen as less important than men’s. Such a perspective was a motivating force in the creation of the Feminist Archive, and the Women’s (formerly Fawcett) Library in London. Such facts begs the question: how do we archive the present? How do we ensure that online 21st century feminist activism is documented in a secure way? How do we collect records of a movement as it is happening now, what do we remember, and what do we forget? As part of the evening we will create a timeline of 21st century Bristol feminist activism, hear from experienced archivists and conduct live oral histories. If you have participated in feminist activism in Bristol in the 21st century and have fliers or ephemera that you would like to deposit in the Feminist Archive South, please bring them along.
27 June: Stuff Your Sexist Boss, London
Feminist Library, 5 Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 from 7pm
The Gender Working Groups from North and South London Solidarity Federations have produced a pamphlet about practical methods of resisting sexual harassment in the workplace. Having researched the law, difference organisations’ advice, and talked through their own personal experiences to produce material for tackling sexual harassment at work, they’d like to share, as well as provide a space for women to talk about their experiences and strategies.