Manchester Stages its next Radical Act

Wonder Women Manchester 2017 (2 – 12 March) promises to be as radical a programme of cultural events as the principles upon which the campaign was founded. Through boundary pushing, experimental and diverse forms of performance, film, debate, talks, workshops and exhibitions Manchester will celebrate those that won the fight for votes for women and the activism that continues to underpin feminist issues of our time.

Wonder Women is the artistic response of the birth city of the suffragette movement led by its cultural institutions, independent artists, women’s groups and networks.  This is the fourth year Manchester has staged the campaign, which will continue on its path of creative activism to 2018; the 100th anniversary of the first Votes for Women being achieved.

Janneke Geene, acting director of the People’s History Museum, says, “The inspirational strength and energy of the suffragette movement continues to live and breathe in Manchester, so bringing this together into an intense ten day period makes for a very heady and impactful experience.  Importantly, it’s also an opportunity to focus on the issues and debates of feminism today, and to examine how we can continue to improve the lives of women both here and around the globe.  And the powerful spirit of Wonder Women comes from the connectivity it engenders; from the support Manchester’s cultural organisations give to independent artists and collectives, to the welcoming and inclusive nature of the events.”

The programme will include the premiere of queer-punk documentary Rebel Dykes, a takeover of Manchester Art Gallery by Instigate Arts curated by Martin Parr, a performance by a pair of Time Travelling Suffragettes and a night of full on partying from Girl Gang Manchester. Talks, guided tours, pop up cinema, a Women in Media Conference and a living history performance are all part of a packed scheduled taking place at the People’s History Museum.  Whilst at The Lowry Liz Aggiss presents a dark and ribald physical commentary with Slap and Tickle, challenging gender politics, sexual taboos and contradictions of the role of females, and in On Record Sophie Willan shares her deeply personal experiences of growing up in the Care system through the records that the State handed to her at the age of 23. Both Slap and Tickle and On Record are also part of SICK! Festival 2017.

Wonder Women will also invite 100 women to get involved in a conversation about being a woman in Manchester today, the strands from which will result in a script-in-hand performance piece by The Wednesday Collective.

Many events will have their own collection for a nominated Manchester-based action group or charity that supports women’s causes.

The full programme will be released at the end of January, for more information go to THE LINK BELOW @wonderwomenMcr

Published: 26-Jan-2017: (4092)