3 Festivals in Exeter that you won’t want to miss this October

Featuring​ ​prominent​ ​activists,​ ​speakers,​ ​business​ ​women,​ ​artists,​ ​sports​ ​people​ ​and campaigners​ ​including​ ​​Liz​ ​Carr,​ ​Grace​ ​Savage,​ ​Leyla​ ​Hussein,​ ​Ciara​ ​Eastell,​ ​Maggie Whitehouse,​ ​Ben​ ​Bradshaw​ ​MP,​ ​Alix​ ​Fox,​ ​Michelle​ ​Ryan,​ ​Lucy​ ​Siegle,​ ​Natalie​ ​Fee, Emma​ ​Dabiri​​ ​​and​ ​many​ ​more.

Southbank Centre’s ​WOW – Women of the World Festival​, which celebrates and recognises the achievements of women and girls and takes a frank look at what stops them from achieving their potential, comes to Exeter for the first time next month on 14 – 15 October. Supported by Spirit of 2012, Southbank Centre is expanding its global WOW network of festivals to create nine new ​WOW​s in five cities across the UK to mark the centenary of female suffrage in 2018. Exeter is the first city in the South West to host one of these ​WOW​s, and will produce the festival here for the next two years. Events take place at RAMM​ ​-​ ​Royal​ ​Albert​ ​Memorial​ ​Museum,​ ​Exeter​ ​Phoenix​ ​and​ ​Exeter​ ​Library.

​Music, dance,​ ​theatre,​ ​performance,​ ​poetry​ ​and​ ​comedy​ ​all​ ​feature​ ​heavily​ ​throughout​ ​the​ ​festival. WOW​ ​​also​ ​creates​ ​a​ ​safe​ ​space​ ​for​ ​the​ ​discussion​ ​of​ ​hard-hitting​ ​issues​ ​which​ ​affect​ ​women and​ ​girls,​ ​not​ ​just​ ​on​ ​a​ ​local​ ​level,​ ​but​ ​nationally​ ​and​ ​internationally​ ​as​ ​well.​ ​Subjects including​ ​domestic​ ​abuse,​ ​consent,​ ​alcohol,​ ​Brexit​ ​and​ ​men​ ​and​ ​feminism​ ​are​ ​all​ ​explored. South​ ​West​ ​organisations​ ​such​ ​as​ ​Rape​ ​Crisis​ ​Devon,​ ​Co-Labs,​ ​The​ ​Blurt​ ​Foundation, Dreadnought​ ​SW,​ ​Splitz​ ​and​ ​Diverse​ ​City​ ​are​ ​taking​ ​part,​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​activists​ ​and​ ​national speakers.

Highlights​ ​from​ ​the​ ​​WOW​ ​​Exeter​ ​2017​ ​programme​ ​include:

• Actor,​ ​comedian​ ​and​ ​disability​ ​activist​ ​​Liz​ ​Carr​ ​​joins​ ​panels​ ​on​ ​intersectionality​ ​and disability​ ​activism​ ​and​ ​shares​ ​her​ ​story​ ​in​ ​conversation​ ​with​ ​Artistic​ ​Director​ ​of Southbank​ ​Centre​ ​London,​ ​​Jude​ ​Kelly;

• Journalist​ ​and​ ​“sexpert”​ ​​Alix​ ​Fox​​ ​chairs​ ​a​ ​panel​ ​of​ ​academics​ ​discussing​ ​the​ ​arrival on​ ​the​ ​market​ ​of​ ​sex​ ​robots​ ​and​ ​virtual​ ​reality​ ​porn;

• Exeter​ ​MP​ ​​Ben​ ​Bradshaw​ ​​will​ ​be​ ​joined​ ​by​ ​a​ ​panel​ ​of​ ​leading​ ​politicians​ ​in discussing​ ​what​ ​impact​ ​Brexit​ ​might​ ​have​ ​on​ ​women​ ​in​ ​the​ ​UK;

• Founder​ ​of​ ​​Daughters​ ​of​ ​Eve​ ​​Leyla​ ​Hussein​ w​​ ill​ ​be​ ​joined​ ​by​ ​nobel​ ​peace​ ​prize nominee​ ​​Scilla​ ​Elworthy​ ​​on​ ​a​ ​panel​ ​discussing​ ​International​ ​Activism;

• Lynne​ ​Parker​ ​​will​ ​be​ ​running​ ​a​ ​comedy​ ​workshop​ ​followed​ ​by​ ​the​ ​South​ ​West​ ​heat of​ ​this​ ​year’s​ ​​Funny​ ​Women​ ​​competition,​ ​hosted​ ​by​ ​vicar​ ​and​ ​comedian​ M​​ aggie Whitehouse​;

• 4​ ​X​ ​UK​ ​beat​ ​boxing​ ​champion​ ​​Grace​ ​Savage​ ​​will​ ​be​ ​hosting​ ​a​ ​beat​ ​boxing​ ​workshop followed​ ​by​ ​a​ ​performance​ ​from​ ​her​ ​latest​ ​album;

• Bristol-based​ ​founder​ ​of​ ​the​ ​​Refill​ ​Campaign​ ​​Natalie​ ​Fee​,​ ​social​ ​historian​ ​and broadcaster​ ​​Emma​ ​Dabiri​ ​​and​ ​Guardian​ ​columnist​ ​​Lucy​ ​Siegle​ ​​will​ ​be​ ​joined​ ​by​ ​a panel​ ​of​ ​women​ ​fighting​ ​to​ ​look​ ​after​ ​our​ ​planet;

• Various​ ​workshops​ ​such​ ​as​ ​the​ ​​RockFit​,​ ​​Self​ ​Defence,​ ​Life​ ​Drawing​​ ​and​ ​​Under​ ​10 Feminist​ ​Corner​​ ​and​ ​many​ ​more.

Ticket​ ​booking:

Day​ ​passes​ ​can​ ​be​ ​purchased​ ​at​ ​£10​ ​full​ ​price,​ ​£8​ ​concessions.

Weekend​ ​passes​ ​can​ ​be​ ​purchased​ ​at​ ​£16,​ ​£12.50​ ​concessions.
To​ ​book​ ​call​ ​the​ ​Exeter​ ​Phoenix​ ​on​ ​01392​ ​667080​ ​or​ ​buy​ ​online.​ 

Head here for more information.