WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH in East London
1-31 March 2013
Women’s groups, activists, arts, media and community organisations are celebrating WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH in East London with a remarkably diverse range of events and exhibitions.
AFRICA CHANNEL
Starting Thursday 7 March at 9pm on Sky 209 and Virgin 828
To celebrate Women’s History Month The Africa Channel will show a series of documentaries on women, showcasing inspirational women across Africa breaking boundaries, tackling issues, and making positive changes. The Africa Channel is a general entertainment TV channel, delivering a wide range of programming inspired by Africa including documentaries, dramas, movies, news and more. www.theafricachannel.tv
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
17-25 New Inn Yard, Shoreditch EC2A 3EA Liverpool St/Old St tube
www.amnesty.org.uk 020 7033 1544
TAKE ACTION
Violence against women continues at alarmingly high rates in Afghanistan: 87% of Afghan women experience one form of sexual, physical and psychological violence. This March Amnesty UK launches its campaign on Afghanistan and women’s human rights with the first phase focusing on tackling violence against women. Activists will be urging the UK government to prioritise women’s rights by signing a petition and meeting with their local MP. If you would like to take action please visit www.amnesty.org.uk/women
Thursday 28 March 7pm-10.15pm
18th WOW FILM FESTIVAL
Equator’s WOW (Women of the World) Festival has teamed up with the Australian-based WOW (World of Women) Film Festival to screen a selection of the best contemporary short films by Australian & International women film makers. Films include: The Natural Order of Things/Sarah Beeby, Bawra Mann: The Heart Needs No Reason/Mitu Kumar, Snygga Brost: Cupcakes/Elinor Isenberg, Sunny Boy/Emma Curtis, The Maiden & the Princess/Becca Louisell, An American Swan in Paris/Arantxa Aguierre. There will be a special programme of live world music during the intervals presented by ShivaNova. Tickets £14/£11 concs. www.wow-womenoftheworld.com
BRADY ARTS CENTRE
192-196 Hanbury Street E1 5HU Whitechapel tube
www.towerhamletsarts.org.uk 020 7364 7911
Saturday 9 March 2pm-6pm FREE Open to young women aged 13-19.
CONNECTING CULTURES presented by ‘A’ Team Arts. A jam packed programme of arts activities and stalls including brooch making, banner making, music, rap and spoken word followed by a showcase event with drama, dance and songs and speakers from a variety of professions. Organisations involved include Tower Hamlets Youth Services, Eastside Youth Club, Burcham St YC, Streets of Growth, Say it Loud Youth Orchestra, Make do and Mend, Alpha Grove YC, Haileybury and Red Coats YC, Tearling Estate, Wapping YC and many more.
CAFÉ CREATE
Aberfeldy Neighbourhood Centre, Aberfeldy Street, E14 0NU Langdon Park DLR
cafecreatecommunity@blogspot.co.uk 020 7515 6794
1 March-26 April 9am-5pm Mon-Fri FREE
SynEASTesia
An exhibition by women artists based in East London whose work is inspired by women in science, mathematics, technology and engineering curated by Suke Driver.
CASS SCHOOL OF ART, ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN LMU
Foyer Gallery, 59-63 Whitechapel High Street E1 7PF Aldgate East tube
1-31 March Mon-Fri 11am-8pm, Sat 12noon-4pm FREE
From the East End archive – Jo Spence
A selection of work by the renowned photographer Jo Spence including images made with the collective, The Hackney Flashers in the 1970s and her last work, The Final Project which was conceived in 1991 when the artist learned she had Leukaemia.
Thursday 7 March 2pm FREE
FIGHTING FOR OLD FLO public talk
Bob and Roberta Smith, aka Patrick Brill, will exhibit a work about Henry Moore’s Old Flo in the gallery throughout March and give a talk about her story. The proposed sale of this symbolic sculpture, which is owned by Tower Hamlets Council, has caused widespread and deep concern in the community.
CLAPTON SALVATION ARMY
122-124 Lower Clapton Road E5 0SR Hackney Central Stn
www.artography.com 020 8985 3902
28 February-31 March Open Mon 11.30am-2pm, Tues 9.15am-3pm, Wed-Fri 10am-2pm FREE
ALIX EDWARDS photography
If you nurture something it will grow. These images show plants thriving in an often hostile arid environment and demonstrate how you can find beauty if you look closely enough. FREE art class every Friday from 12noon-2.30pm – Come & try your hand at creating your own floral images using a variety of art materials.
CLIMATE WEEK
Britain’s Biggest Climate Change Campaign
4-10 March
Climate Week is a supercharged national campaign to inspire a new wave of action on climate change. It culminates in thousands of events and activities, planned by organisations from every section of society. Showcasing real, practical ways to combat climate change, the campaign aims to renew our ambition to create a more sustainable, low-carbon future. To find out more about getting involved go to www.climateweek.com
DRINK SHOP DO
9 Caledonian Road N1 9DX Kings Cross/St Pancras tube
www.itsallhappening.co.uk 07877461555 http://bookedlitevents.wordpress.com
Sunday 10 March 6.30pm £5 admission
HISTORY and HERSTORY – two sides to every story.
Music and words on the subject of women. Whether it’s the Beatles’ Love Me Do, Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own, Shakespeare’s Sonnets, The Vaccine’s If You Wanna or many others there are few pieces of art that women have not played a part in, in some way, either by creating, inspiring, or consuming, and this evening will give you the chance to enjoy some of those.
ESPACIO GALLERY
159 Bethnal Green Road E2 7DG Bethnal Green tube
www.espaciogallery.com Open daily 1pm-7pm FREE
7-12 March RENEE RILEXIE Imagine: The Sound of Colour
Renee Rilexie is a painter, film-maker and multi-media artist with special interests in meditation, the practice of silence and the power of art to promote personal transformation.
Saturday 9 March 2pm-5pm WOMEN’S POETRY POSSE
You are invited to bring your favourite poems from female writers past & present to share with others. Light refreshments served. Contact Renee on 07947 628694 or rilexie@gmail.com
14-19 March A ROOM OF ONE’S OWN
Laura Bello, Judith Bieletto, Bridgitte Boldy, Stephanie Brunton, Lisa Kreuziger, Valerie G. Montgomery, Karma Percy, Renee Rilexie, Drew Sinclair, Anke Slebos, Nora Velazco, Kat Vogart.
12 artists offer their personal responses to the ideas presented in Virginia Woolf’s feminist and modernist essay A Room of One’s Own published in 1929. It takes the name from the author’s belief that ‘a room of one’s own and money in one’s pocket’ are essential to women’s creative freedom. Further details Karma Percy 07833 923461 and Laura Bello lagatalaura@hotmail.com
HACKNEY CENTRAL LIBRARY
1 Reading Lane, E8 1GQ Hackney Central Overground
www.hackney.gov.uk 020 8356 4358
4-28 March Mon-Thurs 9am-8pm, Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9am-5pm FREE
ALIX EDWARDS photography
Abstract coloured floral and neutral prints celebrating the value of nature and nurturing, identifying beauty and strength of our feminine side that tends to get overlooked in the everyday struggle for survival. www.artographylondon.com
HYSTORIA
The Kali Collective will be touring their play about the pressures on modern women.
Thought provoking, funny and sincere The Kali Collective’s innovative mash up of cabaret and forum theatre is based on real stories and aims to create debate around important social issues facing women today. The audience is invited to get directly involved in the action and join the performers in tackling problems and challenging perceptions. The Kali Collective is a group of women who share a passion and belief in the power of theatre for social change. They are Clemence Viel, Kathy Ellwand and Holly Meechan. To find out more contact hollymeechan@hotmail.com
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S WEEK IN TOWER HAMLETS
2-9 March
Women’s Groups across the borough will be celebrating with a wide range of activities following the theme of Women and Education. Organisations involved include Bishwo Shahitto Kendro, East London Chinese Community Centre, Somali Women’s Development Project, Muslim Women’s Collective, Spitalfields City Farm, Neighbours in Poplar, Café Create, Jaganori Women’s Centre, Lincoln Area Regeneration Group, Poplar HARCA, Limehouse Project, Nari Diganta, Women’s Environmental Network, Kollun, Heba, Bangladesh Mohila Sangsta. Programme available from info@alternativearts.co.uk
KARIN JANSSEN PROJECT SPACE
213 Well Street E9 6QU London Fields Stn
www.karinjanssen.com 020 8525 0294
4-28 March Mon-Fri 9am-5pm FREE
KARIN JANSSEN
Drawings showing the unpolished sides of the individual, the conquests and the downfalls of everyday life. How femininity can sometimes be a little bit clumsy & often a bit disturbing. Her work enlarges the collision between unrealistic images of female beauty and reality.
MATTS GALLERY
42-44 Copperfield Road E3 4RR Mile End tube
www.mattsgallery.org 020 8983 1771
Until 14 April Wed-Sun 12noon-6pm FREE
CHANNELS Susan Hillier
Hillier uses audio accounts in many languages from people who believe they have experienced death as the raw materials for her new work. Channels is a vast audio-sculptural installation in which disembodied voices report on ‘near-death’ experiences. Vivid stories of those who believe they have died and returned to tell the tale constitute a remarkable contemporary archive.
NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM
Park Row, Greenwich SE10 9NF Cutty Sark DLR, Greenwich DLR & Overground
Thursday 7 March 6.45pm-7.45pm FREE
THE WOMEN’S ROYAL NAVAL SERVICE 1917-19
To mark International Women’s Week and Women’s History Month, join a fascinating evening viewing of the museum’s archive collection, exploring manuscripts detailing the birth and short life of the First World War Wrens. The event takes place in the Seminar Room, it’s free but advance booking is required as places are limited.
NUNNERY GALLERY
181 Bow Road E3 2SJ Bow Road tube/Bow Church DLR
www.nunnerygallery.org 020 8709 5292
Saturday 16 March 2pm-3.30pm £5
WOMEN OF BOW Special Walk & Talk. Meet at the Gallery Café at 1.45pm prompt.
Gary Haines author of Britain in Old Photographs: Bow and Bromley-by-Bow will lead a history walk around the neighbourhood with special attention to the lives and great deeds of women such as Sylvia Pankhurst, Edith Cavell and Minnie Lansbury all of whom were connected with the area. This walk co-incides with the Nunnery Gallery & Carmelite Café’s exhibition called ‘Strike’ inspired by the Matchgirls protest led by Annie Besant at the Bryant & May Factory in Bow. The walk will end at the exhibition where there will be a chance to see the work. Please wear comfortable shoes & bring a waterproof. Bookings www.womenofbow.eventbrite.co.uk
Until 1st April open Tues-Sat 10am-5pm FREE
STRIKE
Paintings by Alastair Gordon inspired by the famous activist Annie Besant who led the Matchgirls working in the Bryant & May Factory to ‘strike’ in 1888. The old match factory is now the prestigious ‘Bow Quarter’ apartments. www.alastairjohngordon.com
QUEEN’S HOUSE
The Great Hall, Queens House, Greenwich SE10 9NF Greenwich DLR and Overground
Sunday 10 March £30/£25 per person bookings@rmg.co.uk
MOTHER’S DAY JANE AUSTEN ATERNOON TEA & FILM
Enjoy afternoon tea in the great hall of the Queens House at Royal Museum Greenwich and afterwards retire to the Orangery to enjoy the film of Pride and Prejudice, celebrating 200 years of the publication Jane Austen’s famous novel.
RAVEN ROW
56 Artillery Lane E1 7LS Liverpool Street tube
www.ravenrow.org 020 7377 4300
Until 7 April Wed-Sun 11am-6pm FREE
BELA KOLAROVA 1923-2010
From her trademark ‘artificial negatives’, ‘light drawings’ and ‘derealised portraits’ to her assemblages and collages, Bela Kolarova pioneered an art based on intimate objects often associated with domesticity and the feminine. This is the first posthumous retrospective of the artist’s work and the first solo exhibition & major survey outside the Czech Republic.
REEL REBELS RADIO
www.reelrebelsradio.com 020 8800 0881
Reel Rebels Radio is an online community radio station with women at the helm. Founded in 2010, the station's mission is to "give the rebels of the world what they really want..! This, of course, includes redressing the under-representation of women in media by actively encouraging women to DJ, make programmes and get involved in all aspects of broadcasting, engineering and production. Tune in Friday March 8th, 8pm, for an International Women's Day Ladies Night Special where local women from different ages and backgrounds celebrate women's contribution to the music industry by presenting their favourite female artists.
RICH MIX
34-47 Bethnal Green Road, Shoreditch E1 6LA Shoreditch High St Stn/Liverpool St tube
www.richmix.org.uk 020 7613 7498
6-28 March open daily 10am-12midnight FREE
THE REBEL WITHIN Sanchita Islam retrospective. Exhibition of paintings and films with screenings and artwork produced over the past 25 years. There will also be a doodle room open to the public, an evening of poetry performances, workshops, discussions & debates.
Friday 15 March
SOUTH ASIAN WOMEN’S CREATIVE COLLECTIVE 6.30pm £7/£5 concs
This London network for creative Asian women come together to celebrate Women’s History Month with their independently-forged, multi-disciplinary live music and visual art. SAWCC in London is the sister organisation of SAWCC New York supporting a cross-Atlantic relationship.
ALL OUR DAUGHTERS 7.30pm FREE
Drama written by Susan Moffat aiming to raise the issues surrounding forced marriages and so-called ‘Honour’ violence. Using the testimonies of real women the play aims to increase understanding of the problem so that children, teachers and other professionals are more prepared to spot tell-tale signs and help those who may be vulnerable.
Saturday 23 March
AMINA KHAYYAM 7.30pm FREE
Akademi presents contemporary British Bangladeshi Classisist Amina Khayyam in a solo performance. Her work will transport the audience into another mesmerising world. Through the magic of dance the artist will take us on a journey exploring the grandeur, consequence and eloquence of the Bangladeshi woman.
RISE PROJECT
St John Ambulance, St Georges Town Hall, 236 Cable Street E1 0BL Shadwell DLR & Overground
Thursday 21 March 3.30pm-5.30pm FREE
HEROES: Women and First Aid
This event is aimed at young women (16-25) and is packed with interaction, sharing knowledge and experience through activities and education to promote Respect, Inspiration, Support and Empowerment (RISE) through life sharing skills. The programme will include a brief history of Women and First Aid, the First Aid Nursing Yeomany (FANY) a female first aid specialist organisation founded to support the military during World Wars One and Two, a basic introduction to first aid and managing incidents, and a presentation by young female volunteers who have benefitted from First Aid training.
TOWER HAMLETS IDEA STORES
Idea Store Canary Wharf, Churchill Place, E14 5RB Canary Wharf tube
www.ideastore.co.uk 020 7364 1255
4-30 March Mon-Thurs 9am-9pm, Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 12noon-6pm FREE
ISLAND HISTORY Exhibition of photographs from the Island History Trust Collection illustrating the lives of women living and working on the Isle of Dogs between 1880-1980.
Idea Store Chrisp Street, 1 Vesey Path, East India Dock Road, E14 6BT. All Saints DLR
www.ideastore.co.uk 020 7364 1502
Wednesday 6 March 11am-1pm FREE
THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN OUR SOCIETY
Aaj Kal discussion, display of books and focus on the Domestic Abuse: We can End It campaign.
Watney Market Library, Watney Market E1 2PR Shadwell DLR & Overground
020 7790 4039
1-31 March Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Thurs till 8pm, Sat 9am-5pm FREE
WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
Display of books about influential women in society. Stall by Tower Hamlets Domestic Violence team and stalls promoting Women’s Health. Oral sessions on Local History based on women in history.
Idea Store Whitechapel 321 Whitechapel Road, E1 1BU Whitechapel tube
www.ideastore.co.uk 020 7364 4332
Saturday 2 March 10am-4pm FREE
WOMEN IN ISLAM
Come and join us with your family or friends and find out about Islam from authentic sources and interact with your Muslim neighbours. Learn and understand about different cultures and beliefs based on shared values and help break down barriers. Create a positive community and enhance social cohesion. There will be exhibitions, calligraphy workshop and henna painting along with a children’s corner. This event is in partnership with Meet Your Muslim Neighbours (MYMN).
Sunday 3 March 2.30pm-4.30pm FREE
WOMEN AND EDUCATION
Come and join in the workshop about ‘Cultural and Traditional Values vs Girls and their Prospects for Education’ hosted by Shamim Azad and led by Judge Sapnara Khatun. The workshop will discuss gender inequality, women’s empowerment, domestic violence and overcoming poverty.
Monday 4 March 12noon-12.45pm FREE
DOMESTIC ABUSE: WE CAN END IT CAMPAIGN
Invitation for Tower Hamlets Men to sign the PUBLIC PLEDGE saying NO TO DOMESTIC ABUSE. This campaign aims to bring a stop to domestic abuse against women and girls by achieving a radical shift in men’s attitudes in Tower Hamlets by making them more aware of the range of behaviour that can be abusive. A public pledge wall will be unveiled at the Idea Store and featured in Idea Stores and Libraries throughout March to urge as many men as possible to sign up. This event will be followed by a workshop with campaign representatives.
Saturday 9 March 1pm-2.30pm FREE
GETTING SOMALIA WRONG
Renowned BBC World Service Journalist and a passionate writer about African affairs Mary Harper, will be coming into the Idea Store to share her experiences of Somalia
and talk about her new book Getting Somalia Wrong: Faith, War and Hope in a Shattered State, published by Zed Books. She has also contributed to publications such as The Economist, Granta, The Guardian, The Times and The Washington Post.
TOWER HAMLETS SPORTS DEVELOPMENT & SPORTS4WOMEN
7-14 March Mostly FREE 020 7364 2433
Sporting activities and workshops to raise awareness of sporting/health opportunities for women in Tower Hamlets and encourage women who wouldn’t normally take part to come and try different sporting sessions. Women can enjoy an evening at York Hall or an afternoon at Mile End Park Leisure Centre participating in Badminton, Bollywood Dancing, Zumba, Aerobics and Rounders taster’s sessions alongside a variety of local community centre sporting events including Boxing, Cycling, Running, Table Tennis, Yoga, Pilates and Cricket. Find out more at www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/sports
TROXY
490 Commercial Road E1 0HX Limehouse DLR
Thursday 14 March
UK SEXUAL HEALTH AWARDS 2013 7pm-11pm
www.uksexualhealthawards.org.uk 020 7284 6051
A glittering evening raising the profile of, and celebrating loudly, the incredible work being done in the world of sexual health. Organised by the Brook and FPA charities, the event recognizes and rewards the hard work and achievements of those people who truly make a difference through their work in sexual health. The awards celebrate excellence and diversity and are open to professionals, volunteers, young people, services, projects, campaigns, journalists, advertisers and scriptwriters. Tickets from £99. Bookings and enquiries awards@brook.org.uk
WHITECHAPEL GALLERY
77-82 Whitechapel High Street E1 7QX Aldgate East tube
www.whitechapelgallery.org 020 7522 7888
Open Tues-Sun 11am-6pm Thurs until 9pm
Until 15 April Zilkha Auditorium FREE
JESSICA WARBOYS: Pageant Roll Artist’s Film International.
Referencing British Modernism’s preoccupation with the power of landscape and ancient mysticism this film collages forms such as circles and squares and monochrome paintings with shots of Cornish standing stones and brightly-painted eggs.
6 & 20 March, 10 & 24 April, 8 & 22 May 6.30pm-8.30pm
EDUCATION: POLITICS and PRACTICES Seminars £10/£8 concs each or £45 for all sessions.
A series of conversations on curatorial and participatory practices with Felicity Allen, Editor of the Documents of Contemporary Art anthology: Education. Guest speakers address dynamic pressures within UK art institutions through the lens of activism, feminism and globalization.
Wednesday 13 March 7pm £8/£6 concs Zilkha Auditorium
EIJA-LIISA AHTILA: To Make a Tree Talk
Finnish artist Eija-Liisa Ahtila talks about the mechanics and purpose of filming a spruce tree as the subject of her cinematic explorations, considering the role of the portrayer and its relationship to the depicted environment
20 March-7 April Gallery 1 FREE
LAURE PROVOST Max Mara Art Prize for Women, in collaboration with the Whitechapel Gallery. A two-part installation inspired by the aesthetic and sensuous pleasures of Italy. Referencing a historical panorama, a large circular space within the gallery is designed with a painted frieze and Roman columns. An inner chamber reveals a film that shows fragments of footage, from birds to women bathing in waterfalls.
Thursday 28 March 7pm £8/£6 concs Zilkha Auditorium
ANYA GALLACCIO: To Make a Tree Talk
US-based artist Anya Gallaccio talks about the transformative character of her sculpture and her relationship with natural materials.
THE WOMEN’S LIBRARY
London Metropolitan University, Old Castle Street E1 7NT Aldgate East tube
www.womenslibrary.co.uk 020 7320 2222
Open Mon-Fri 9.30am-5.30pm Thurs to 8pm, Sat 10am-4pm
Until 22 March FREE
THE LONG MARCH TO EQUALITY: Treasures of the Women’s Library
Showcasing ‘treasures’ from the collections, drawing together objects from across the past four centuries to tell the story of women’s rights and campaigning in Britain. This is the last exhibition on this site before the Women’s Library collection moves to the London School of Economics.
Supported by Tower Hamlets Council, Alternative Arts and all the venues, projects, artists and performers participating.
Women’s History Month in East London is co-ordinated by Alternative Arts info@alternativearts.co.uk +44(0)20 7375 0441