a l t e r n a t i v e a r t s
WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH in East London
1-31 March 2018
In 2018 we are celebrating the centenary of the 1918 Representation of the People Act which gave the vote to some women for the first time #Vote100 and the 1928 Equal Franchise Act which gave the vote to all women over the age of 21 #Vote90
Contemporary women artists, activists, writers,performers, women’s groups and community organisations are presenting a diverse programme of events and exhibitions in galleries, venues. libraries and institutions across East London.
ARTSADMIN
Toynbee Studios, 28 Commercial Street E1 6AB Aldgate East tube
www.artsadmin.co.uk 020 7247 5102
Louise Ashcroft Unperforming
Thursday 1 March 7.30pm £5
Join us for the tenth edition of Louise Ashcroft’s infamous joyride through a junk-food tapas of anarcho-hedonistic performance clutter with a selection of short live works by a host of artists.
Marcia Farquhar: Mabin 1968
Thursday 22 March 7.30pm £20-£1 (pay what you can afford)
In this performance, Marcia draws on her past life as a mabin (a name given to her in the afternoon of the spring solstice 1968) and the wealth of many springs. Marcia works in performance, photography, painting and object making. Conceptual in nature and precariously balanced between the prescribed and the unpredictable, her performaces are socially open, broadly embracing of circumstance and resolutely focussed in the live moment.
BARBICAN CENTRE
Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS Barbican / Moorgate tube
www.barbican.org.uk 0845 1207511/020 7638 8891
Another Kind of Life: Photography on the Margins
28 February-27 May, Art Gallery £13.50/£11 & £9 concs
Sat-Wed 10am-6pm, Thurs & Fri 10am-10pm
Gender and sexuality, drugs and addiction, youth culture and minorities are all explored through photographers’ lenses in this exhibition. Spanning the globe and six decades, it captures the lives of disenfranchised communities to understand the outsider as an agent for change.
Yto Barrada: Agadir
Until 20 May The Curve Free Open daily 10am-6pm Free
For her Curve commission, Yto Barrada takes as her starting point a poetic text about the devastating earthquake in Agadir in 1960, exploring how a city might be reimagined after disaster.
Insula Orchestra: Beethoven and Farrenc
Thursday 8 March Barbican Hall 7.30pm £15 to £35
In celebration of International Women’s Day the Insular Orchestra, under Laurence Equilbey perform Louise Farrenc’s Symphony no3 in G minor. This will be complemented by Beethoven's Triple Concerto for violin. Artists include Alexandra Conunova, Natalie Clein, Alice Sara Ott and Sara Mohr-Pietsch.
Nevertheless She Persisted, Suffrage, Cinema and Beyond
18-21 April Barbican Cinema barbican.org/whatson/cinema
A season of featured films and documentaries highlighting women’s fight for equality and influence and for their voices to be heard. Opening with Chisholm ’72 – Unbought and Unbossed (US 2004 Shola Lynch) which documents Shirley Chisholm, who ran to be the first black female president of the USA in 1972.
BISHOPSGATE INSTITUTE
230 Bishopsgate, EC2M 4QH Liverpool Street tube/Stn
www.bishopsgate.org.uk 020 7392 9200
Archives Tour – Women and Feminist History
Thursday 8 March 6.30pm £7/£5 concs
Explore women’s history from the nineteenth century onwards, as shown in the Bishopsgate Institute Special Collections & Archives, with Nicky Hilton, Library and Digital Archives Manager.
Paris Lees in Conversation with Phyll Opoku-Gyimah
Tuesday 13 March 7pm £7/ £5 concs
To mark the centenary of the Representation of the People Act 1918, which granted some women the right to vote for the first time, Paris Lees, journalist and presenter, and Phyll Opoku Gyimah, co-founder and Executive Director of UK Black Pride, share their own stories of campaigning for representation. They will also explore activism over the last 50 years and current important issues. Paris Lees became the first openly transgender person to appear on the BBC’s ‘ Question Time’ and Phyll Opoku-Gyimah is an LGBT + activist and Head of Campaigns for the largest civil service trade union, PCS.
The Fight for Representation (1819-1918) Archives Course
Saturday 17 March 11am-4pm £52/£39 concs
This archives course with Dr Michelle Johansen introduces the longer history of the Suffrage question. Topics covered include the Peterloo Massacre of 1819, the Chartist movement of the 1830s and 1840s, and the women’s suffrage campaigns from the 1860s. Handbills, memoirs, pamphlets and ephemera from our special collections are used to introduce complex topics in an engaging and accessible way, as we revisit the hard fought battle to gain better representation for ‘ordinary’ women’ and men.
From gentlemen traders to feminist squatters: housing and urban change around London Fields
Wednesday 21 March 7pm £7/£5 concs
In this talk, Christine Wall, University of Westminster, explores the origins and historical importance of a group of women who moved in and squatted the houses on the southwest side of Hackney’s London Fields and their experience of building, both literally and figuratively, a community.
WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT: 100 years on
Panel Discussion hosted by the Bishopsgate Institute
Thursday 22 March 7pm £9/£7 concs
100 years after the act of Parliament which enabled women to stand for election to the House of Commons, this panel discussion explores female representation in Parliament now. The 2017 General Election saw 208 women elected as MPs. At 32% of all MPs, this was a record high. However given that women make up more than half the population of the UK, that figure falls far short of being truly representative. In January 2017 the Women and Equalities Select Committee published a report on Women in the House of Commons, which made six recommendations to help achieve a significantly increased proportion of women MPs in all parties in the 2020 Parliament. In September 2017, all six recommendations were rejected by Government, leaving unresolved the question of how female representation might be achieved.
Chaired by Fatima Manji, Channel 4 News Correspondent, with panellists including Dawn Butler MP, Shadow Minister for Women & Equalities, Hannah Bardell MP/SNP and Catherine Mayer Co-Founder of the Women’s Equality Party. This event will explore the progress that has been made in the fight for increased female representation of women in Parliament. Highlighting the barriers that are still in place for women in 2018, this discussion will consider how and when 50:50 representation might be achieved.
Sister Solidarity: Writing and Recording Women’s Histories
Wednesday 28 March 7pm Free, just drop in
Join us for an evening exploring women’s history as shown in the archives of Bishospgate Institute and beyond. Find out more about grass roots protests, everyday women’s lives, and the campaigns that have motivated women from the second wave of feminism in the 1970s to today. Hear from speakers about the importance of recording and sharing women’s histories, and browse inspirational materials that document the activism of women in the last 50 years through a special pop-up display.
BRADY ARTS CENTRE
192-196 Hanbury Street, E1 5HU, Whitechapel tube.
www.towerhamletsarts.gov.uk/arts 020 7364 7900
East End Women at Work
5-31 March Open Mon-Fri 8.30am-6.30pm, Sat 10.30am-5.00pm. Free
Exhibition of photography by Sarah Ainslie of working women in the East End taken during 1991/2, for Hackney Museum, that are equally relevant to the present day and show the many roles that women take on a work, and the unrecognized contribution that they make to society as a whole.
CHISENHALE ART PLACE
64-84 Chisenhale Road E3 5QZ. Bethnal Green/ Mile End tube
www.chisenhale.org.uk.. 020 8981 1916
Female Subjectivity, A Critique hosted by Alicia Paz.
Saturday 17 March 2pm Free
Please join this group critique to discuss your work in an informal way. It can be visual, sound, or written work, it can be work-in-progress, or just ideas on which you may wish to have feedback.
EAST END PRINTS
234 Brick Lane E2 7EB Shoreditch High St Stn
www.eastendprints.co.uk. 020 7241 1118
Woman Up
1-31 March Tues-Fri 10am-6pm Sat & Sun 10am-5pm Free
During the whole of March East End Prints will showcase a curated selection of prints by women from an Open Call. As a female run business we understand the importance of supporting and empowering each other. We are inviting artists from all over the world to submit their works to be displayed at our shop and gallery. Special Open Night 15 March 6-9pm.
EASTSIDE COMMUNITY HERITAGE and EAST END WOMEN’S MUSEUM
This year Eastside celebrates their 20th Anniversary and together with the East End Women’s Museum are presenting a programme which will run from April to November 2018 in Barking and Dagenham.
Working for Equality: the fight for fair pay and equal rights.
Focussing on 50 years in the struggle for working women’s rights in Britain, 1918 to 1968, a programme of free events and mobile exhibitions will explore changing ideas about the ‘proper place’ for a woman in the 20th century. Beginning with the suffragette equal pay campaigns during the First World War and ending with the Ford Dagenham sewing machinist’s strike that inspired the Equal Pay Act, women factory workers are at the heart of the story. Visit www.eastendwomensmuseum.org.uk for more information. Contact Eastside Community Heritage at office@ech.org.uk. 020 8553 3116 www.hidden-histories.org where you will also now find their Women’s History Month programme
EAST LONDON OUT PROJECT
159 Mile End Road, E1 4AQ. Stepney Green tube
www.elop.org.uk 020 8509 3898
Positive East – Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Women Health Event
Thursday 15 March 6pm-8pm Free
As part of the National Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Women’s Health Week we are inviting you to an evening of singing and health. A rare opportunity to meet with others and talk about LBT women’s health and hear a performance from Women Sing East.
ESPACIO GALLERY
159 Bethnal Green Road E2 7DG Shoreditch High St Stn
www.espaciogallery.com 07947628694 www.theartistspool.co.uk.
Threads: 44 Artists from across the globe.
6-11 March Open daily 2pm-7pm Free
For Women’s History Month 2018, the ‘Threads’ exhibition reaches out beyond the boundaries of national borders, language, cultures and beliefs, inviting participants to choose a thread from the wide tapestry of their lives and gently unravel it to release its meaning, wisdom and secrets.
Special Event On International Women’s Day 8 March from 2-7pm. Performance, Talks, Poetry and Music. Free
FIFTH BASE GALLERY
23 Heneage Street E1 5LJ Aldgate East tube
www.5thbase.co.uk 07738949714
Diana Krilova – Visual Diary of a Mother
8-10 March 12noon-6pm Free
Exhibition of drawings in ink by a mother submerged in the world of her children. Motherhood is often taken for granted and goes unnoticed. There are moments of magic and times of frustration in the world of wonder and learning by both sides, that of the mother and her children. www.dianakrilova.com.
4COSE SHOP
7 Vyner Street E2 9DG Bethnal Green tube
www.4cose.co.uk 07809 422880
Sandwich Collective
1-31 March Thurs-Sat 10am-6pm Free
SANDWICH is a collective comprising a group of young artists who make contemporary shows in different locations. The Italian grocery 4Cose will host a SANDWICH edition in their shop during Women’s History Month in celebration of the feminine.
MUSEUM OF LONDON
150 London Wall EC2Y 5HN Barbican/St Paul’s tube
www.museumoflondon.org.uk 020 7814 5511
Votes for Women
2 February 2018 – 6 January 2019 Free
A new display dedicated to those who campaigned tirelessly for over 50 years to achieve votes for women featuring fascinating stories behind the objects from the Museum’s unique Suffragette collection.
Deeds Not Words with Tatty Devine
Saturday 17 March 10.30am-1pm & 1.30pm-4pm Book in advance £45/£40 students
Join independent British jewellery company Tatty Devine in a masterclass inspired by our collections. Create your own piece to take home. No experience needed. All materials provided.
The Suffragette Legacy – Talk
Sunday 24 March 2pm-5pm Book in advance £10/£8students
This Panel event explores the legacy of the Suffrage campaign through the eyes of contemporary writers. Discussion followed by book signings and an exclusive presentation of the Museum’s Suffragette collection. With Beverley Cook (chair), Elizabeth Crawford, June Purvis, Di Atkinson and Caitlin Davies.
Women’s Movement Walk
Sunday 25 March 2pm Book in advance £12.50 adults/£10 friends
Discover what life was like for women at the dawn of the 20th Century and learn about some of the women who fought for women’s rights and left their mark on the city.
GET ACTIVE
There are a wide ranging number of important issues confronting women today – so get active and join a campaign or start your own! Here are a few suggestions and organisations that can help:-
End Female Genital Mutilation www.endfgm.eu www.theguardian.com/end-fgm
Who Needs Feminism www.whoneedsfeminism.com
No More Page 3 www.nomorepage3.org
Daughters of Eve www.dofeve.org
Everyday Sexism www.everydaysexism.com
Lose the Lads Mags www.losetheladsmags.org.uk
Demand the Impossible www.demandimpossible.wordpress.com
Counterfire www.counterfire.org
Object www.object.org.uk
Equality Now www.equalitynow.org
End Violence Against Women (EVAW) www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk
Million Women Rise www.millionwomenrise.com
Black Feminists www.blackfeminists.org.uk
Just the Women www.justthewomen.com
The Women’s Room www.thewomensroom.org.uk
Karma Nirvana www.karmanirvana.org.uk
Occupy www.occupylondon.org.uk
Muslim Women’s Network UK helpline www.mwnhelpline.co.uk
Change www.change.org
London Feminist Network www.londonfeministnetwork.org.uk
UK Feminista www.ukfeminista.org.uk
The Fawcett Society www.fawcettsociety.org.uk
Women’s Resource Centre www.wrc.org.uk
Equality and Human Rights Commission www.equalityhumanrights.com
Women's Equality Party www.womensequality.org.uk
Pussy Hat Project www.pussyhatproject.com
HOXTON HALL
130 Hoxton Street, N1 6SH Hoxton Stn/Old ST tube www.hoxtonhall.co.uk 020 76840060
Female Parts: The Shorts
13-31 March Tues-Fri 7.30pm Sats 2.30pm & 7.30pm £18/£15 concs
Three short monologues that explore what it is to be a wife, mother and immigrant. These three confessional plays will have you laughing-out-loud, in tears and soul searching at the same time. Join us for an intimate, unique experience as we delve into the challenges and preconceptions that women face.
A Woman Alone Written by Franca Rame and Dario Fo, translated by Gillian Hanna.
The Immigrant written by Oneness Sankara.
A Mother written by Franca Rame and Dario Fo, translated by Ed Emery
All the short plays are directed by Karena Johnson.
MOHILA ONGON ASSOCIATION
Osmani Centre,58 Underwood Road, E1 5AW Whitechapel tube 07500970957
Change Makers: Breaking the Barriers
Thursday 29 March 11am-3pm Free women only
Talks by women who have achieved their careers against the odds and by women and women’s groups involved in the community and creating community cohesion. Entertainment with live music and games, fruit carving, a saree workshop, a raffle and a drama showcasing the importance of promoting more opportunities for women.
FOUR CORNERS
121 Roman Road E2 0QN Bethnal Green tube
www.fourcornersfilm.co.uk 020 8981 6111
Vanessa Short: Pit house to Politics
7-17 March Open daily 11am-6pm Free
This exhibition looks at the women in the 1984-85 national miners' strike, who came out in support of their husbands and the village collieries, and how it changed their lives. Each woman is photographed outside their front door, representing the change they had experienced after the strike.The images themselves are photogravures with screen printed text from audio interviews, documenting life before and after the strike. The subject matter is personal to Vanessa whose father and grandfather were coalminers, and who remembers the impact the strike had on her family .
Talk Saturday 17 March 2pm. Participants Rose Hunter and Julie Connon Mansell from North Staffordshire Women Against Pit Closure talk about their experiences.
HACKNEY MUSEUM
1 Reading Lane E8 1GQ Hackney Central Stn www.hackney.gov.uk/museum 020 8356 2509
Making Her Mark: 100 Years of Women’s Activism in Hackney
Created by the East End Women’s Museum in collaboration with Hackney Museum
6 February-19 May Tues, Wed, Fri 9.30am-5.30pm, Thurs 9.30am-8pm, Sat 10am-5pm Free
In 1918 some women gained the vote in parliamentary elections. But the story of women’s activism in Hackney doesn’t begin or end with the suffragettes. Over the past 100 years local women have brought about change in their community and in wider society through political campaigns, individual action, peaceful protest, direct action, and the arts. Discover the inspiring stories of women who made a difference in the borough and beyond across issues ranging from education, workers rights, healthcare, domestic violence, to the peace movement and police relations. This exhibition tells the story of women-led activism in Hackney from 1918 to the present day.
PARASOL UNIT Foundation for Contemporary Art
14 Wharf Road N1 7RW Angel/Old St tube www.parasolunit.org 020 7490 7373
Here and There: Paintings by Lisa Milroy
Until 18 March Tues-Sat 10am-6pm Sun 12noon-5pm Free
This major solo exhibition brings together a selection of Milroy’s paintings from the past 15 years, exploring her approaches to still life through making, looking, touch and transformation. The term ‘still life’ signals the fundamental experience of painting for Milroy, encapsulating her fascination with the relationship between stillness and movement, contemplation and action.
The Women’ History Month programme is co-ordinated by Alternative Arts.
Info@alternativearts.co.uk 020 8800 6665 www.alternativearts.co.uk
Supported by Tower Hamlets Council. The Heritage Lottery Fund, Alternative Arts and all the artists and venues participating.
POPLAR UNION
2 Cotall Street, Poplar E14 6TL All Saints DLR www.poplarunion.com 020 3039 3330
Friday 9 March
A Journey from Dash to Dignata 6.30pm-9.30pm Free
Presented by the Saudha Society
Saturday 10 March
Freshwater Theatre Company 11am-12pm Free
Bringing iconic women from the past to life in this interactive children’s workshop to celebrate International Women’s Day.
Feminism in Theatre 2pm-3.30pm Free
Contemporary feminism has had an influence on pop culture and many facets of art, but how does feminism inform the kind of theatre that is currently produced. Nastazja Somers will lead this workshop that will enable all participants to focus on ‘herstory’.
Sunday 11 March
Writing Masala Monologues with Sangeeta Pillai Lander 1.30pm-3.30pm Free
British Asian Women, we want to hear your stories about your sexual life, told from your unique cultural point of view. Join this informal creative writing workshop and craft your tales so that Sangeeta can create theatrical production with professional actors of THE MASALA MONOLOGUES!
Sunday 18 March
Iconic Calligraphy Workshop 1pm-3pm £ 3.00 per person
Liza Ekozowyk will teach you how to use paper and calligraphy to create beautiful wall art inspired by female icons, both ‘historic’ and contemporary.
FEMINIST LIBRARY
5 Westminster Bridge Road, SE1 7XW Lambeth North and Waterloo tube
www.feministlibrary.co.uk 020 7261 0879
Feminist Publishing since the 60’s
Wednesday 14 March 7pm Entry by donation.
As well as marking 100 years since some women got the vote, 2018 is also the 50th anniversary of the Women’s Liberation Movement starting in Britain. At the Feminist Library we intend to celebrate the modern movement throughout this anniversary year, starting with this event, which marks our 43rd birthday! So come and celebrate with us. Hear women who have been involved with iconic publishing such as Spare Rib magazine and Sheba Feminist Publishing; feminist publishing in Africa and publishing feminist zines. Find out about feminist publishing today – and most importantly, eat cake!
RICH MIX
35-47Bethnal Green Road E1 6LA. Shoreditch High St Stn
www.richmix.org.uk. 020 7613 7498
AWAN – Arab Women Artists Now – Festival exhibition opens
Thursday 1 March 7pm
The Yoniverse presents ‘Golden Tongue’
Friday 2 March 7pm £7/£5 concs
Open mic night focused on amplifying the voices of South Asian women. It gives them a space to share their stories and everyone else a place to listen, engage and learn. With Shareefer Energy, Sophia Thakur, Afshan D’Souza-Lodhi, Amani Saeed, Shagufta K, Reeta Loi, Shruti Chauhan, Simran Randhawa.
Does My Bomb Look Big In This? By Nyla Levy
Sunday 4 March 7pm £10/£8 concs
A play about two young British Muslim women, exploring identity, prejudice, racism and radicalisation. Nyla Levy is a theatre maker with a passion for creating politically fuelled and emotionally centred plays.
Girls in Film LON presents ‘Moving the Goalposts’
Wednesday 7 March 7.30pm £5
A discussion on the state of women’s team sports with representatives from Girls in Film, Slowe and Goal Diggers FC followed by a screening of the cult classic ‘Bend it Like Beckham’.
CASS ALCOVE GALLERY and Local Sites
Sir John Cass School of Art, Architecture & Design, The Annex, Old Castle Street, E1 7NT
Aldgate East tube www.londonmet.ac.uk 020 7423 0000 / 07899870984
The Hidden Heroine
9-23 March Mon-Sat 11am-5pm
Exhibition by BA Photography students, staff and invited artists celebrating personal role models. Opening Night Thursday 8 March 5pm-8pm
BLOW THE FUSE celebrate International Women’s Day
St Mary’s Old Church, Stoke Newington Church Street, N16 9ES, Stoke Newington Stn, www.theoldchurch.org.uk 07904069509.
Barb Jungr and Solar Flares
Friday 9 March 7.45pm doors, Tickets £15 advance/£18 door.
www.wegottickets.com/event/427110.
Barb Jungr with her set ‘Bob, Brel and Me’ featuring the songs of Bob Dylan, Jacques Brel and more with Jenny Carr on piano.
Solar Flares – Latin and South African influenced tunes played by a trio of well known jazz musicians – Louise Elliott/Sax and Flute, Dierdre Cartwright/Guitar, Alison Rayner/Double Bass.
BRENTWOOD ROAD GALLERY
Brentwood Road, Frances Bardsley Academy, Romford RM1 2RR Romford Stn
www.fbaok.co.uk . 01708 447368
Cornelia Parker: One Day This Glass Will Break
5 Feb-9 March Mon-Fri 9am-3pm. Free
A touring exhibition from the Southbank Centre.
Behind Every Great Women
14-28 March Mon-Fri 9am-3pm. Free
Group exhibition by women artists: Billie Lynch, Clare Dorber, Holly Davis, Christina Poole, Fungai Marima, Julia Barrett.
CHISENHALE GALLERY
64 Chisenhale Road E3 5QZ. Bethnal Green / Mile End tube
www.chisenhale.org.uk. 020 8981 4518
Lydia Ourahmane; The You in Us
Until 25 March Wed-Sun 12noon-6pm, Thurs 1 March until 9pm Free
Comprising installation, sculpture and sound, Lydia Ourahmane’s exhibition explores her ongoing engagement with the emotional, psychological and political charge of material and place. This is a major new commission and the first solo exhibition in an institution by the artist.
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S WEEK in Tower Hamlets 2018
3-10 March
Women’s groups across the borough will be celebrating with a wide range of events and activities following this year’s theme ‘Votes for Women’. Organisations involved include the Coriander Club at Spitalfields City Farm, Nari Diganta, Black Women’s Health and Family Support, St Hilda’s East Boundary Women’s Project, St Peter’s Community Wellbeing Projects, Limehouse Project, Swadhinata Trust, Neighbours in Poplar, Udichi UK, Account 3, Somali Integration Team, Women’s Environmental Network, Mulberry School, Mohila Ongon Association.
LORD MORPETH
402 Old Ford Road, Bow E3 5NR Mile End/Bethnal Green tube
www.lordmorpeth.co.uk 020 8980 3012
The East London Suffragette Movement Mural
8-31 March Open daily.
‘Blank Walls’ represents the artist Jerome Davenport, a mural specialist whom they have commissioned to create a work of art commemorating the work of Sylvia Pankhurst and the East London Federation of Suffragettes on the side wall of the Lord Morpeth public house. The building is significant because it lies next door to where Sylvia Pankhurst lived with her friend Norah Smyth at 400 Old Ford Road (now demolished) which became the headquarters of the ELFS, and where they set up The Women’s Hall, which was the site of their cost-price restaurant providing nutritious meals to the poor of the area after food prices rocketed at the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. The completed mural will be on view from 1 March and a programme of weekly events will take place in the pub. www.blankwalls.com.au 020 7814 5511
REEL REBELS RADIO
7 Bouverie Mews N16 0AE Stoke Newington Stn
www.hyattesque.com 020 8968 3766
Sister Suffragette City
Thursday 8 March 6pm Donations please.
Hey Jiminey backs International Rebel Women’s Day at Reel Rebels Radio with Marianne Hyatt and Delila Black channelling voices and rap around a live broadcast show and their very own countronic mashups of ‘Sister Suffragette’ style power protest anthems from above and beyond.
Warning: NOT 4 the corporatized. www.hyatesque.com
ROSEMARY BRANCH THEATRE
2 Shepperton Road, N1 3DT Old Street/Highbury & Islington tube.
www.rosemarybranch.co.uk. 020 7704 6665
The Dirty Thirty
Friday 2 March and Saturday 3 March 9pm £10
A collection of 30 original, ever changing and always honest plays, and a valiant attempt to perform them all in just one hour. Resident ensemble Degenerate Fox create new material to add to the Menu each week, making an ever changing smorgasbord of theatrical delights. Come and be part of it.
Deadline
Monday 12 March 7.30pm £5
A brand new scratch night hosted by cutting edge performance duo Two Pale Ladies with stand-up characters, and freshly squeezed performances from performers who are trying things out for The Very First Time.
TOWER OF LONDON
Tower Hill, EC3N 4AB Tower Hill tube
www.hrp.uk/tower-of-london. 020 3166 6646
Leonora Cohen – The Tower Suffragette
Saturday 10 March 11am-4pm Free
Explore the story of Leonora Cohen, The Tower Suffragette, in a workshop for groups led by artist Becci Kenning. She will guide you in creating your own group banners inspired by the Suffrage banner collection at the Women’s Library @ the LSE. Your banners will be completed by Becci and become part of a collection of 100 modern banners.
TOWER HAMLETS IDEA STORES
www.ideastore.co.uk 020 7364 2649
The Idea Stores are presenting a special series of events for Women’s History Month
IDEA STORE BOW
1 Gladstone Place, Roman Road E3 5ES Bethnal Green tube
Mon-Thurs 9am-9pm, Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm. 020 7364 4332
Saturday 17 March
So.. What Is It Like To Be A Woman 2pm-4pm Free
Join Christina Simpson in this workshop to discuss what it is like to be a woman in society, consider how famous women in history are portrayed, debate beauty, identity and self-esteem.
Finally asking how you see yourself and how to build confidence within us all.
Target audience: 16-19 years.
Saturday 24 March
Why Should Women Write? 10am-1pm Free
Women Only writing workshop with Charlotte Latimer, aimed at adult women to discover women writers in history and consider why women should write. Participants will think about why they want to write and what they want to say. Exploring life themes we will consider what we can or are afraid to say. Everyone will outline a short story they have identified to take home with them.
Sylvia Pankhurst: Suffragette, Socialist and Scourge of Empire 2pm-4pm Free
A hundred years after the first women won the right to vote, this event explores the contribution of the socialist suffragette Sylvia Pankhurst. Katherine Connolly, author of ‘Sylvia Pankhurst: Suffragette, Socialist and Scourge of the Empire’ tells the inspiring story of Pankhurst’s creation of a militant mass movement of working class suffragettes in East London, the huge campaigns they organised and the impact they had.
IDEA STORE CANARY WHARF
Churchill Place E14 5RB Canary Wharf tube & DLR
020 7364 1255 Mon-Thurs 9am-9pm, Fri-Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 12pm-6pm
WOMEN OF THE EAST END from the 1980’s
3-31 March
Photographer Raju Vaidyanathan exhibits a collection of his portraits of local women from the 1980’s.
IDEA STORE CHRISP STREET
1 Vesey Path, East India Dock Road E14 6BT 020 7364 1502. All Saints DLR
So.. What Is it like to be a Woman
Saturday 10 March 2pm-4pm Free
Join Christina Simpson in this workshop to discuss what it is like to be a woman in society, consider how famous women in history are portrayed, debate beauty, identity and self-esteem. Finally asking how you see yourself and how to build confidence within us all.
Target audience 16-19 years.
IDEA STORE WATNEY MARKET
260 Commercial Road E1 2FB. Stepney Green tube & Shadwell DLR 020 7364 3804
Open Mon-Thurs 9am-9pm, Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9am-5pm
Women in the East End from the 1980s
3-31 March
Photographer Raju Vaidyanathan exhibits a collection of his portraits of local women from the 1980s
Abortion Wars, The Fight for Reproductive Rights
Thursday 15 March 7pm Free Author Event with Judith Orr
Britain’s 1967 Abortion Act is 50 years old. It brought about profound social change, but the struggle for abortion rights is far from over. In this hard-hitting new book Judith Orr, leading pro-choice campaigner, argues that it is time women had the right to control their fertility without the practical, legal and idealogical barriers they have faced for generations.
Sylvia Pankhurst: Everything is Possible
Monday 19 March 6.30pm Free
Film and Discussion event with Director Ceri Dingle of WORLDwrite.
A screening of the film which charts the life, vital impact and work of Sylvia Pankhurst, the East End heroine, suffragette, internationalist and revolutionary. In feature length essay form ,this documentary is packed with facts from primary sources, rare images from museums and archives, interviews with historians and compelling testimony from Sylvia’s son Richard and his wife Rita.
East London Suffragettes
Thursday 29 March 7pm Free Author Event with Sarah Jackson
Celebrating Women’s History Month Sarah Jackson talks about her book ‘East London Suffragettes’ in which she describes an extraordinary time in East London’s history and a courageous and creative group of forgotten rebels.
IDEA STORE WHITECHAPEL
321 Whitechapel Road E1 3BU Whitechapel tube 020 7364 1736
Women Dancing Workshop
Sunday 11 March 11.15am-1.15 pm Free
Exploring what it is to be a woman through movement and simple dance routines. At the end of the workshop the whole group will create a short dance which will be performed to members of the public on 17 March at the Idea Store Whitechapel at 1.30pm and the Idea Store Bow at 3.30pm. Performances will happen in the public spaces and last no longer than 20 minutes.
Documentary Film: Menstrual Man
Tuesday 20 March 6.30pm Free
Screening in partnership with Women’s Environmental Network
A visionary entrepreneur is empowering women across India, and helping to break down taboos around menstruation. Engaging and timely this award-winning documentary is a must-see.
The Inking Woman: 250 years of Women Cartoon and Comic Artists in Britain
Thursday 29 March 6.30pm Free
Author Event with Nicola Streeten and Cath Tate
‘The inking Woman’ is a groundbreaking picture-led celebration of the work of over 100 named British artists, and a few anonymous ones, revealing the wealth of women’s art and insight spanning 200 years. Join Nicola and Cath as they discuss their new book,
TOWER HAMLETS LOCAL HISTORY LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES
277 Bancroft Road E1 4DQ Stepney Green tube www.ideastore.co.uk 020 7364 1290
Printmaking Workshop: Portraits of Inspirational Women
Saturday 3 March 1pm-4pm open to all over the age of 12 Free
Create portraits of inspirational women from history with tutor Ginny Hawke. Participants will make a one or two colour portrait by tracing images from their own photographs, or those supplied by our collections, onto lino. Cutting tools and inks provided.
Booking essential. Email: localhistory@towerhamlets.gov.uk
The Women’s Hall – Get Involved
Thursday 15 March 4pm-8pm Free
Come along to this DROP-IN event at the library and find out more about this exciting project and the many opportunities for YOU to get involved and shape the activities that will take place.
The Women’s Hall celebrates the East London Federation of Suffragettes with an exhibition recreating the interior of the original Women’s Hall that will host a variety of community events, talks, screenings, workshops and a pop-up kitchen. The show will run from 29 May to 20 October 2018.
ST MARGARET’S HOUSE Gallery Café
21 Old Ford Road, E2 9PL Bethnal Green tube
www.stmargaretshouse.org.uk . 020 8980 2092
Celebrating Women
1-31 March Mon-Fri 8am-7pm, Sat/Sun 8am-6pm. Free
Open call photography exhibition based on submission of images of women who have made a particular impact on the local area. Opening night 1 March 7pm.
THE OLD BATHS
80 Eastway E9 5JH. Hackney Wick Stn
www.theoldbaths.co.uk. 07429099888
'ROUT'
1-31 March Mon-Fri 8am-4pm, Sat 10am-4pm Free
Artist Rachel Thomson exhibits a show of haphazard images of women. www.rachelthomsonstudio.co.uk.
SOROPTIMIST INTERNATIONAL EAST LONDON
Woodford Memorial Hall, High Road, South Woodford E18 2PA. Woodford tube
www.facebook.com/SIEastLondon.
Soroptimist International is the world’s largest women’s organisation dedicated to serving other women. The East London Club was founded in 1931 and from January 2018 we have a new home in Woodford. We meet on the third Tuesday of each month at 7.15pm. In March we shall be meeting on Tuesday 20th. Anyone interested in attending a meeting or to find out more about the club please contact eastlondonsoroptimists@hotmail.co.uk
UGLY DUCK
47-49 Tanner Street SE1 3PL. London Bridge tube
www.whoisyourhero.com. www.lon-art.org.uk
Sheroes
8-11 March Free
Sheroes, Lon-art.org’s third Social Exhibition, champions little known women’s names, leading ladies and unsung stars. We have invited women artists and allies to use their creative expression to give a voice to, and turn our eyes towards, silenced and overlooked heroines – sheroes – throughout history, and offer inspiring role models for us all.
WHITECHAPEL GALLERY
77-82 Whitechapel High Street E1 7QX. Aldgate East tube
www.whitechapelgallery.org.uk 020 7522 7888
First Thursdays
Thursday 1 March 6pm-9pm Free/£5 Art Bus Tour
On the first Thursday of every month over 150 galleries in East London come together to run free events, exhibitions, talks and private views during a special late opening. Explore galleries, artist run spaces and studios using our First Thursday Walking Tour Map or buy a ticket for the Art Bus Tour. This month we hope to see as many exhibitions by women artists as possible.
Collage and the Everyday
Thursday 1 March 7pm £9.50/£7.50 concs
Artists Georgie Hipton and John Stezaker are joined by ICA Deputy Director Katherine Stout, for a critical discussion on femininity and the domestic environment in relationship to Hipton’s work and contemporary collage.
Leonor Antunes: the frisson of the togetherness
Until 9 April Tues-Sun 11am-6pm, Thursday until 11pm
Straight lines and flat planes morph into looping and twisting volumes and sculptural reliefs in this new commission by Leonor Antunes. Taking its title from British architect Alison Smithson’s description of how young people bring together elements of style to define their identity and social allegiances, Antunes gathers references to overlooked figures in the history of 20th century architecture, art and design, particularly women.
UP YOUR STREET
www.upyourstreet.wordpress.com. 07762178941
Events for members only. Apply to join ‘Up Your Street Seniors’ at gillianmuir@aol.com.
Ragworks: Gillian Lawrence
The Jenny Hammond Primary School E11 3JH. Leytonstone tube
Thursday 8 March 1.50pm-3pm
Artist Gillian Lawrence works with refreshed and discarded textiles to design and hand-sew depictions of nursery rhymes and worldwide folklore characters as well as hangings. ‘Ragworks’ is a unique collection showing for the whole of March in the school.
High Street Seniors
Vera Lynne Close, Forest Gate, E7 0EG. Wanstead Park Stn
Thursday 22 March 5pm-7pm
High Street Seniors has been a walking group for seniors to reclaim their High Streets since 2012. On March 22 we will be marking Woman’s History Month by sharing an informed guided walk in the streets at the border of Forest Gate and Leytonstone, noting where remarkable women lived and worked, guided by Gillian Muir.
Senior Woman on Setees
Leyton East London – Private House
Saturday 24 March 2pm-3pm Free
Senior women at Up Your Street share their poems, art and crafts with each other. Hosted by Gillian Muir.
WANSTEAD LIBRARY
Spratt Hall Road E11 2RQ. Wanstead tube
www.redbridge.gov.uk. 020 8708 7450
The Suffragettes – Talk by Beverley Cook
Wednesday 21 March 2pm-3pm Free
The Museum of London holds the world’s largest collection of material related to the militant suffragette campaign. This talk, by Beverley Cook, the curator of the collection, will reveal the origins of the collection and its key highlights. Focusing on objects donated by some of the lesser known suffragettes it will offer a unique insight in to the lives of those who faced imprisonment, hunger-strikes and force feeding in their commitment to the cause.
WHITE RIBBON
www.whiteribbon.org.uk
White Ribbon was founded in 2007. Our mission is to end male violence against women, once and for all. We engage men in calling out violent, bullying behaviour amongst their peers, and spreading a message of equality and respect. You can find out more via the website.
WOMEN’S VOICES NOW ONLINE FILM FESTIVAL
7 March-5 April
www.womensvoicesnow.org
This annual festival celebrates and awards the best films from around the world that highlight women in film and women’s rights issues that inspire social change. Each year films are selected from over 174 countries and are viewed by over 150,000 people online internationally. Filmmakers compete for in-kind and cash prizes, media features and the opportunity to have their films added to the WVN Film Archive for global promotion and viewing.
WOMEN’S LIBRARY @ the LSE
Lionel Robbins Building, Portugal Street, WC2A 2HD. Holborn tube
www.lse.ac.uk/suffrage. 020 7107 5472
Wednesday 14 March
Woman: A manifesto We Are Here Artist’s Collective 1pm-2pm Free
Charged with female affirmation, you’re invited to create a manifesto; not how to ‘behave like a lady’ but how to behave like yourself. Followed by a Pop-Up exhibition.
Woman; A manifesto We Are Here Artists Collective 5.30pm-7pm Free
Panel discussion on identity and being a British woman 100 years after some women got the vote.
Wolfson Theatre New Academy Building, LSE Lincoln Inn Fields WC2A 3LJ Temple tube
Lives Revealed; Who were the suffrage artists? with Elizabeth Crawford
Friday 23 March 6.30pm-8pm Free
The artwork of the suffrage movement has never been so widely disseminated as it is today. This talk examines the artists responsible for the iconography behind the campaign.
WORLDwrite
201 Millfields Road, E5 5AL (242 Bus stops outside, opposite Oswald St)
www.worldwrite.org.uk 020 8985 5435
Thursday 8 March
Freedom Breakfast 10am The Clapton Table Café, 159 Clapton Road E5 8EQ
Sylvia Pankhurst: Everything is Possible 2pm Castle Cinema 64-66 Brooksbys Walk E9 6DA Please book your seats in advance email world.write@btconnect.com
A screening of the film which charts the life, vital impact and work of Sylvia Pankhurst, the East End heroine, suffragette, internationalist and revolutionary, who personifies International Women’s Day. In feature length form, this documentary is packed with facts from primary sources, rare images from museums and archives, interviews with historians and compelling testimony from Sylvia’s son Richard Pankhurst and his wife Rita.
Tea Party 6pm and Suffragettes Then and Now Discussion 7.30pm at Worldwrite
And more to come;-
THE WOMEN’S HALL Exhibition at Tower Hamlets Local History Library 29 May-20 October
THE SUFFRAGETTE STALL Roman Road Market. 16 June 10am-3pm
THE PHOTOGRAPHY of NORAH SMYTH at Four Corners Gallery 26 October-26 January ‘19
The Women’s Hall
Celebrating the East London Suffragettes
In 1914 The East London Federation of Suffragettes opened a women's social centre called the Women’s Hall, which stood at 400 Old Ford Road in Bow and became their headquarters until 1924. The hall was a meeting place, a cost price restaurant, a venue for all kinds of activities from jumble sales to job exchanges. For 10 years it was also the home of Sylvia Pankhurst and her friend and fellow suffragette Norah Smyth.
This year, 100 years after some UK women first won the vote (and 90 years after all women did) a new project inspired by the Women’s Hall will celebrate the East London Federation of Suffragettes .
The Women’s Hall Exhibition
Tower Hamlets Local History Library and Archives 277 Bancroft Rd, E1 4DQ Stepney Green tube www.ideastore.co.uk 020 7364 1290
29 May-20 October Mon, Wed, Fri 9am-5pm, Tues 10am-5pm, Sat 9am-5pm (1st & 3rd Sat of the month only) Free
Discover the fascinating story of the East London Federation Suffragettes in this interactive exhibition recreating the interior of the Women’s Hall. See original materials including letters and handbills, read replica copies of the ELFS newspaper ‘The Woman’s Dreadnaught’, or attend a talk, screening, workshop or one of the community-curated events. The Women’s Hall will host a pop-up community kitchen for local residents at set mealtimes and a crèche facility will be available one day per week.
The Photography of Norah Smyth
Four Corners Gallery 121 Roman Road, E2 02N Bethnal Green tube
www.fourcornersflm.co.uk 020 8911 6111
26 October 2018-26January 2019 Tues-Sat 11am-6pm Free
Brought together for the first time, this unique exhibition of Norah Smyth’s photographs (1914-1918) provides intimate documentation of Sylvia Pankhurst and the East London Federation of Suffragettes during World War One. Weekly gallery talks and local history walks will explore Norah’s story and the work of the ELFS further.
The Suffragette Stall
Roman Road Market 568 Roman Road, E3 5ES Mile End tube
www.eastendwomensmuseum.org
Saturday 16 June 10am-3pm
Visit a recreation of the East London Federation of Suffragettes market stall at Roman Road Market to learn more about their story.
GET INVOLVED – DROP-IN EVENT
Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives 277 Bancroft Road E1 4DQ Stepney Grn tube
Thursday 15 March 4pm-8pm Free
Come to the Drop-In event: meet the project partners and find out more about what is being planned and the many opportunities for YOU to get involved and shape the activities the will take place.
ADDITIONS
EAST END WOMEN’S INSTITUTE
St Margaret’s House, 21 Old Ford Road E2 9PL Bethnal Green tube
Tuesday 20 March 7pm for 7.30pm members free, visitors £4. eastendwi.blogspot.co.uk
Talk by Meg Hillier MP for Hackney South, sharing her experiences
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH FILM FESTIVAL
7-16 March www.ff.hrw.org
Screening films highlighting pertinent human rights issues from around the world including migration, women’s rights, and racial equality. Check out the full line up on the website.
PLAISTOW LIBRARY
79 North Street, E13 9HL Plaistow tube
1-31 March
Holding the Baby
Travelling exhibition and podcast series sharing stories of parenting and childcare from the East End. www.holdingthebaby.org 07853228023 www.on-the-record.org.uk
ROYAL MUSEUMS GREENWICH
The Queen’s House SE10 9NF
www.rmg.co.uk 020 8858 4422
Remarkable Women – the Queen’s House Lecture Series
1-29 March
The Harem and the Veil: Lady Mary Montagu and the Ottoman Empire
– Christine Riding Thursday 1 March 10.30am-12.30pm £8/£6 concs
From Out of her Brother’s Shadow: The Life and Collections of Sarah Sophia Banks (1744-1818)
– Arlene Leis Thursday 8 March 10.30am-12.30pm £8/ £6 concs
Exalting the Divine: Bess of Hardwick’s picture collection at Hardwick Hall
– David Taylor Thursday 15 March 10.30am-12.30pm £8/£6 concs
The Remarkable Life of Gertrude Bell
– Janet Wallach Tuesday 21 March 6.30-9pm £12/£10
Working Women in Eighteenth century Deptford
– Margaret Lincoln Thursday 22 March 10.30am-12.30pm £8/£6 concs
Annie Russell-Cotes (1835-1920) ‘Local politician, art connoisseur, collector, traveller and explorer
– Amy Miller Thursday 29 March 10.30am-12.30pm £8/£6 concs
‘A’ TEAM ARTS
Art Room, Brady Arts and Community Centre, 192-196 Hanbury Street, London E1 5HU
Sunday 18 March 2pm-5pm FREE
CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF VOTES FOR SOME WOMEN
All women and their daughters aged 12 and over are welcome to come along to a Mothers and Daughters Craft Workshop. Come and enjoy tea and cakes and help make a new art work to commemorate this special year. This will involve the opportunity to get creative with printing, weaving and embroidery. (Women can bring other female relatives or friends to this event) Places are free, booking is advised.
Please contact Geraldine Bone on 020 7364 7911, or email geraldine.bone@towerhamlets.gov.uk
APRIL EXTRA
ARCOLA THEATRE
24 Ashwin Street, E8 3DL Dalston Junction Stn www.arcolatheatre.com 020 7503 1646
Smile, Darling by the Arcola Women’s Group
Friday 13 & Saturday 14 April
Closing show of the Creative/Disruption Festival
MAY EXTRA
RICH MIX
35-47 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA Shoreditch High Street Stn
www.richmix.org.uk 020 7613 7498
Friday 4 May 7.30pm
The Altab Ali Story a play by Julie Begum presented by the Swadhinata Trust
The heartbreaking story of the death of Altab Ali in 1978 and the resulting mass anti-racist movement from the Bengali community in East London and beyond.
TOWER OF LONDON
Tower Hill EC3N 4AB Tower Hill tube
www.hrp.uk/tower-of-london 020 3166 6646
Sunday 13 May 11am-4pm
Feminist Fete
A day of workshops Adm £10
Tuesday 22 May 7pm-8.30pm
Leonora Cohen – The Tower Suffragette
Evening talk Adm £15/£13.50
