Women of the World Festival (WOW Exeter) returns for 2018

Did you attend WOW Exeter last year? 

If not, why not?

In the wake of International Women’s Day, the #MeToo movement and Weinstein, equality is a hot topic (about time too). This makes 2018’s WOW festival seem even more of an exciting proposition.

WOW (Woman of the World festival) Exeter is a South Bank initiative that “celebrates women and girls, and takes the opportunity to look at the obstacles that still stop them from achieving their potential”. It is “a global network of festivals which provides a platform for celebrating what has been achieved, and exploring all the ways we can change the world for the better.”  

If you didn’t come last year, it’s important to point out that although WOW is a festival about women, it isn’t exclusively for women.

It is a festival for everyone.

Last year I went along to The Phoenix on the Saturday and (amongst other things) I enjoyed participating in a comedy workshop, a talk on intersectionality – which was fascinating, by the way. I listened to lots of individual stories in WOW bites (a selection of twenty-minute speeches in one hour – a bit like Ted Talks).  I also heard a champion beatboxer – who was wicked (do people still say that? Or should I say live?). I heard a poet reciting her work, partook in some speed mentoring AND I met some fascinating people.

WOW Exeter 2018

This year I am really excited to be working on WOW Festival’s PR and digital communications and I am very passionate about spreading the word of such a great festival (expect to hear a lot more as it progresses).

One of the things I love about WOW Festival is that it is unique to many festivals in its curation – the programme is based on suggestions by the audience. These ideas come from events called Thinkins, which happened around Exeter in March. I went along to the one at Exeter Library and listened to the stories of some brilliant women from many different backgrounds.

Lots of themes came from the thinkin that I was at and I am fascinated to see what came from the others.

Deborah Bucella (creator of awesome Teddy Talks and Marketer for Theatre Alibi) and Chloe Whipple (Theatre Practitioner Life on Water and co-owner of unique pizzeria The Flat on Fore Street) will be collating the ideas and stories to design the programme for the event which is happening in October.

Warning: I am very excited so be prepared for lots of updates!

To stay in the loop directly follow WOW Exeter on Twitter, Like and follow on Facebook or hit WOW up on Insta.