POW! Thanet festival opens this weekend (March 5-March 8), and more than 650 people from Thanet and all over the country have already registered for their free ticket to the 4-day online live-streamed festival.
The online line up includes live music, creative workshops, dance classes, panel discussions, intimate storytelling, and powerful films.
The Covid-safe festival programme for 2021 includes over 40 arts and culture events, in windows around Thanet and during the 4-day live streamed online festival – with all events completely free.
POW! Thanet’s 2021 festival will take place across Thanet and globally online, from Friday, March 5 to Monday, March 8, which is International Women’s Day.
The online festival is hosted by BBC Radio 1’s Gemma Cairney and Margate-based actress Naomi Cooper-Davis (below) on a special easy to access live stream channel online.
The public can now register for their free ticket for the 4-day online live streamed festival at https://powfestival.streameventlive.com/login.
The theme for POW! 2021 is POWer in Protest as the festival this year celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Greenham Common women’s peace camps with an exploration of the history, present and future of protest through performance, art, culture, and more.
The programme includes powerful films about: the Greenham Common women’s peace camps protests against nuclear weapons; 50 years of Manchester’s LGBTQ history through the story of two incredible women; and the women behind Thanet’s food banks.
Get creative in a fun workshop with Margate-based global design superstar artist Rebecca Strickson, and an exciting workshop on protest song writing with Margate’s Queer Feminist punk duo Pink Suits and Queer folk band Lunatraktors.
Get active with the Margate Movement Artists on Saturday and Sunday morning with a joyful antidote to the inactivity of lockdown – dance classes suitable for all ages, all abilities and all the family.
Relax with an evening of escapist folk music, a poetry performance specially for POW! from Neelam Saredia-Brayley (pictured above), and intimate radio plays and story telling.
Be inspired by panel talks about careers in tech and design, how to manage in the modern world of social media and the value of silent success, all led by women who can give valuable insight into the female experience of such environments, from which everyone can learn.
POW! is for everyone, and all genders are invited and welcome to attend all events. There is a special panel talk featuring human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, Blue Peter presenter Ayo Akinwolere and one half of British hip hop duo Rizzle Kicks Jordan Stephens, talking about the women who have impacted their lives and made them the feminists they are today.
The POW! team have worked hard this year to ensure that the online programme has something for all audiences and is as accessible as possible, regardless of lockdown or snowfall. All festival events are free to attend, and all online events will have British Sign Language interpretation.
Offline, local people can safely explore art exhibitions in the windows of over twenty local shops, including two Art Trails on the High Streets in Margate and Ramsgate curated by POW!’s branch for young people, POW! Youth.
Get involved in POW! Inspiring Windows by drawing a women who inspires you
Everyone can be a part of POW! 2021 through a new project, POW! Inspiring Windows. To celebrate International Women’s Day, POW! are inviting everyone to come together to create a huge Thanet-wide art gallery of inspirational women – in your windows! To get involved, draw a woman who inspires you, hang the drawing in your window for everyone who passes by to enjoy, and share a photo of your artwork in your window on social media with the hashtag #POWThanetWindows. Find out more at powthanet.com
The Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camps were established in 1981 to protest the British government’s decision to hold nuclear weapons at RAF Greenham Common in Berkshire. The protest activities included 36 women chaining themselves to the base fence; 30,000 women joining hands around the base; and 70,000 protesters forming a 14-mile human chain. The protest involved only women as they used their identity as mothers acting in the name of their children and future generations. They went directly against societal expectations of them to power their protest; in refusing to go home, they challenged the traditional notion that a women’s place was in the home.
POW! Thanet is the isle’s major annual multidisciplinary arts festival celebrating International Women’s Day, bringing together artists, venues and organisations across Thanet to showcase empowering events for everyone to enjoy including performances, exhibitions, workshops, talks and opportunities to get involved. POW! Thanet festival celebrates the power of women and female creativity, and explores women’s issues and feminism with events for all.
Funded by Arts Council England, the festival is entering its sixth year, growing in size thanks to partnerships across East Kent. The festival values the local offer and the area’s creative talent, while reaching out into the UK and internationally for inspiration.
Due to Covid, the POW! team reimagined the 2021 festival as online events and window displays, so that they could still bring creativity, joy and inspiration to Thanet at this time when everyone needs it most. Explore the full line up of events on POW!’s website at www.powthanet.com to discover what you can enjoy from the safety of your own home.
HOW TO REGISTER
POW! are hosting most of the events for POW! 2021 online through a brand new platform that will give you access to watch and take part, easily and for free.
All you need to do to attend any POW! 2021 online event is to go to https://powfestival.streameventlive.com/login and register for your FREE place. Once you’ve registered, simply sign in during the festival to watch our live stream where all the events will be taking place from Friday 5th to Monday 8th March.
If you have any problems or questions, please do email [email protected] and the POW! team shall help.
Can anybody tell me when the POM! Festival is taking place ?
You tell us John. Sounds like you want to start one.
Sounds like a brilliant event this year folks. Looking forward to it.
https://ukmensday.org.uk
November 19th, same as every year. You ignorant or what? Pay attention.
Oh its actually today John, and tomorrow, I think it was held yesterday as well…let me check…yep its been on for the last 250+ years – were you not a key note speaker at the Neanderthal Man in modern day Britain conference? I’m sure i
I saw you there.
Excellent event and very proud it’s being hosted locally.
Let’s hope there won’t any stupid comments about a when’s a POM event…
EDIT – oh. Well done John. I can always rely on my fellow men to be ridiculous.
It’s like International Men’s day all over again. Which is in November by the way.
The man John asked a valid question but gets a lot of vitriolic abuse from feminists. This is what happens when you have seperatist movements. What happened to equality. It’s shocking!
POW – Personification of Woke.
Feminists – tick
Gays – tick
Left-wing protesters – tick
Art Council funding – tick
Oh Mike, are you ok? Do you need a hug? You seem really wound up about something.
Would you like us to put on a party for you too? Mike Pride maybe?
I take it back. I don’t wish to be lumped in with silly comments such as Mike’s. I may be old fashioned but I’m not a facist.