POW! Thanet will hold a Greenham Common 40th anniversary celebration next month.
The immersive, historical, theatrical experience will be in the gardens of Powell-Cotton Museum in Birchington on Sunday, May 9, hosted by Scary Little Girls.
The POW! Festival team delayed the event as they wanted to bring an i in-person activity to Thanet when Covid restrictions lifted enough to allow it to go ahead safely. Earlier in the year the team hosted a four day online festival to celebrate International Women’s Day that reached over 2,000 people.
The Greenham Common 40th anniversary celebration is a live event in the gardens of the Powell-Cotton Museum, which will provide the opportunity to experience the campfire singing, banner making, discussion and camaraderie of the Greenham Common Women’s Peace camp.
The event will run from 11am – 4pm, with booking being essential as participants will be guided round the experience in socially distanced groups of 6. Each tour lasts for one hour.
Tickets are £3 per adult including refreshments as part of the event. Children under 16 get in free and must be accompanied by an adult.
The Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp was established in 1981 to protest the British government’s decision to hold nuclear weapons at RAF Greenham Common in Berkshire. The peace camp’s protest activities included 36 women chaining themselves to the base fence in 1981; 30,000 women responding to a chain letter and joining hands around the base in 1982; and in 1983, 70,000 protesters forming a 14-mile human chain.
The women went directly against societal expectations of them to power their protest; they challenged the traditional notion that a woman’s place was in the home.
The event will start at Powell Cotton Museum’s bandstand where refreshments will be available. From there, you will be guided through the five gates of Greenham Common and be able to join in with the activities at each one.
- At the Red Gate you can join in, or sit and listen, to campfire songs sung in the 80s by women of the peace camp.
- At the Orange Gate you can create banners with artist Sofie Dodgson and write a message to hang on the Greenham memory tree.
- At the Green Gate you can participate in beginners Tai Chi for wellbeing. All abilities will be catered for.
- At the Yellow Gate you will be able to hear discussions about politics from women who were at Greenham.
- At the Blue Gate you can enjoy a socially distanced party with music from female DJs of Greenham Common and drink mocktails.
This is an outdoor event in the gardens of the Powell Cotton Museum, so attendees are encouraged to wear comfortable shoes, dress warmly and be prepared for the English weather.
All Government guidance will be adhered to. This is a socially distanced outdoor event. Hand sanitiser will be provided. Toilets will be available on the day and you will need to wear a mask to use them, unless exempt.
This event is suitable for all ages, all genders and all the family.
Wheelchairs and prams may get slightly muddy but are welcomed. If you have any access requirements, get in touch with the POW! team on [email protected].
You can book a ticket at: https://www.powthanet.com/events/2021/5/9/greenham-common-40th-anniversary-celebration