By Janet Ekstract
ISTANBUL- For the first time in the history of the Women of the World (WOW) Festival, Istanbul will be hosting the festival at Müze Gazhane a new cultural heritage, art and creativity hub in Kadiköy. WOW, founded in 2010 by Judith (Jude) Kelly, a British theater director and producer is an opportunity for women of all cultural backgrounds and ethnicities to participate together with the goal of bringing a wide variety of organizations from the arts to NGOs to give women a platform to develop new dialogues and collaborations.
In the city Europe and Asia meet, the unique location of Müze Gazhane showcases a space that will feature top female musicians, storytellers, actors, workshops, talks and displays from both the UK and Turkey. The opening panel on March 19 will be hosted by WOW founder Kelly alongside journalist Zeynep Miraç. The discussion will focus on what it means for women to stand in solidarity in the challenging times of the 21st century.
The festival is curated by independent media outlet 5Harfliler (Five Letters) bringing authors and leaders together under the theme of “we are looking forward to having you all share and amplify feminist voices.” The WOW big ideas section will be an open stage for women of different experiences to share. The festival audience will be brought together with different NGOs in Istanbul such as the Directorate of Women and Family Services programs who also organize workshops for children attending the festival with their family.
The Istanbul festival was arranged by the organization Pozitif and through the support of the consulting firm Erişilebilir Her Şey (Anything Is Possible). The WOW festival has reached three million women across six continents in over 30 locations and provides a unique platform for women to collaborate. Its purpose is to provide a safe, inclusive space where women can share their experiences and cultural expression. The WOW philosophy is a belief in change and equality for women. The festival takes inspiration from artists, speakers, workshop leaders and NGOs from the UK and Turkey that make a difference in women’s lives.
WOW’s purpose is in supporting women and girls by highlighting challenges they face and in exploring the solutions they can find collectively to meet those challenges. British Council Head of Arts for Istanbul WOW Esra A. Aysun is the festival curator for Turkey with support from organizations including Turkcell, IKSV, Cultural Department Directorate (İBB), Anadolu Kultur, Havle, BGST and Social Policy Center (İBB). Throughout the festival there will be simultaneous translations in sign language, English and Turkish.
