Poet in the City’s Herstory Festival lands this March

Coming to Newcastle City Library on 23rd March, the Herstory Festival brings together poets, activists, librarians, curators and communities to explore the unfinished fight for women's rights in the UK through electrifying live performance, intimate installations and enlivening discussions.

Produced by Poet in the City in partnership with the British Library, the festival takes place over two days in Newcastle City Library with audiences online able to join and contribute to key events, igniting a national conversation.

New poems by Newcastle Herstory poet's Ellen Moran, Sky Hawkins and Degna Stone will be performed live in a series of events that combine spoken word with music, cookery, promenade and manifesto-making, including an event finale performance.

About their involvement in Newcastle Herstory, commissioned poet Degna Stone said: "Newcastle Herstory finale performance will bring people together as an act of protest and celebration, marking a commitment to the continuation of the work that generations of women had undertaken in the pursuit of equality and safety before us. The performed poems firmly celebrate women; my poems celebrate women like Sophia Duleep Singh and Olive Morris, who improved the lives of others through fearless action. Other poems take inspiration from the artists' Joy Gregory, Jo Spence and Kadija Saye to explore the relationship between how we see ourselves and how others see us."

Newcastle highlights from the festival programme include: 

• Movement workshop with What's That Dance to empower women in response to a screening of their film dare you: Question The Love Between Girls followed by a Q&A.
• Jazz Witch is a live risqué soiree from poet and activist Radikal Queen incorporating song, spoken word, and digital media to explore the myth, the truth, and the taboo of love, creativity, and systemic power. Jazz Witch centres Black MaGe (marginalised genders) experiences and speaks with an irrepressible, pioneering and extraordinary voice.
• Embrace your inner pirate and smash the patriarchy whilst learning all about famous female Pirate, dissident and rebel, Anne Bonny in this fun workshop with theatre maker, performer and artist Lindsay Nicholson.
• Take in an immersive audio play telling the story of the Newcastle Witch Trials in 1650 from theatre company Magpies and Hellcats.
• Welcome to Our City paper guide will be available for festival attendees to pick up; featuring the work of writer and creative producer Bridget Hamilton and ten young people from Excelsior College in Newcastle's West End, together they have designed a brand new city which is safe for women and other minorities. 
• Talks from the likes of Trustee and founding member of Rape Crisis Tyneside and Northumberland Penny Remfry, live music, discussions and work presented that reimagines Newcastle, as a place that cares for women. 

Theatre maker, performer, artist and Newcastle Herstory contributor Lindsay Nicholson said: "For Newcastle Herstory, I wanted to reframe the feminist narrative; start with one where women are unapologetically visible, knowingly respected and admired as care takers. But to start that, we have to disrupt and create some "good" trouble, we may have to explore our own forms of dissidence and rebellion. That's what my drop-in, the relaxed fun workshop is all about – learning about a famous rebel, the female pirate Anne Bonny and creating a contemporary brand of feminist piracy, one where women are visible, take up space and stand tall." 

The Herstory festival programme has been created through an open call that put local artists, communities and women at its centre - bringing together new ideas and fostering creative networks. Tickets are FREE and available now at https://www.poetinthecity.co.uk/event/herstory-festival