The full event listings for Wonder Women, running across Manchester 1 – 31 March 2015.
Throughout
EXHIBITION. One Thing: Community Space Exhibition Opening
Asylum seekers are often forced to flee with few possessions, such as a treasured photograph or favoured ornament, which become invested with great significance. The One Thing display, produced by the Pod Collective, brings together images of objects brought to the UK by asylum seekers, alongside objects from Manchester Jewish Museum’s collection. This exhibition asks its audience to consider what objects they hold precious, what stories they can tell – and asks how we might tell them. Manchester Jewish museum, 2 March – 30 June, 10am-4pm, free with museum admission.
TOUR. A Closer Look Tour: International Women’s Day
To mark International Women’s Day 2015, discover the personal stories of inspirational women who played ground-breaking roles in times of conflict. Learn of the Suffragettes’ response to the outbreak of the First World War, led by Manchester’s famous Pankhurst family. Find out how women took on new roles, including the fearless nurses Elsie Knocker and Mairi Chisholm, who set up an emergency treatment station just 50 yards from the front line. Imperial War Museum North, daily 2 March – 31 March, 3.30pm, free. Ideal for ages 14+
EXHIBITION. Superior Goods and Household Gods
A new exhibition co-curated by Castlefield Gallery and artist Sarah Hardacre. Featuring print, sculptural collage, film and performance the works in the exhibition comment on the pervasive nature of consumerist ideology and its affect on our desires. Castlefield Gallery, 5 March – 19 April, free.
Sunday 1 March
TALK. Radical Jewish Women: A talk by Rosalyn Livshin
From anarchists in the 1900s, to communists in the 1920s and anti-fascists in the 1930s, Jewish women in Manchester have been defying traditional conventions and have been active in radical political circles. These women will be the focus of this talk with historian Rosalyn Livshin, who will build on her PhD research into political non-conformity in Manchester’s Jewish Community between 1889 and 1939 to explore women’s roles in Manchester’s radical political movements – and the impact they had within the Jewish community. Manchester Jewish Museum, 2pm, free.
EXHIBITION. Celebrating 40 Years of Women’s Aid
The National Women’s Aid Federation, the first national domestic violence organisation bringing together nearly 40 refuge services across the country, was set up in 1974. For the first time there was a national body to co-ordinate the campaign for new laws and policies, and to improve support for women and children experiencing domestic violence. This exhibition features a small selection of the many thousands of people involved in the last 40 years of Women’s Aid’s history, development and achievements. The Pankhurst Centre, 11am-4pm, open every Sunday in March, free.
Monday 2 March
EVENT. Snapshot on Campaigning Women
Did you know that the People’s History Museum holds an archive of over 80,000 photographs? Go behind the scenes and delve into two of our unique photo collections – the Labour Party photograph collection and the Communist Party of Great Britain photograph collection. In this lunchtime drop-in session, browse through photographs on the theme of the Campaigning Women, and uncover history through the lens. Suitable for adults. People’s History Museum, 12.30pm-1.30pm, booking advised.
Tuesday 3 March
WORKSHOP. Take Notice: De-stress with art for International Women’s Day
Take time out of your busy day and experience artworks within the gallery in a calming and rejuvenating way. Using mindfulness techniques, you will be guided to explore specially selected works linked with International Women’s Day in this free lunchtime session. Recent research has shown that practising mindfulness can reduce stress, lift your mood and improve memory and concentration. It’s free and no previous experience is required. Simply come along and join in. Manchester Art Gallery, 12.15pm-12.45pm and 1-1.30pm, free.
Wednesday 4 March
DISCUSSION. Lunchtime Art Bites for International Women’s Day
Like to talk about art and life with other people? Join us for this lunchtime discussion about two artworks on display. Just turn up and see what other people think and contribute your thoughts and ideas. Discussions are led by a member of gallery staff or a trained volunteer. Meet in the Atrium near the main information desk in the centre of the building. Manchester Art Gallery, 12.30pm-1pm, free.
TOUR. Women in World War One
One hundred years ago the men of Manchester went to war and the women waited. The world changed for women too – they worked and were propelled into a new age. Find out how today. Manchester Guided Tours, meet at Manchester Town Hall Steps, 6.30pm, £7/£6 concs. Just turn up, no need to book. Contact: Jean Bailo 07812 129 754.
Thursday 5 March
TOUR. Mrs Gaskell the First Multi-Tasker
‘In the hour since breakfast I have had to decide on the following variety of important questions: boiled beef – how long to boil? What perennials will do in Manchester smoke?’ These lines are from a letter by the author Elizabeth Gaskell, describing her hectic lifestyle in Manchester. A busy wife, mother, manager and famous author, Gaskell was beset by the same concerns that affect “multi-taskers” today. We finish with a virtual tour of the beautiful, fascinating and newly reopened Plymouth Grove – Gaskell’s former home in Manchester. Manchester Guided Tours at Archives +, Central Library, 5pm, free, book via joannebailey@archivesplus.org
WORKSHOP. I’ve Been Thinking…
Are you a girl or woman with an opinion? Do you want your voice to be heard? What are you passionate about? We want to know what’s important to you, and why. Join us for a series of creative workshops that bring together girls and women from across Greater Manchester to discuss and debate topics that matter to them. You will work with a writer to turn your thoughts and ideas into short speeches and scripts, and with a director who will help you to find imaginative ways of delivering your speech to an audience. Royal Exchange, 5 March – 2 April. Two groups, one for women aged 14-21; one for women over 21. 5pm-6.30pm (young people), 7pm-8.30pm (adults). Free.
TALK. Marie Stopes & Married Love
In 1918, just before the end of World War One, Marie Stopes published a book called Married Love. It was a manual designed to help with “sex difficulties”, it said that men and women should be equal partners within marriage, and that both partners should be satisfied within the “act of love”. Officially castigated by the press and the church, it sold in thousands and Marie began her working life as the first female lecturer at Manchester University. This was the only 20th century book to be included in Melvyn Bragg’s Twelve Books that Changed the World – find out why. Manchester Guided Tours Talks at Archives+, 6.30pm, free. Booking via joannebailey@archivesplus.org
TALK. Women in Art
This talk will take a look at female artists and focus on artworks by women in the newly rehung Victorian Gallery at Salford Museum & Art Gallery. 2pm, tickets £2.
EVENT. In Emergency Break Glass: NMP3
From suffragettes smashing windows in the galleries to a breath-taking exhibition of female surrealists, Manchester has a rich heritage of stereotype-smashing women. Yet society, and the art world, is still dominated by men. In Emergency Break Glass brings together the North West’s best emerging women creatives to challenge the male-dominated artistic canon, respond to the gallery’s artworks and inspire attendees. This is an emergency. Join us in smashing patriarchy with art. The No More Page 3 Thursday Late ‘take over’ is in collaboration with For Book’s Sake, Mighty Heart Theatre and Stirred Poetry. Manchester Art Gallery, 6-8pm, free.
TALK. Women in Architecture
This talk looks at women in architecture from historical and contemporary perspectives and features presentations from academics and practitioners. The full line of speakers is to be announced shortly. Manchester Metropolitan University Special Collections, 1.30pm-4pm. Free, but booking is required.
WALK. Women Thinkers & Drinkers
Celebrating International Women’s Week and the women of Manchester, with a pub tour and a few drinks. Manchester Guided Tours, Meet at People’s History Museum, 6.30pm, tickets £7/£6 concs. Just turn up, no need to book. Contact Jean Bailo 07812 129 754
Saturday 7 March
EVENT. Manchester Women Biking Through
The day will include a screening of the film Half the Road, which explores the passion, pitfalls and power behind women’s professional cycling, as well as a talk by Dr Shelia Hanlon and exhibition on Cycling to Suffrage. There will also be a photography exhibition and time for socialising. People’s History Museum, 1pm-5pm, open to all, book for the film and talk.
WALK. The Pankhursts: Suffragette City
Manchester became Suffragette City, but it took a generation and many thousands of broken windows for women to secure the vote. This walk by Ed Glinert is in memory of the Pankhursts – Emmeline, Christabel and Sylvia – fierce campaigners, resolute radicals, recalling their city centre haunts and outlining their struggle. New Manchester Walks, meet at the Midland Hotel, 12pm, tickets £7/£6 conc.
EVENT. Open House at The Pankhurst Centre
The Pankhurst Centre are encouraging current and former users to attend an Open House Day looking at objects in the collection to prepare for an exhibition in June 2015 celebrating the lives, creativity and history of the women of The Pankhurst Centre. People are invited to bring photographs, objects memories and stories related to the Pankhurst Centre as part of International Women’s Day Celebrations. The Pankhurst Centre, 12pm-4pm, free.
WALK. The Women of Peterloo
In association with International Women’s Day, this walk will recall the often-forgotten force behind the infamous Peterloo Massacre of 1819, in particular Mary Fildes, leader of the Manchester Female Reform Group who was singled out by the military for execution that fateful day. New Manchester Walks, meet at the Midland Hotel, 2.30pm, tickets £7/£6 conc.
TALK. Tansy Hoskins presents Stitched Up
We mark International Women’s Day this year with a talk by Tansy Hoskins about her book Stitched Up – The Anti-Capitalist Book of Fashion. Moving between Karl Lagerfeld and Karl Marx, Stitched Up delves into the alluring world of fashion, exploring consumerism, class, and garment factories to reveal the real beneficiaries of exploitation. Working Class Movement Library, 2pm, free.
TOUR. John Rylands Library
Join us on a tour of the Library exploring the role that Enriqueta Rylands and other women have played in shaping our library and the history of Manchester. The John Rylands Library, 3pm-4pm, free.
TALK. The Women Who Made Manchester
Manchester has long been known for its strong women, but when did they start to appear, who were they and what were the circumstances that gave them the opportunity to make their marks? We all know some of their names; Gaskell, Pankhurst, Rylands, but what do you know about Raffald, Wolstenholme, Mitchell? Manchester’s women have shaken society for centuries – too many have been forgotten. Manchester Guided Tours Talks at Archives+, Central Library, 12pm, free, booking via joannebailey@archivesplus.org
TALK. The Pankhursts: First Family of Feminism
Emmeline Pankhurst was a Manchester woman who shook Edwardian society by its whalebone stays. Along with her daughters, Christobel, Sylvia and Adela, they revolutionised the suffragette movement with their motto “Deeds, Not Words”. But were they valiant role models or manipulative troublemakers? Hear the story of the radical Manchester family who catapulted the fight for women’s suffrage to the top of the public and political agenda. Manchester Guided Tours Talks at Archives+, Central Library, 1.30pm, free booking via joannebailey@archivesplus.org
TALK. Annie Horniman and Manchester Theatres
In an age where women were just beginning to strike out for themselves, Annie Horniman is the woman credited with founding repertory theatre right here in Manchester. Annie decided that Manchester, with all its raucous Music Halls and Vaudeville style venues, was in need of an injection of culture – so the Gaiety Theatre opened its doors to welcome the new style of theatre. The Gaiety Theatre has long since disappeared from Peter Street, but Annie’s legacy remains – find out more about her story in the free talk. Manchester Guided Tours Talks at Archives+, Central Library, 3.30pm, free booking via joannebailey@archivesplus.org
WORKSHOP. Forensic Science: A bog body mystery
Take part in a hands-on practical science workshop with Biomolecular Archaeologist, Konstantina Drosou. Konstantina will describe her current research, which involves extracting and analysing ancient human DNA. The workshop will explore the real-life applications of this research and will give you the opportunity to use our scientific equipment in The Lab. Take on the role of a forensic expert to solve the mystery of some unknown human remains. Manchester Museum, 1.30pm-4.30pm, free, booking is required. Suitable for adults.
FESTIVAL. Sugar & Spice
Sugar & Spice is The Lesbian & Gay Foundation’s annual celebration of International Women’s Day for lesbian and bisexual women. This free festival features workshops in taekwondo, activism and being a drag king, as well as panel discussions, an after party and much more. Sugar & Spice is Manchester’s biggest free event for lesbian and bisexual women – events are already selling out. Various venues, 7 March – 8 March, times vary. Free, but booking is required.
TOUR. Women in Art
Take in this free tour looking at some of our favourite women in art. Manchester Art Gallery, 2pm-3pm, free.
WALK. “Manchester First in the Fight”: The story of Votes for Women, 1866-1918 Led by historian Michael Herbert, this walk will tell the story of the campaign for “Votes for Women” in which Manchester played a major role. We will encounter the leading figures of the suffragist and suffragette movement including Lydia Becker, Esther Roper, Eva Gore-Booth, Annie Kenney, Hannah Mitchell and the Pankhurst family. Red Flag Walks, meet at Friends Meeting House, Mount Street, 11.30am, tickets £7. Advanced booking is recommended.
PERFORMANCE. Spies
Discover the dangerous role played by British female Special Operations Executive agents parachuted into France as wireless operators during the Second World War through special, 15 minute performances. Imperial War Museum North, performances 11.15am, 12.15pm, 1.15pm & 2.15pm, free.
FAMILY. Family weekends at IWM North
Explore stories of inspiring women who did remarkable things in times of conflict. Decorate your own t-shirt inspired by iconic designs from our exhibitions, including a Suffragette scarf on display in the From Street to Trench exhibition, and objects from the Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp. IWM North, all day, free.
Sunday 8 March
EXHIBITION. Women in Medicine: Online
During the Wonder Women season the Museum of Medicine and Health will launch its first digital exhibition, Women in Medicine. The Museum of Medicine and Health contains a vast and diverse array of artefacts dating from the 16th century to the present day but, due to space limitations, the Museum does not have permanent displays. This exhibition will be hosted across various digital applications, exploring and unlocking the fascinating histories of Women in Medicine. The Museum of Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester.
EXHIBITION. Celebrating 40 Years of Women’s Aid
See Sunday 1 March. The Pankhurst Centre, 11am-4pm, open every Sunday in March, free.
PERFORMANCE. The Hard Way Up: A Suffragette’s Story
Watch our Living History character, who is based on the life of suffragette Hannah Mitchell. She spoke out for women and the poor, becoming a peace campaigner after World War I. This event has been supported by a grant from Manchester City Council. People’s History Museum, 1.15pm-2pm, family friendly, suitable for over 7s, booking required.
WALK. Manchester’s Heroic Women
Hannah Mitchell, who challenged Churchill at St John’s School during the Suffragette era. Annie Horniman, who established Britain’s first repertory theatre company. Kathleen Ollerenshaw, who overcame deafness to become Lord Mayor, a leading educationalist and mathematician. Sylvia Pankhurst, Britain’s greatest political campaigner. These are just some of Manchester’s heroic women, praised on a walk run in association with International Women’s Day. New Manchester Walks, meet at the Midland Hotel, 12pm, tickets £7/£6 conc.
EVENT. The History Wardrobe
To mark international Women’s day we welcome back The History Wardrobe.The history of the fight for the vote are is vivid through beautiful costumes and lively readings from the Edwardian age and the 1920s – a time of extraordinary political changes and remarkable personal histories. Salford Museum & Art Gallery, 11am, tickets £8/£7 conc. Booking essential.
TOUR. The Achievements of Female Pharmacists
This tour of the Victorian pharmacy at the Salford Museum and Art Gallery celebrates the achievements of female pharmacists, who, until 1879, were refused membership to the Pharmaceutical Society and, though they could practice, had no rights. It will be followed by tea, coffee and cakes in the Museum Café (included in the ticket price). Salford Museum and Art Gallery, tours start 1.15pm and 2pm, ticket prices vary.
TOUR. Faces and Places: The Women of Ordsall Hall
Find out about some of the amazing women who have called Ordsall Hall home in this special tour. Ordsall Hall, 1.30pm & 2.30pm, tickets £2, no booking required.
FAMILY. Family weekends at IWM North
See Sunday 7 March for details. IWM North, all day, free.
WALK. Wonder Women Through the Ages
Are the cliches right? Behind every good man, is there a good woman? This walk will explore how times are constantly changing for women. Manchester Guided Tours, meet at Manchester Visitor Information Centre, Portland Street, 10am, tickets £7/£6 conc. No need to book. Contact Jean Bailo 07812 129 754
Q&A. Dispersal Newspaper Project
The Dispersal project will engage fifteen women affected by the Dispersal Act to highlight the 15th anniversary of the Act. Through focused workshops the women will compile a newspaper with their visual and written stories. Join this question and answer session with participants from the Dispersal newspaper project – hear their stories and get your copy of the newspaper. John Rylands Library, 3pm-4pm, free. More information about the project, here.
FESTIVAL. Sugar & Spice
See 7 March for details. Various venues, 7 March – 8 March, times vary. Free, but booking is required.
Monday 9 March
EXHIBITION. Still We Rise
Through photographs, dance, song, drama, poetry and spoken word “Still We Rise” communicates the stark realities of life, and the injustices faced, by women seeking sanctuary in the UK. The women express their resilience and resistance to the ultimate inhumanity experienced within the asylum system at Yarl’s Wood Detention Centre. People’s History Museum, 9-29 March, 10am-5pm, free.
TOUR. A Feminist Tour
A walk through the People’s History Museum galleries with a focus on all things women! Join University of Manchester Researchers in Residence Camilla Rostvik and Lucy Johnson, exploring their perspectives and ongoing research of the PHM galleries. People’s History Museum, 3pm-3.45pm, booking required. Suitable for adults and young people.
Wednesday 11 March
TOUR. Meet the Women of Lark Hill Place
A look at the women who feature in the Victorian Street Lark Hill Place and their fascinating history. Salford Museum & Art Gallery, 6.30pm, tickets £5 (includes a glass of wine). Booking essential.
DISCUSSION. Lunchtime Art Bites for International Women’s Day
See Wed 4 March. Manchester Art Gallery, 12.30pm-1pm, free.
Thursday 12 March
TALK. Vanishing for the Vote
Talk by Jill Liddington on her book Vanishing for the Vote: Suffrage, Citizenship and the Battle for the Census, which looks at the suffragette census boycott in Manchester and beyond. On census night 1911, Manchester boasted the largest mass evasion of the census outside London. Why? And what role was played by the Men’s League for Women’s Suffrage Manchester branch? Find out at this talk. John Rylands Library, 5.30pm-7pm, free, but booking is required.
Saturday 14 March
PERFORMANCE. Still We Rise
This performance accompanies the Still We Rise exhibition at People’s History Museum (see Monday 9 March). Through photographs, dance, song, drama, poetry and spoken word “Still We Rise” communicates the stark realities of life, and the injustices faced, by women seeking sanctuary in the UK. The women express their resilience and resistance to the ultimate inhumanity experienced within the asylum system at Yarl’s Wood Detention Centre. People’s History Museum, 12pm-2pm, booking required.
TOUR. John Rylands Library
See Sunday 7 March for details. The John Rylands Library, 3pm-4pm, free.
THEATRE. Nirbhaya
On December 16 2012, a young woman boarded a bus in Delhi heading for home but never reached her destination. With an extraordinary cast from India, writer and director Yaël Farber brings us a blistering evocation of that terrible night, and the ripples of change it set in motion. This award-winning play cracks open the cone of silence around women whose lives have been shattered by violence. Contact Theatre, 8pm, tickets £15/£10 conc. Over 16s only. Post show talk. Part of SICK! Festival 2015.
FAMILY. Family weekends at IWM North
See Sunday 7 March for details. IWM North, all day, free.
Sunday 15 March
THEATRE. Nirbhaya
See Saturday 14 March for details. Contact Theatre, 8pm, tickets £15/£10 conc. Over 16s only. Post show talk. Part of SICK! Festival 2015.
FAMILY. Family weekends at IWM North
See Sunday 7 March for details. IWM North, all day, free.
EXHIBITION. Celebrating 40 Years of Women’s Aid
See Sunday 1 March. The Pankhurst Centre, 11am-4pm, open every Sunday in March, free.
SALON. Patron Saint of Prostitutes
A Sunday Salon with author of Patron Saint of Prostitutes: Josephine Butler and a Victorian Scaldal Helen Mathers, and historian of sexuality Jana Funke. Victorian feminist Josephine Butler campaigned against laws that abused prostitutes, in an effort that meshed with the campaigns in Manchester at the time. This event, which is supported by The Wellcome Trust Sexology Season, includes a Q&A with the author and book signing. People’s History Museum, 2pm-3pm, tea and cake from 1.30pm, booking required.
Monday 16 March
TOUR. Wollstonecraft at the People’s History Museum
Join Researchers in Residence Camilla Rostvik and Lucy Johnson to explore the legacy and feminism of Mary Wollstonecraft on a unique tour through the museum galleries. People’s History Museum, 3pm-3.45pm, booking required.
Wednesday 18 March
DISCUSSION. Lunchtime Art Bites for International Women’s Day
See Wed 4 March. Manchester Art Gallery, 12.30pm-1pm, free.
Thursday 19 March
WORKSHOP. Take Notice: De-stress with art for International Women’s Day
For full details, see Tuesday 3 March. Manchester Art Gallery, 5.15pm-5.45pm and 6-6.30pm, free.
TALK. Women in Art
This talk will take a look at female artists and focus on artworks by women in the newly rehung Victorian Gallery at Salford Museum & Art Gallery. 2pm, tickets £2.
Friday 20 March
TALK. Women in Art
For full details see Thur 5 March. Salford Museum & Art Gallery, 2pm, tickets £2.
Saturday 21 March
FAMILY. Family weekends at IWM North
See Sunday 7 March for details. IWM North, all day, free.
DISCUSSION. Mary Quaile Day
Mary Quaile was an Irish migrant to Manchester who became one of the most well-known trade unionists in Britain in the 1920s, and the Mary Quaile Club was established to hold regular events on working class history and its links with contemporary political issues Quaile has inspired this series of discussions on the themes of trade unionism, class, peace, race and migration, nationalism, feminism and socialism. The speakers will include Selma James (Global Women’s Strike), Ciara O’Sullivan (Mary Quaile Club), Alison Ronan (historian), Natalie McGarry (Women for Independence, Scotland) and Hannah Ravenscroft (UNITE shop steward, Vauxhall). Lincoln Room, Methodist Central Hall, 10am-4.30pm, tickets £5/£1 conc.
TOUR. John Rylands Library
See Sunday 7 March for details. The John Rylands Library, 3pm-4pm, free.
FILM. Sylvia Pankhurst: Everything is Possible
In conjunction with a Sylvia Pankhurst Heritage Bike Tour starting from Platt Fields Costume Museum at 12pm, Manchester Film Co-op is hosting a premier screening of Sylvia Pankhurst: Everything is Possible, a feature-length documentary from 2011 that traces Sylvia Pankhurst’s ideas, campaigns and political life. It is packed with little-known facts from primary sources, rare archive imagery, interviews with historians and compelling testimony from Sylvia’s son, Richard Pankhurst and his wife Rita. People’s History Museum, 2.30pm-4pm, tickets £6/£3 conc. Suitable for ages seven and up.
EXHIBITION. Celebrating 40 Years of Women’s Aid
See Sunday 1 March. The Pankhurst Centre, 11am-4pm, open every Sunday in March, free.
PERFORMANCE. In My Lady’s Chamber
Come and listen to the gossip as the servant maid describes the goings on at the Hall in 15 minute performances throughout the afternoon. Ordsall Hall, 1.30pm-3.30pm, free.
FAMILY. Family weekends at IWM North
See Sunday 7 March for details. IWM North, all day, free.
Monday 23 March
TALK. Campaigners, Conductors & Canaries: Salford women in WWI
A new talk looking at the effect of the global conflict on women in Salford, their lives and roles. Salford Museum & Art Gallery, 2pm, tickets £2, no booking required.
Wednesday 25 March
DISCUSSION. Lunchtime Art Bites for International Women’s Day
See Wed 4 March. Manchester Art Gallery, 12.30pm-1pm, free.
Thursday 26 March
EVENT. Pankhurst in the Gallery
Pankhurst in the Gallery will celebrate the life and work of Emmeline Pankhurst. Inspired by Manchester Art Gallery’s fashion collections, the event will explore the Suffragette movement in terms of fashion activism and empowerment. An inclusive event for any gender, people will be invited to dress in the Suffragette colours of green, purple and white for the evening – and also from the gallery’s collections. The evening includes a showcase and sale of artworks, music from female DJs, a clothes-making workshop, a performance from Naomi Kashiwagi and video projections. Alexandra Arts ‘take over’ Thursday Lates, Manchester Art Gallery, 6.00pm – 8.00pm, free.
EVENT. Sex and the Stereotype
This evening of art, live music, performance and debate questions how sexual stereotypes affect how society views women – and how women view themselves. From Cornelia Parker’s latest show to a feminist version of the Whitworth’s famous pub quiz, join the gallery as it questions sex and the stereotype. Part of the Wellcome Trust Sexology Season. The Whitworth, 6-9pm, free.
Saturday 28 March
EVENT. The Ladies’ Room at Stevenson Square.
Historically Stevenson Square was declared the meeting point for protest marches, political speeches and newspaper readings. Now, the long boarded-over underground toilets in the centre of the square become the focal point for The Ladies Room, a day long programme of talks, workshops, tours and performances delivered by current women, and in dedication to historical ones.
TOUR. John Rylands Library
See Sunday 7 March for details. The John Rylands Library, 3pm-4pm, free.
Q&A. Dispersal Newspaper Project
For full details, see Sunday 8 March. John Rylands Library, 4pm-5pm, free. More information about the project, here.
WALK. “Up Then Brave Women”: The story of Manchester’s radical women
This walk will look at the role of women in Manchester’s radical movements including the Owenite feminists, Socialist women, Mary and Lizzy Burns, women writers on the Manchester Guardian and Mrs Gaskell. The walk will led by historian Michael Herbert whose book “Up Then Brave Women”: Manchester’s Radical Women 1819-1918, was published in 2012. Red Flag Walks, meet at Co-operative Bank, Corporation Street, 11.30am, tickets £7. Advanced booking recommended: redflagwalks@gmail.com
FAMILY. Family weekends at IWM North
See Sunday 7 March for details. IWM North, all day, free.
EXHIBITION: The Innovation Race: Manchester’s Makers Join the First World War
Britain is facing a munitions crisis in WWI. Lloyd George calls for help – and Manchester’s makers respond. From shell production and sprinkler systems, to Ferranti fuzes and aerial cameras, Manchester’s makers waged war from the shop floor and turned their factories into weapons of mass production, changing the role of women in the workplace forever. Visit our WWI theatre jukebox, design your own defence technology and find out why British victory could have been determined by a seagull at this new exhibition. MOSI, 10am-5pm, 28 March 2015 – 1 March 2016, free.
Sunday 29 March
EXPLORE. Collection Encounters
Find out more about our unique collection on the theme of Women. John Rylands Library, 1pm-4pm, free.
TOUR. John Rylands Library
See Sunday 7 March for details. The John Rylands Library, 3pm-4pm, free.
EXHIBITION. Celebrating 40 Years of Women’s Aid
See Sunday 1 March. The Pankhurst Centre, 11am-4pm, open every Sunday in March, free.
FAMILY. Family weekends at IWM North
See Sunday 7 March for details. IWM North, all day, free.
COMEDY. Laughing Cows
Laughing Cows Comedy is the longest running comedy club with an all-female line-up in certainly in the UK, possibly in Europe, maybe even in the world! Stand up from Holly Burns, Mandy Toothill and Kerry Leigh. The Frog and Bucket, 8pm, advance tickets £7/£9 on the door.
Monday 30 March
THEATRE. When I Feel Like Crap, I Google Kim Kardashian Fat
Mighty Heart Theatre invite you to explore what it means to be a woman. This is a performance that uses verbatim interviews with real women at its heart, opening up a conversation on self-esteem, body image, celebrity culture and the representation of women. Come and join in the conversation! Gullivers pub, time tbc, tickets £5.
Tuesday 31 March
THEATRE. When I Feel Like Crap, I Google Kim Kardashian Fat
For full details, see Monday 30 March. Gullivers pub, time tbc, tickets £5.