Next week a free festival will be held to celebrate the centenary of women’s suffrage in Ipswich.
Since women were first granted the vote so much has changed.
Britain got a female prime minister, Germany got a female chancellor and attitudes towards women across the world evolved beyond recognition.
But there is still so much to improve and with the 100th anniversary of the Representation of the People Act, a group of Suffolk women have come together and organised the Women’s Voices Women’s Votes Festival.
The festival will be held on Saturday October 6, and aims to celebrate the achievements of the 20th century activists whilst looking to the future and holding up the work of inspiring women in Suffolk.
What happened a hundred years ago?
This year not only marks the centenary of women’s suffrage but the end of the Great War, or First World War.
The conflict represented a marked change in how and who was involved in warfare.
Millions of men were drafted into the army of the British Empire and women flooded into the factories to replace them.
Once the war had ended the British government could no longer feasibly justify not allowing certain men to have the vote, as they had given so much to the cause.
The Representation of the People Act was passed in 1918 and granted all British men aged 21 and over the right to vote.
It also, in a move that would change British history, gave women over the age of 30 who met a property qualification the vote.
When?
The festival will be held on Saturday, October 6.
Everything kicks of at 9.30am with the festival running until 5.30am.
Where?
The Women’s Voices Women’s Votes festival will be held on the University of Suffolk campus.
The space leads to the quay in the centre of Ipswich town.
Who?
The festival has got a rather star-studded line-up when it comes to Suffolk women.
Rap artist, poet and radio presenter Angelle Joseph will be the MC for the day, and will introduce performances from the likes of The Reggae Choir, Girls Where You At, Original Born Word Goddess and Hodan Yusuf.
Helen Langton, vice chancellor of the university will be present to welcome everyone to the campus.
The day will also see a great deal of regional political involvement.
UK Youth Parliament member Meg Day, Conservative Liz Harsant and Labour’s Shelley Darwin, both of the Ipswich Borough Council, will be taking part in panel discussion during the day
Ipswich Mayor Jane Riley will also be lending her support.
What?
The day is packed full of scheduled activities with food market stalls, henna stalls, crafts, performances and exhibitions to visit throughout.
Panels discussions, talks, lectures and workshops will commence until 4.30.
An exhibition of the Women’s Femicide Quilt ‘The most beautiful project that shouldn’t exist’ with each square representing one of 598 women who were killed by a current or ex partner between 2009 and 2015 will also be there to visit.
At 11.30am and later at 3.30pm there will be a premiere of specially commissioned play ‘A Sort of Revolution’ by TUSK theatre.
The day will wrap-up with a closing plenary at 4.30pm before things officially finish at 5pm.
The event is absolutely free but to help the organisers by registering your interest go to the Eventbrite page.
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