Women of the World
Katherine 20 – 22 September, 2013
In 2013 Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts and Culture Centre (GYRACC) in Katherine, NT was selected to be one of only two Australian venues to hold the international WOW Festival. WOW stands for ‘Women of the World’ and is a global festival that celebrates the strength and achievements of women. It was developed by the Jude Kelly, Artistic Director of the Southbank Centre in London and is now in its third year. For Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts and Culture Centre, in only its first year of operation, it was a huge honour to be chosen to host such an important global event and to have the opportunity to present the voices and culture of Indigenous and non-Indigenous women from remote Australia.
WOW is a festival where people of all ages and backgrounds can celebrate women’s achievements but also examine the obstacles that prevent them from achieving their full potential and contributing to the world. WOW presents the very best of recognised and emerging female talent across all fields including politics, the arts, economics, fashion, science, health, sport, business and education, and is made up of keynotes, talks, performances, exhibitions, workshops and networking opportunities. The WOW Festivals are scalable and are derived from local issues, concerns and agendas. The WOW festival at Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts and Culture Centre focused on Indigenous and non-Indigenous women’s concerns in the Northern Territory.
GYRACC is a bi-cultural organisation with practical reconciliation at its core. Its board is made up of 6 Indigenous and 6 non-Indigenous members, half of whom are women. These unique characteristics inspired WOW London to engage in this cultural collaboration, which harnessed the experience and global networks of Southbank, London to assist WOW Katherine in developing the festival and attracting talent. GYRACC Director Cath Bowdler was the Co-artistic Director of the Festival with support from Jude Kelly and Cathy Hunt.
WOW Katherine brought considerable cultural and economic benefits to the Katherine region as a number of celebrated Indigenous and non-Indigenous women met to discuss issues and showcase their talents. The active involvement of Indigenous women and young people was key to its success, with one of the key aims to inspire Indigenous women through the stories of their role models. Lisa Mumbin, a Jawoyn leader and GYRACC Board member acted as the Cultural Advisor for WOW Katherine to liaise and ensure cultural protocols are followed and to advise on Indigenous women’s concerns. The Administrator of the NT, the Hon Sally Thomas was Patron of WOW Katherine and participated on a keynote panel. WOW is not a women’s only event. Like the London WOW men’s interaction and support is seen as integral to the process.
WOW Katherine 2013 tackled issues including Women and Leadership, Women and Health and Women and the Law. Other topics on the program were Remote Living, Overcoming Obstacles, the Grass Ceiling, Women in the Arts and Young People in remote places. Speakers included Jude Kelly, Artistic Director Southbank London, Clare Martin, Pricilla Collins (CEO NAAJA), Indigenous artist Regina Wilson, Therese Richie, the Hon Sally Thomas, Kim Mahood, Dr Shirley Randall (empowering women in Rwanda), Borroloola Dancers, Tjanpi weavers.
Cath Bowdler 