WOW and Factory International announce full line-up for first WOW Festival in Manchester

PRESS RELEASE - Wednesday 8 May

• SARA PASCOE TO HEADLINE SATURDAY AT WOW MANCHESTER WITH AN EVENING OF CONVERSATION AND READINGS FROM HER DEBUT NOVEL.
• SOPHIE WILLAN AND LIZ CARR DISCUSS THE CHALLENGES AND TRIUMPHS OF BEING WOMEN ON TV AND WHY REPRESENTATION MATTERS.
• ZAWE ASHTON AND GEMMA CAIRNEY ON HOW IDENTITY AND CREATIVITY INTERSECT.
• NAZANIN ZAGHARI-RATCLIFFE, RACHEL DEDMAN AND AJA BARBER EXPLORE FASHION, FREEDOM AND CHOICE - THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF GARMENTS.
• CHARLIE CRAGGS, DR LEYLA HUSSEIN, DR CAROLINA ARE, HELEN PANKHURST, GEETA PENDSE, LEANNE YAU, DR LAYAL LIVERPOOL, DR MONA EL-FARRA AND MANY MORE ADDED TO THE DAY PROGRAMME.
• THEY JOIN PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED SPEAKERS: MEL B, JORDAN STEPHENS, JULIA GILLARD, MIQUITA OLIVER, MAXINE PEAKE, CHIMENE SULEYMAN AND DJ PAULETTE.
• TOPICS WILL INCLUDE HOW RACISM IS MAKING US ILL, CHALLENGING CENSORSHIP, GENTRIFICATION, RELATIONSHIP ANARCHY, MOTHERHOOD, IDENTITY, BETTER BOYHOODS, AUTISM AND EVERYDAY FEMINISM.
• WOMEN OF THE WORLD WILL TAKE OVER AVIVA STUDIOS FROM 24 - 26 MAY 2024 FOR FIRST EVER FESTIVAL IN MANCHESTER IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FACTORY INTERNATIONAL.
• EVENING EVENTS AND DAY TICKETS NOW ON SALE.
   

WOW - Women of the World, and Factory International have today announced the full programme for WOW Manchester, which will take place at Aviva Studios from 24-26 May.

Over two days and three evenings the world’s biggest, most comprehensive festival celebrating women, girls and non-binary people comes to Manchester for the first time, bringing together inspiring speakers to celebrate the achievements of women, girls and non-binary people and find solutions to the pressing issues of gender inequality.

Sara Pascoe will join WOW Founder and CEO Jude Kelly on Saturday 25 May for an evening of conversation and readings from her debut novel Weirdo, providing insight into what it takes to craft comedic and captivating stories on the page in an evening filled with gags, entertainment and inspiration. She joins previously announced headliners Melanie Brown in conversation with Louise Gannon (Friday 24 May) and Jordan Stephens in conversation with Miquita Oliver (Sunday 26 May).

The Saturday and Sunday day programmes will each feature a different line-up offering audiences the opportunity to choose from a wide variety of events, discussions, performances and workshops, housed within a huge central marketplace as well as taking place throughout Aviva Studios’ many different spaces.