The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
THE Clare Women’s Network has announced the return of the successful Festival of Feminisms to Ennis this year.
Silence + Voice, A Festival of Feminisms 2017 will be held at Dánlann an Chláir on October 7 and 8.
According to a spokesperson for the organisers, “After a hugely successful festival in 2016, it was decided that we needed to continue and deepen the conversations started last year. Once again, we are offering 400 participants an opportunity to reflect on silence and voice in the journey of women in Ireland.
“It will be a radical, challenging, exciting and engaging weekend, filled with debate and learning, music and song, drama and poetry. The vision for the festival is that everyone who comes will actively participate and, in return, will leave energised and excited, with a renewed sense of empowerment.”
Speakers at the festival will include Brid Keenan, trauma expert; Siobhan Madden, transformative community educator; Mary McDermott, feminist philosopher; Sharon O’Halloran, CEO of Safe Ireland; Anne Marie Flanagan, disability and mental health activist and Margaretta D’Arcy, peace activist.
Also attending will be Clara Rose Thornton, activist, broadcaster and spoken word poet; Donna Sibanda Vuma, from Zimbabwe, a tireless advocate for asylum-seekers’ rights and founder member of MASI – Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland; Maria Dempsey, speaking about the effects and affects of emotional trauma on families after domestic murder; the Galway Traveller Movement and many other speakers across many issues.
These speakers will be joined by a host of musicians, singers, poets, artists and storytellers to make the festival a feast for all those who attend.
By Jessica Quinn
