Women of the World Festival at the Playhouse a “huge success”

The second Women of the World Festival, hosted by the North West Women’s Collective and London’s Southbank Centre, was held over the weekend at the Playhouse.

With over 1000 people taking part it has been hailed a “huge success” by organiser Claire McDermott and all those who attended the numerous events taking place.

Speaking yesterday Claire said, “It was a terrific weekend and I was incredibly impressed with all of the panels, keynote speeches and workshops.

“It honestly exceeded all of my expectations.

“There were over 1,000 people through the doors and there were lots of interactions as women listened and talked about a wide range of issues. Some of the workshops were full and while others garnered smaller support, it was this different dynamic that allowed those taking part to be more open and confident to speak out.

“The Women in Politics talk, hosted by Shami Chakrabarti, was incredibly popular which was so encouraging and Shami’s ‘In Conversation’ was also well attended.

“We were also encouraged by the number of young women who came to the schools sessions on the Friday.

“The session entitled ‘Why Women Stay?’ was listened to in complete silence as the speakers clearly resonated with those in the audience.

“The wrap party was also a great moment as those who had taken part and attended over the three days were able to talk about what they enjoyed most while listening to some beautiful music performed by Ruth McGinley and Rebecca Mulhern.

The Festival was brought to the city last year as part of the City of Culture celebrations and is a legacy project that the organisers hope will become an annual event in the city.

Claire said, “We have been delighted with the turnout for this year and that has given much excitement to build upon for 2015.

“We are definitely looking forward to building more connections next year.”