Queen’s Events

Date and time

Venue/Speaker

Contact/further information

Programme launch and talk

Thursday 21 February 7.15pm

Dr Olwen Purdue and Brenda Collins

Belfast City Hall

An illustrated talk on the role of women at the time 1912 – 1914, including those in domestic service and those who worked in the linen mills of Belfast.

Illustrated talk

Tuesday 26 February 7.15pm

Dr Myrtle Hill and Dr Margaret Ward

Belfast City Hall

An illustrated talk on the campaign for women’s suffrage, which challenged both unionist and nationalist politicians as women fought for their right to citizenship, filling the Grand Opera House and the Ulster Hall with supporters, controversially attacking male property and serving prison sentences in Crumlin Road Jail.

Illustrated talk

Tuesday 5 March 2013

10 am to 1.30 pm

Dr Myrtle Hill and Dr Margaret Ward

Round table discussion chaired by Fionola Meredith

Ulster Hall (Upstairs)

Unionism, nationalism and women’s fight for the vote: understanding different views through discussion and debate

Illustrated talk

Wednesday 6^th March

12.30 – 2pm

Canada Room/Council Chamber, QUB

Dr Moyra Haslett in collaboration with QGI

'Claiming a place: group portraits of women, 1779-2003'.

International Women’s Day Rally

Friday 8 March

Leaving from the Art College at 12.00

This annual International Women’s Day rally will leave from the Art College at 12.00 and march through the city streets with singers, dancers and colourful banners.  This year the theme of Commemoration and Celebration will see some women dressed as suffragettes.  Everyone is welcome on this rally which leads to a big welcome from the Lord Mayor at the City Hall and a reception for women’s groups in the Mayor’s Parlour.

Ulster Hall   Programme of Events

Friday 8th March

Events throughout the day 10am -3.30pm

Ulster Hall

10am - 12pm:  Writing from the Past

Using archive material, create a piece of work about one of the amazing women who helped to shape Belfast.  Facilitated by local writer, Emily Dedakis.

10am – 12 pm: Photography in Response

Explore the issues raised by our International Women’s Day photography exhibition by local artist Joanne Mullin – themed on the spaces contemporary women inhabit – and respond by taking your own photos.

1pm - 2pm: Soul Ambition  Sofa Session

Tracy Dempsey presents a bite-sized slice of the best in female-driven music, art and the spoken word.  You do not need a ticket or to book in advance of this event.

2.30pm – 3.30pm: African Song and Drum Workshop hosted by Beyond Skin

Join Donna, a musician, teacher and mother from Uganda, as she takes you to Africa through music, song and storytelling... educational, therapeutic and great fun! Suitable for both musicians and non-musicians.  

Dangerous Women and Women in Danger

8^th – 9^th March 2013

Queen’s University Belfast

Conference Organisers:

Ruth Cahir, Sara Irvine, Lisa Lavery and Lynsey Stewart.

Plenary Speaker: Prof. Carol Berkin, Baruch College, New York.

You are invited to submit abstracts of papers related to this topic which could include, 

• Childbirth
• Domestic Violence
• Military Conflict
• Philanthropy
• Political Activism
• Public Institutions
• Religion
• Violent Crime

Abstracts, 200-300 words for a 20 minute paper, should be submitted by 8th February 2013 along with the proposed title, a short biography (100 words max.) and contact details to Ruth Cahir- rcahir01@qub.ac.uk. 

Conference 2013

theme: Transforming Leadership

Date:08 March 2013

Time:08:45 - 15:30

Ramada Plaza Hotel, Belfast

The Conference will be chaired by Nuala McKeever

The conference is organised by the Institute of Directors NI Division and the Chief Executive’s Forum (representing leaders in the public sector) and is sponsored by Vodafone NI.

How do you transform the leadership within organisations in the private, public and third sectors? And how do you transform your own leadership behaviour and style to effect change in your organisation? The conference range of speakers will address these issues and also give their views on the poor representation of women at boardroom level.

Cost: IoD Member price £65.00:  Non-member price £85.00 

Film Screening: The Invisible War

March 8^th 

The screening will be at 6.40pm

Queen’s Film Theatre 

QFT has arranged a special screening of the Oscar nominated documentary The Invisible War (about sexual assault in the US Military) for International Women’s Day on Go to the link for further information:

http://invisiblewarmovie.com/

Celebrating Belfast women – HERitage tours!

The tours will run on 9, 15, 18 and 28 March 2013. 

The tour will last approx 2 hours and places must be booked in advance. 

For further details please contact: Helen at WOMEN’S TEC on 028 9074 9810

The HERitage Bus Tour celebrates the valuable and diverse contribution that women have made to the city of Belfast.  You will hear about the ‘millies’ and the struggles of the women in the linen mills and weaving factories during the time of Belfast’s ‘Linenopolis’; the women imprisoned in Crumlin Road jail because of their fight for women’s right to vote; educational pioneers; anti-slavery campaigns; trade union and political activists; singers; writers; community workers and much more.  As the tour moves through the streets, we will bring to life the rich historical HERitage of women’s contribution to political and community life.  Each participant will receive an information-packed tour booklet ‘Celebrating Belfast Women’, produced by the Women’s resource and development Agency and funded by the Lottery Heritage Fund.

Shrieking Sisters’

Thursday 14 March 7.15pm

Written by Maggie Cronin and Carol Moore, performed by Maggie Cronin, Laura Hughes and Carol Moore.

Belfast City Hall

A dramatic rehearsed reading based on local archive material on the suffragette movement in Northern Ireland, entitled ‘Shrieking Sisters’. 

In the early hours of August 1st 1914 a group of suffragettes, lead by Mrs Lilian Metge attempted to blow up Lisburn Cathedral.  What made a respectable middle class supporter of women's rights resort to active militancy? 

Using a mix of new writing, original source and related material, Shrieking Sisters envisages characters and events around the Ulster Suffrage Movement between 1912 and 1914 and their struggle for votes for women 

‘Lay up your Ends’

Wednesday 20 March 7.15pm

Written by Martin Lynch and directed by Carol Moore.

Belfast City Hall

Free tickets are available for all City Hall events from the Belfast Welcome Centre.  Phone 9024 6609 or call into the Welcome Centre at 47 Donegall Place, Belfast.

Lay Up Your Ends is a play rooted in the history, culture and politics of the Belfast. Set in 1911 and centred on the famous Mill Girls’ strike of that time, the play evokes a Belfast at the peak of its geographical and industrial growth. The strike was fuelled by such harsh conditions as a six-day week; deafening levels of machine noise; working barefoot and ankle-deep in water and unrealistic rules – no talking, singing, or going to the toilet without permission. The immediate cause however was the reduction of working hours and therefore a reduction in wages. The play follows the lives of five women from York Street mill during the strike and how they were eventually forced through a lack of strike funds to return to work. Unionisation though shortly followed.