Devon United Women & Exeter Phoenix presents
International Women’s Festival 2026
Saturday 14th March 2026
Exeter Phoenix
Gandy St. Exeter, EX4 3LS
Free entry to the festival, and all the activities, performances and workshops including music, dance, stalls, spoken word, speakers, and poetry are also free. Stalls and art on display.
Click here for our programme.
The festival is dedicated to the memory of Josie Sutcliffe
This year’s theme: Women’s Voices Rising For Change
International Women’s Festival 2026 takes place to mark our celebration of International Women’s Day.
We are strongly committed to women’s rights and believe it is essential to unite all communities. This festival is a celebration of women’s achievements—those who have inspired generations and actively championed equality, campaigning to accelerate action, improve conditions, and ensure women can walk safely and live free from fear.
This year’s festival is in memory of Josie Sutcliffe, co-founder and co-director of Dreadnought South West. Josie dedicated her life to humanity, and in particular fiercely campaigned for women’s rights.
Devon United Women, in collaboration with Multilingua Devon and the host, Exeter Phoenix Art Centre, will present the International Women Festival on Saturday March 14th, 2026. This comprehensive programme is designed for all communities to come together to enjoy, share experiences, deepen their understanding of women’s issues and achievements, and continue the vital campaign for the recognition and realization of women’s rights.
Click here for Discussion Panels • Music • Workshops • Family & Children’s Activities
Arrival at Exeter Phoenix Café at 10:30 for networking.
The festival starts at 10:30 until 16:00.
STUDIO 74
Discussion panels start at 11:00
GAZA INSPIRING WOMEN – A SHORT FILM SCREENING
A session with some inspiring women from Gaza, and a short film to reflect a situation where women tried to live as normal life as they could. The screening explores the war’s impact on the people, women in Gaza and their families, taking a stand, raising their voices for hope and a bright future regardless of their wounds.
WOMEN’S VOICES SHAPING SAFE SUPPORT
CoLab Women support over 300 women facing multiple disadvantages each year to access specialist services. Part of their offer is ensuring that women have a voice in shaping services and support, and the issues that affect them. This session will look at how we can amplify the voices of women who are often hidden or silenced towards creating system change that will improve their lives. The session will be facilitated by Jeanie Lynch, Head of Service for CoLab Women. CoLab Women | Empower Women Today – Get Involved — CoLab Exeter
WOMEN LEADING IN AGROECOLOGY
For forty years Ruth Hancock has been working in various fields of agriculture, having completed a National Diploma in Agriculture at Bicton College in the early nineties.
Since then, she has made the challenging journey to create and run an agroecological vegetable farm in East Devon.
Fresh and Green Vegetables is the veg box scheme she established in the Otter Valley in 2003.
Through her allied political and advocacy work she has seen many changes and
developments in the fields of sustainable farming and growing, both in this region and further afield. Often being driven and led by women and has also been part of the drive to break down barriers to having this form of food production being seen as ‘the norm’.
In this session she will be giving an overview of progress made so far, her own story and stance on this more holistic approach to land-based work plus telling some stories of the women and events that will hopefully shape our future in this vital field which nourishes us all.
THE CO-CHAIR SYSTEM AND WOMEN REPRESENTATION: SHAPING KURDISH TRANSFORMATION
“As women we believe in the Kurdish community. We are campaigning for sharing power and decision making in all areas of government departments and sharing co-chairs in businesses firms. We believe that we are half of our society, and only as women and men together we can develop our society and be just.”
MUSIC IN THE AUDITORIUM
From 10:45
Ishbel Wenley, host and music programming coordinator presents
NEWTOWN ROOTS BAND – 10:45
Newtown Roots Band is a community band that makes a big lush sound who play a variety of folk tunes from around the world with exciting arrangements, energy and fun. All acoustic instruments/all abilities/all ages are very welcome in this friendly group. They regularly perform at community events and festivals including Exeter Respect Festival and Sidmouth Folk Week, and are delighted to kick off the events on the main stage for IWF 2026.
LE TRIKKE – 11:30
On International Women’s Day, we celebrate voices that carry memory, resilience, and transformation. Exeter based Le Trikke are a powerful female folk music and dance collective, that channels the ancestral energy of Southern Italy through rhythm, movement, and song. Rooted in peasant tradition and pagan ritual, their music weaves percussive beats, trance states, and ritualistic melodies shaped by the many cultural currents of the Mediterranean.
Le Trikke reclaims the feminine as a creative, embodied force—where voice becomes invocation, rhythm becomes resistance, and dance becomes communion. Their performances are living rituals: a celebration of women as keepers of culture, carriers of ancient knowledge, and creators of a new future.
ALI JONES AND JAMIE RUDD – 12:00
Ali plays beautiful fiddle for her band Spin 2. She loves writing tunes – weaving a melody then letting it fly. Some of her tunes are published in the fabulous book Tunes from the Women, curated by Kathryn Tickell. Ali will be playing a set of her original tunes at the IWD accompanied by Jamie Rudd. Jamie is a song writer and multi instrumentalist whose beautiful and exciting songs tell stories and spark memories. He’ll be hitchhiking back from Brazil to play a set with his mum.
ZASSÕ BY DRUM UP THE SUN – 12:45
Zassō is a project that brings together drums, movement and voice. They are mostly women who spend a lot of time caring for others. They don’t have hours to train, compose and rehearse. They create imperfectly formed pieces and dare to perform them anyway. Zassō is the Japanese word for weeds; found at the edges, uncultivated, resilient, and a bit wild. The intention is to stir up that part of you that knows what you are capable of, what we can do if we come together to meet all that we face. They will be joined by Happi Beats, their community group who meet up on a Monday just outside Exeter, to drum, laugh and have fun together.
THE VELVET CHORDS – 13:30
The Velvet Chords are an experienced four piece band from Exeter who play largely their own material and comprise Ish on vocals, Phil on guitar and vocals, Nick on bass and Chris on drums and cajon. The two principal song writers write about everyday life and challenges faced by women. They melt their individual loves of jazz and blues vocals with 1970’s punk and post punk guitar with a rhythm section of danceable proportions making the band a fun proposition for any occasion.
KARINA GRACIA FLAMENCO & STUDENTS – 14:15
Every 3 seconds in the UK, police receive a call reporting domestic violence, and it is estimated that each day 30 women attempt to take their own lives as a result of domestic abuse. This year, 3 of their performances will follow a 3 beat-rhythm in support of International Women’s Day 2026, transforming statistics into movement & awareness.
Flamenco is an art form shaped by generations of powerful women, honouring feminine strength, resilience, & creativity through passionate dance, soul-stirring music, & raw emotion. Join us in a stomping show of solidarity as we amplify women’s voices, stories, & spirit—felt in every beat of the heel & every note of the song.
WREN MUSIC – 15:15
Wren Music founder and Creative Director Marilyn Tucker will be joined by a small choir of women to celebrate strong women in folk songs old and new.
In addition there will be artists exhibiting their work in the auditorium.
DOWNSTAIRS
CONNECTING OUR VOICES FOR CHANGE
Each session is 50 minutes
Facilitated by Emma Pipe & Emma Hayes-Bailey, Co-Founders of Synergems – Professional Coaches, Mentors and Facilitators who invite you to join them and immerse yourself in the creative process, reflecting on your voice during times of change. Emma and Emma will guide their work together using visualisation, imagery and reflected practice. Together there will be the opportunity to consider what change means, individually and collectively, using words and imagery to create a shared piece of public art, representing Women’s Voices Rising for Change. No artistic experience is required and all materials are provided.
Emma P and Emma HB are accomplished, qualified coaches with over 40 years of Leadership experience between them – in Education and the NHS respectively. Their partnership is grounded in authentic connection, shared values, and a commitment to role-modelling open, constructive collaboration. Their greatest motivation is to make a positive difference to individuals, teams and organisations, through impactful workshops and programmes that highlight the power of connection and co-creation. Co-facilitating, they bring complementary skills and perspectives, insightful feedback, and proactive support to help every participant thrive.
They are passionate about creating safe, empowering spaces where people can explore possibilities and navigate times of transition. They know that embracing discomfort is part of the growth and development process; working in this space uncovers hidden insights. Their creative coaching approaches enable those they work with to recognise their strengths, acknowledge areas of development, challenge assumptions, think playfully, analytically and strategically to overcome potential barriers, and identify ways to make meaningful changes that have the potential to be transformative both professionally and personally. www.synergems.co.uk
ZASSÕ BY DRUM UP THE SUN – 13:30
Zassō is a project that brings together drums, movement and voice. They are mostly women who spend a lot of time caring for others. They don’t have hours to train, compose and rehearse. They create imperfectly formed pieces and dare to perform them anyway. Zassō is the Japanese word for weeds; found at the edges, uncultivated, resilient, and a bit wild. The intention is to stir up that part of you that knows what you are capable of, what we can do if we come together to meet all that we face. They will be joined by Happi Beats, their community group who meet up on a Monday just outside Exeter, to drum, laugh and have fun together.
DRUM UP THE SUN – 15:30
To drum up the sun is to tap into our own sense of self, to reach down within and bring out that which we usually keep from sight, and dare to let it shine, unapologetically.
Hannah-Jasmine Brunskill (founder of Taiko Journey with 17 years experience teaching & performing with Japanese drums) & Flora Pethybridge (song and voice practitioner) lead this workshop in drum, movement and voice. They invite you to shed expectation and demand, listen to your own rhythm, and reconnect with your own strength and vulnerability. No experience of drumming or singing needed. This is a taste of their Drum Up the Sun summer retreat, and is designed for you to jump in to experience our individual and collective potential.
(Everyone welcome, and hearing protection provided for those who may want it).
www.drumupthesun.com
UPSTAIRS
STUDIO 1
A VARIETY OF WOMEN’S STALLS – 11:00-16.00
MEETING ROOM
FAMILY & CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES HOSTED BY HIKMAT FAMILY -11:00-16.00
DANCE STUDIO
From 11:00
POPPY MOVEMENT IS MEDICINE
MIM helps you uncover your innate rhythm, connects you to the present moment and releases stress. You will be immersed in a variety of percussion based electronic music genres (Afro beats, house, garage, jungle + more). Using science backed education, Poppy applies music and rhythm to the body with practical tools applicable anytime, anywhere.
VALENTINA & ILARIA TARANTELLA
Learn Italian traditional folk songs to accompany the southern dance of tarantella, with Valentina Alba and Ilaria La tarantella , singer and dancer of Southern Italian folk band Trikkeballakke.
ILARIA BELLY DANCE
Belly dance will bring joy into your lives and once you get into it, you’ll just love it!
MEDITATION –THE GIFT OF SILENCE
Fran will lead with her incredible skills to take you into the gift of your inner silence, to reflect, to relax after a hectic day.
Suaad Genem, Chair of Devon United Women – “The campaign for women’s rights is not local or regional or national, it is a global campaign, we are one we are all. Come and hear the stories of women and men from Devon , from around the world Come with us on Saturday 14th March 2026 to stand together to be inspired at the Exeter Phoenix. Don’t miss this fabulous event.”
Let’s remind ourselves what International Women’s Day is.
Every year, on 8 March, the world marks International Women’s Day, an event dedicated to championing the advancement of women’s rights and gender equality.
International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. Significant activity is witnessed worldwide as groups come together to celebrate women’s achievements or rally for women’s equality.
International Women’s Day (IWD) has been observed since the early 1900’s. The annual celebration began as a way of honouring the 1908 garment workers’ strike in New York, which saw women protesting against working conditions and demanding equal political and economic rights.
Yvonne Atkinson, Exeter City Councillor – “Today women are still campaigning and fighting for change using different tools but also learning from the past.”
For more information:
devonunitedwomen@yahoo.com
internationalwomendevonunited.org