A festival launched to coincide with International Womens Day is shining a light on the work done by women through the years.
The ’Women of Looe Festival’ started this week with a poetry and song evening at the Old Sardine Factory.
Archive photos and stories of women in the town and the work they carried out will be exhibited in the Heritage Centre until Sunday March 15.
The Festival contrasts these with the experiences of active women working in 21st century Looe at a panel discussion event called ‘This Woman’s Work – Now’ on Wednesday 11th March at 7pm.
The discussion, hosted by ex-Classic FM presenter Nick Bailey will involve local women involved in business, politics, retail, health, arts and the community, and they’ll be talking about their own experiences of work and equality. The panel includes Cornwall Councillor Edwina Hannaford, Naomi Cooper, of the Plough on the Quay, Sheila Brock, of Sheila’s School of Dancing, and Debbie Lewis, Port Health Officer for Cornwall
’The Festival started in 2019 and was inspired by International Women’s Day,’ said heritage centre manager Emma Wilkinson.
’It is a sign of the times that many of the archive photographs at the Heritage Centre are of men, but having searched high and low to find images that show ‘women at work’ and putting them in the exhibition, it seems a great way to celebrate the event.’
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