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Fine ladies of Cherwell to be celebrated as part of International Women’s Day Banbury

International Women’s Day Banbury festival arts, community and business events return as part of a global campaign to promote gender equality

Banbury, 20th January 2022 - Project manager Ella Barrington and The Mill Arts Centre announce the celebration of International Women’s Day Banbury (IWD Banbury) in March 2022, in support of Katharine House Hospice.

Established in the early 1900s, it was the Suffragettes who started International Women’s Day, with the first officially named "lnternational Women's Day" event held in 1911. And still to this day, International Women’s Day (IWD) continues to be a powerful platform globally that drives action for gender parity while celebrating the social, cultural, economic and political achievements of women. IWD encourages us all to make a difference - to think globally and act locally. By bringing a globally recognised event to Banbury the curators hope to empower local women and those that support them.

The official charity partner of IWD Banbury 2022 is Katharine House Hospice. KHH was chosen by the IWD Banbury in memory of photographer, Rebecca Moyce. Becky was a incredible supporter of both IWD Banbury and KHH, a tireless community champion and talented creative collaborator. All funds raised from this years' events will go to KHH.

The centrepiece of the month’s events takes place at The Mill on Tuesday 8th March. Throughout the day there will a series of inspirational talks and insightful discussions from four local women - academic and literature expert Tracy Miller, mother and mental health advocate Marisa Ramos, nurse and entrepreneur Lisa Rickers and health and wellbeing coach Meagan Mansfield - followed by panel discussions. They'll be sharing their personal stories, passions and lessons learnt with the audience around the IWD global 2022 theme - Break The Bias - which asks us to value and celebrate differences.

IWD Banbury is also bringing together local business and community members and young people from local schools and colleges in three virtual "speed-dating" style mentoring sessions, also being held on Tuesday 8th March. During these dynamic interactions, IWD Banbury hopes to change perceptions of careers open to women. Applications for mentors are now open.

On Saturday 5th March, 10:00 - 15:00, IWD Banbury is hosting a “Female founders fair” full of independently owned and operated retailers and creative businesses from in and around Oxfordshire. There is no charge for entry. You can also get crafting with Colours of Banbury on both Saturday and Tuesday.

IWD Banbury is also proud to announce support from Lock29 and Tap Social Movement. Lock29 will be hosting a screening of critically acclaimed documentary, The 8th, on Friday 4th March. For the whole of March, Tap Social's bar within Lock29 will be showcasing women in brewing, alongside a specially designed IWD Banbury cocktail.

Through the year The Mill programmes a number of exhibitions, with a particular focus on local artists, and work that links in with their professional programme of live events. During March 2022 visitors will be able to take in exhibitions linked to International Women's Day, gender equality and positive progress. Alongside full-time artists, IWD Banbury will show contributions from local community groups representing a cross-section of the Cherwell community.

Ella Barrington, freelance Project Manager and Operations Consultant, said:

We're so pleased to be collaborating with The Mill once again to celebrate International Women's Day in Banbury. Our 2020 programme connected so many fantastic women from across Banburyshire and it's been such a privilege to see them support one another throughout the last two years, whether that was through new business deals, blooming friendships or creative partnerships. We hope to grow our community again through our 2022 celebrations, whilst raising money for Katharine House, a cause close to so many of people in Banbury.

Georgia Bradley, Artistic Director & Joint CEO of The Mill Arts Centre, said:

After a fantastic inaugural event in 2020, we're delighted to be partnering with Ella Barrington once again to celebrate International Women's Day Banbury 2022. The festival is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the achievements of women from across the Cherwell area and beyond, with associated events throughout March including talks, comedy, community events, exhibitions, film screenings and a performance by female-led dance company Chhaya Collective. With so much to discover and enjoy, we hope you can join us to celebrate the fabulous women of Cherwell.

International Women’s Day encourages us all to make a difference - to think globally and act locally. The Cherwell celebrations will take place throughout March 2022. By bringing a globally recognised event to Banbury we hope to empower local women and those that support them.

International Women's Day Banbury is a not-for-profit project brought to life by Ella Barrington and The Mill Arts Centre.

For more information about IWD Banbury please visit https://www.iwdbanbury.com/ and email hello@iwdbanbury.com

For further comment please contact:

Ella Barrington, Project Manager and Operations Consultant, +44 (0) 7510 992 826

Sarah Wright, Marketing Officer, The Mill Arts Centre, +44 (0) 1295 227 182