Oxford International Women’s Festival

WOMEN CREATING LANDSCAPES

27 February—14 March 2021

Join us for two weeks of events around Oxford celebrating women’s strengths, successes & solidarity.

WOMEN CREATING LANDSCAPES

Since the Oxford International Festival began in 1989, it has not only focused on Women’s International Day, March 8th, but has also covered a wide range of topics ranging from the arts to the sciences, as well as women’s creativity and initiating and supporting campaigns on women’s rights.

The 2021 Festival will focus on women’s creativity, particularly their contributions to a variety of landscapes. Landscape can be interpreted in a numerous ways, for example it can be natural or
imaginary. It can be designed, changed and recorded by both individuals and groups of people. In all these interpretations women have played major roles in transforming and adapting to landscapes, although they are often forgotten or ignored.

This Festival seeks to recognise women’s role in helping to change and adapt to all kinds of landscape, particularly in the last two hundred years, when industrialisation, urbanisation, technological changes, the expansion in education, health, politics, changes in domestic life and responses to climate change, have transformed women’s lives. More and more women are contributing to the arts and the sciences in many areas specifically connected in transforming and helping us understand the importance of landscape such as gardening, architecture, music, botany, agriculture and engineering.

About OIWF

Organised by local women to reflect a wide range of backgrounds and experience, our annual festival has played a significant part in the community for over a quarter of a century.

It offers an exciting and informative programme including exhibitions, workshops, topical talks, walks, performances and social events celebrating women’s achievements in sport, science, politics, health, film, literature, theatre and more…

We aim to highlight women’s local, national and international issues as well as championing those who are campaigning to improve women’s lives in Oxford and beyond.

A fantastic variety of events take place each year in various venues throughout Oxford city and the wider county. The festival always includes the celebration of International Women’s Day with a main event in the Town Hall. We are proud of our 30 year long history as an International Women’s Festival and of the many exciting offshoots from our work among the grassroots community groups of Oxford.

Past events

2014 saw the 25th Anniversary of the Oxford International Womens Festival, and as part of the celebrations we created an archive of events from past festivals, for people to enjoy again.

Get involved

The Oxford International Women’s Festival could not exist without the dedication of our volunteer collective.

Whether it’s contributing on a regular basis to the committee, helping to organise an event or simply handing out flyers, there’s an opportunity for everyone to get involved.

We’re looking for volunteers to help out at the main event on 6th March 2020, so if you are interested in getting involved please get in touch.

Who we work with

Here are some of the companies and organisations we have partnered with for the 2020 festival.