Screening & Panel Discussion

To celebrate this year’s International Women's Day (8 March) and to mark the centenary of women's suffrage, join us for a screening of Sarah Gavron’s Suffragette, which depicts the growing suffragette movement in early 20th Century Britain and the brave and diverse group of women fighting for equality and the right to vote. Written by Abi Morgan, and starring Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter, Meryl Streep, and Marie-Ann Duff, the film is a timely reminder that equality for women is not something that naturally evolves due to a ruling class’s innate decency; it is something that has to be fought for.

Following the screening change maker, activist and influencer Lynne Franks (recently awarded an OBE for her services to women) will be chairing a panel discussion about women’s leadership in our community, discussing how we find it, how we exercise it, and how we can mentor young women to be leaders of the future.

The event marks the launch of Lynne’s POW series - Power Of Women – and they will be starting a mentoring scheme for young women, so there will be an opportunity for you to put your name down to help mentor girls and young women in order to help them find their power and equal rights in the workplace and at home.

Panel Speakers:

Lynne Franks is recognised as the pioneer of modern day PR, where she created London Fashion Week, inspired the world’s largest Aids/HIV fundraiser and launched Green Consumer Week. A global futurist, thought leader and change maker Lynne is a champion for gender equality, sustainable business practices and women’s economic empowerment, and through her seminal best-seller The SEED Handbook, has influenced hundreds of thousands of women to start their own enterprise, using the feminine principles of collaboration, community and connection.

Penny Nagle is the founder of WhereWestBegins - a not for profit set up to bring a more diverse film culture to the South West. Funded by the BFI Neighbourhood Cinema fund it’s been running successful events across three venues in Somerset (including Hauser & Wirth Somerset) since 2017, with a particular focus on children and young people.

Deasy Bamford is the co-founder of intercultural summer school Tribe Of Doris which brings together drummers, dancers, singers and ceremonialists from many cultures, countries and continents. 15 years ago she and a friend established a youth and family project ‘Imayla’ working with culture, nature and creativity, to give access to the countryside for disadvantaged families. A prolific initiator she has helped set up a cross cultural arts projects in Gambia, Bristol WOW (women of the world), the Diverse Artists Network and is now contemplating the next direction of her creativity in the community initiatives.

Kalpna Woolf worked for the BBC for 24 years, rising to Head of Production overseeing a global business of £100m pa, 550 hours of television and managing over 100 staff for the BBC’s award-winning factual network. Her credits include programmes such as Planet Earth, Life, Deadly 60, Antiques Roadshow amongst many others. Since leaving the BBC, she has devoted her time and energy in projects promoting gender and race equality in Bristol. Two years ago, she founded a unique, groundbreaking initiative called 91 Ways to Build A Global City – which uses the uniting power of sharing food to bring the 91 language communities of Bristol together to break down barriers and build common ground.

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