Calendar 2024

14h-16h: Group talk

Topic: Historical narratives that still legitimate women’s objectification

Main questions:

• What are the alternatives in education to not reproduce gender roles since childhood?
• What can be efficient and supportive strategies to balance the representation of women in executive/managerial positions? 
• How can men also help to break with stereotypes related to gender performativity?

16h-18h: Singing and songwriting workshop (Céline di Maccio)

Inspired by the Izran, a poetry contest among Berber women, we practice the chorus of ‘Lalla Bouya’. Additional strophes will be created over the meetings by the three working groups.

14h-16h: Group talk

Topic: Caregiving roles, women’s triple burden and the glass ceiling

Guest: Cleo Klapholz, poetess from Antwerp

Main questions:

• How can we act upon prejudice against women occupying public roles due to motherhood?
• Which strategies can help to reduce the glass ceiling without overwhelming women with a triple burden?
• How do we enforce propositions and laws so they can favour gender equality and women’s rights?

16h-18h: Poetry and songwriting workshop (Cleo Klapholz)

Inspired by the mind map developed in the group talk around ‘violence’, ‘body’ and ‘glass ceiling’, the participants engage in a collective writing workshop. The poems developed will be adapted as song lyrics for the year’s performance.

Research on the 1976 Women’s Crimes Tribunal, and on the International Women’s Rights Day (March 8) and the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (November 25).

Attendance to a fashion show wearing traditional and cultural clothing representing the women’s different backgrounds.

14h-16h: Group talk

Topic: Strategies to make the city safer and more inclusive

Guest: Tine Pillaert, architect and member of ‘The Feminine City’ project 

Main questions:

• What are the key elements that make women feel unsafe?
• What practical solutions and initiatives can we propose to transform the urban environment?
• Can we think of a feminist city that would defuse most of the aggressivity, so that the few remaining episodes can be handled?

16h-18h: Singing and songwriting workshop (Céline di Maccio)

Practising Lalla Bouya melody and chorus, followed by a brainstorming session to compose the lyrics. The group also works on the poem ‘Her Body’ written during a previous workshop. The aim is to co-create a text and a melody in an iterative improvisation process.

14h-17h: Plastic arts workshop (Renate Els Aerts)

Topic: Gender bias and sexism in professional roles

Main question:

• To what extent does the socially constructed bounding of women’s creativity to reproduction invisibilise their artistic expression and recognition?

Using the ‘blind drawing’ technique, the participants create a collective artwork. Meanwhile, they read selected poems to inspire the creative process. At the end, there is also a sharing and practice of the songs written so far (‘Revolution is Female’; ‘Lalla Bouya’; and ‘Her Body’).

14h-16h: Participative democracy workshop (Jo Robberechts)

Topic: Underpinning motivations and goals of the ‘2026WOMEN’ project.

Main questions:

• Why do we need to fight for women’s rights? 
• How can we advocate for women’s freedom of choice despite personal preferences and beliefs?
• How do we create a new culture where men and women are more equal?

16h-18h: Acting workshop (Katarina)

Acting exercises and improvisation based on the poems, texts and MC questions developed for the November performance. The participants also play ‘tableaux vivants’ around some themes discussed during the mind map making.

12h45-15h30: Group talk

Topic: Oppression of women

Main questions: 

• What are the different forms of oppression against women?
• What are your dreams and what would you want them to be like?
• How do we get more equal opportunities as women?

9h30-12h30: Painting workshop 

Painting the silhouettes that will be exhibited in the November performance.

14h-16h: Group talk

Topic:  First International Tribunal of Crimes against Women (Brussels, 1976)

Guests: Nicole van den Ven, co-organiser of the 1976 Tribunal; Milène Legoi, historian; Valerie, member of Rebelle.

Main questions:

• What were the achievements of the First Tribunal?
• In which ways do the women’s testimonies from 1976 persist until today?
• How can we ensure women’s multiple backgrounds, perspectives and socio-political preferences are respected when fighting for collective rights?

16h-18h: Writing (Valerie) and jamming workshops (Céline di Maccio)

The participants can choose between the two workshops. While some engage with creative writing, others join a music improvisation session. Both the melodic and written material will be used for song creation

12h45-15h30: Group talk

Topic: Physical violence against women

Main questions: 

• What are the reasons behind the high rates of violence against women?
• What should change to overcome this scenario?

14h-15h: Group talk

Topic: Sexual violence

Main questions:

• What practices and policies could be created to promote sex education and sex positivity beyond the household?
• How can we shift the cultural views that objectify women’s bodies? 
• How can we overcome the cultural barriers that make people defensive towards being better informed about mutual respect, boundaries and freedom of choice?

15h-16h: Rhythm workshop (Sarah)

The participants experiment with the five qualities of rhythm (flow, staccato, lyrical, stillness, and chaos) using body percussion and wooden poles.

16h-18h: Dance workshop (Lara)

Participants write poems from a free association exercise and develop movements around them. The combination of women’s movements becomes a collective choreography.