Celebrating Bristol Women’s Voice’s Deeds Not Words programme

Bristol Women’s Voice is an organisation that works across Bristol to help raise the voices of women, ensuring their concerns are acted upon and working to promote equality in all areas. They are currently putting on a programme of events to mark the centenary year of women’s suffrage, called Deeds Not Words. These thought-provoking, interesting and occasionally moving events are a great way engage with the organisation and support the work they do to make Bristol better for the whole population.

Here are just some of the forthcoming highlights:

Around June 18 (exact date still TBC)
Future Brunels
Location TBC
The SS Great Britain Trust’s Future Brunels programme, launched in 2011, is committed to giving young people real-world experiences, and aims to inspire students to consider career possibilities in science, technology, engineering and maths. To mark International Women in Engineering Day 2018, the Trust’s education team and the Society of Women Engineers are developing a hands-on science event particularly aimed at encouraging young women to consider studying STEM subjects and showcase the range of exciting career options available in this field.

June 30
Votes for Women
MShed, Princes Wharf, Wapping Road, Bristol, BS1 4RN
This day-long event aims to inform the city about its rich history of suffrage. It includes a multitude of works throughout the MShed, including the screening of Make More Noise: Suffragettes in Silent Film, a talk by Lucienne Boyce, the author of Bristol Suffragettes, activities for children, the performance of How the Vote was Won (1913) by UWE drama students, and much more.

July, exact date TBC
Women’s Landmarks
Various locations
This collection of digital site-specific games tell the story of the women’s suffrage movement through interaction with place and history. Participants will scan a QR code on the floor to access each game in their location. The games will be developed and built by young women aged 13-18, during two day-long workshops. The programme will take participants through game development, from concept to design and delivery, and will include talks from inspirational women in the tech industry.

July 28 – 30
Upfest: Women & Walls
Bedminster & Southville, BS3
Upfest is Europe’s largest, free, street art and graffiti festival, attracting over 350 artists painting 35 venues throughout Bedminster & Southville. Upfest plans to commission four female street artists to mark the centenary with work exploring and celebrating the suffrage movement. This will include an international female artist and two British artists. One piece will celebrate the history of suffrage, a second will look at present day women’s lives, and the third will look to the future for women’s rights.

Artwork by Upfest 2017 artists Pahnl

October 10-16
Conversations with Suffragettes
Various locations
Actors and volunteers dressed as Bristol suffragettes will be circling the city, in supermarkets, bus stops, buses, schools and community centres. The Suffragettes will engage people in conversation about the importance of women gaining the vote and why it is important for modern day women to use their vote to stress women’s policies in the political agenda.

A group of smartly-dressed Bristol suffragettes 43207/30/12/16

Date TBC
 An Audience with Sarah Guppy
Location TBC
An audience with Sarah Guppy, a new play by Sheila Hannon, tells the story of an unsung inventor and designer. Kim Hicks plays the remarkable woman who taught Isambard Kingdom Brunel a thing or two about suspension bridges. Sarah Guppy was responsible for bringing Brunel to Bristol in the first place.

For more information on all of the Deeds Not Words events, visit www.bristolwomensvoice.org.uk/deeds-not-words-programme