Norwich Theatre is recognising the enduring power of women’s artistic expression this International Women’s Day (Sat 8 Mar). To mark the occasion, we are hosting Visible Woman at Norwich Theatre Stage Two, a multi-sensory event that will take over the entire building on 7 – 8 Mar that is intended to inform, ignite, and inspire.
The event is a celebration of local female creatives, offering a dynamic space to explore urgent and powerful themes through a multi-sensory approach, ranging from soundscapes to explorations of movement. Join us for an unforgettable immersive experience, engaging in a powerful creative landscape.
Discover more about the creatives involved, championing the voices of women actively shaping our cultural landscape.
Dr. Ioana Szeman
A Reader in Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies, Iona will be the speaker and moderator at the Feminist Theatre talk. She will delve into themes of gender, public spaces, and performance.
As an ethnographer, her work, including Staging Citizenship: Roma, Performance and Belonging in EU Romania, demonstrates her expertise in exploring social dynamics through performance, providing a rich foundation for discussions on these themes.
Join in the Feminist Theatre discussion at 6.30pm on Fri 7 Mar in Studio 2.
Samia Malik
Samia is a bilingual Urdu/English singer, songwriter, activist, artist and producer. Her work fuses, extends and subverts South Asian and Western musical and literary forms to explore contemporary issues around identity, race and gender.
She will deliver a talk, titled A Journey to Freedom. In this intimate talk Samia will delve into her personal and powerful Journey to Freedom through art.
Samia will be in Studio 2 on Fri 7 Mar at 7.15pm.
Anne Tiburtius
Anne has over 45 years of experience in Bharatanatyam, a classical form of dance from South India. She is the Artistic Director of Natyapriya, whose work fuses the intimate with the epic.
In her talk, The Appropriation of Bharatanatyam, Anne shares how Bharatanatyam is inextricably rooted in gender and caste violence and how women in the hereditary dance and music community were made invisible.
Come along to Anne’s talk at 8pm on Fri 7 Mar in Studio 2.
The event will also feature a multi-sensory installation created by Norwich Theatre’s Wise, Bold, Visible Women group. The group have been focussing on learning new creative skills, gaining confidence, and celebrating their stories of transformation and identity. They have designed a range of installations that will be available in Studio 1 throughout the event.
Expect to see three captivating installations created by the women, each visually narrating a theme of reclamation and empowerment. There are two video projects, each an individual exploration of societal pressures and becoming visible. A physical installation of artwork showcases raw, spontaneous forms crafted during their sessions, embodying stories of resilience, transformation, and the beauty found in lived experience.
Emma Zangs
Sharing her own experience, Playtime is a performance piece that intimately portrays the emotional complexities of motherhood through a raw and witty movement tableau, offering a revealing glimpse into a mother’s mind and body.
Emma brings a rich background in art, film, and choreography. Beyond her artistic work, she’s a Communication Coach and dance advocate, who emphasises dance’s unifying and transformative power.
Helen Vine
Reading from her debut poetry collection, Turbulent Flow, a powerful exploration of wind energy and its historical connection to Norfolk. These poems capture the power and unpredictability of nature, exploring movement whilst weaving in themes of motherhood, grief, and feminism.
Helen’s work, featured on BBC Radio Norfolk and in various literary publications and festivals, extends beyond poetry. As a dramatist and workshop leader, she champions community voices, creating platforms for diverse perspectives to be heard.
Both Emma and Helen are in Studio 2 on Sat 8 Mar.
Come along to the Visible Woman event on 7 and 8 Mar at Norwich Theatre Stage Two. Find out more at nowichtheatre.org or call our Box Office on 01603 630 000.
