PAST EVENTS

VOICES SHAPING THE FUTURE 2023

Voices Shaping the Future was a two-day celebration of conversations, performances, and workshops by and for young women, focusing on their perspectives regarding gender inequality and intersecting injustices in the world. The program incorporated a National Youth Summit of 100 young women organized by Julia Gillard’s Global Institute for Women's Leadership (GIWL), a public Conversation Series addressing the issues young women wished to discuss, and a Schools Day event that hosted over 200 Queensland school girls, featuring young women who were making a difference with their innovative ideas, practical workshops, and the much-loved WOW speed mentoring on the Wheel of Brisbane.

The program concluded with the award-winning concert Spinifex Gum, featuring Marliya, where the voices of young First Nations women from Gondwana choirs harmonized with the poetic yet compelling lyrics of The Cat Empire’s Felix Riebl and choreography by Deborah Brown, promising a performance that resonated long after the final note had been sung.

Voices Shaping the Future was presented by QPAC and WOW - Women of the World Australia, with contributions from the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership and the Australian Human Rights Commission, celebrating the UN International Day of the Girl Child on 11 October 2023.

The achievements of women and girls in the city and surrounding areas were celebrated at a Festival held on Yugambeh & Jagera country at the Logan Entertainment Centre on July 15 and 16.

The WOW (Women of the World) Australia 2022 Festival provides a stage for women’s voices to be heard through a series of bold, entertaining and conversation-provoking events with engaging messages and ideas about equality, diversity and positive change to help break down the barriers which women continue to face. The WOW Logan Festival was the third in WOW’s 2022 program and follows highly successful Festivals held in Cairns in May and Longreach in March.

Human Rights Advocate and Lawyer Nyadol Nyuon and Queensland’s Attorney-General, Minister for Justice, Minister for Women and Minister for the prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Shannon Fentiman, were amongst a long list of distinguished guests to speak at the Festival.  Inspirational speakers fuelled conversations covering a range of matters of importance to women in Logan, including finance, jobs, business, family and religion.

WOW cairns 2022

Following its postponement in 2021, WOW Cairns bounced back in 2022 with a strong local program to help ensure all women’s voices are heard through a series of bold, entertaining and conversation-provoking events.

Curated in partnership with local women in the community, WOW Cairns celebrated the achievements of women and girls living in the city and surrounding areas, while searching for solutions to on-going gender injustice. Beyond the inspiring stories from women and girls and their own personal journey in the popular WOW Bites sessions, the 2022 festival featured a Marketplace of local, women-led businesses and services, workshops and performances, and WOW favourite, Speed Mentoring.

Guests and performers include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar AO; comedian and cabaret artist Jenny Wynter and leading Cairns creatives Miriki Performing Arts and Francoise Lane.

WOW Longreach 2022

WOW Western Queensland (Longreach) which was held 4 – 6 of March 2022 on the traditional land of the Iningai and Bidjara peoples. This was planned in partnership with the women of Longreach, Red Ridge Interior Queensland, and Longreach Regional Council, to align with celebrations for Queensland Women’s Week and International Women’s Day.

Red Ridge will once again brought a WOW factor to celebrations by opening the event on the Friday night at Longreach Civic and Cultural Centre, presenting a Red Ridge the Label catwalk experience with the Diamantina and Georgina collections featuring artwork from Two Sisters Talking, Anpanuawa Joyce Crombie, and Aulpunda Jean Barr Crombie.   A special feature included a unique one off design representing a collection from artworks by local Longreach artists.   

You can watch a short video from the WOW Charleville performance of Red Ridge the Label here.

Check out the photos from WOW Longreach here.

The Conversation, Workshop Programs and Marketplace took place from 12pm on Saturday 5 to 12pm on Sunday 6 March which culminated in ‘The Future is Ours’ catered lunch celebrating International Women’s Day!

Saturday night went off with a bang, with comedian and mother-of-six Jenny Wynter & guests presenting the Funny Mummies Cabaret Spectacular. 

WOW Making it matter, Brisbane, 2022

Much is said and written about how slowly women are gaining access to positions of leadership and power in the world. But after they get there, what then? What difference do we see from their presence?

‘Making it Matter’ is a conversation series curated by WOW Australia in partnership with QPAC and Griffith University, presenting the voices of women who have used their public roles or voices for change – who haven’t just ‘made it’ but are also ‘making it matter’.

Whether in politics, the arts, health, corporate, or education sectors, what are the changes they are leading?   In a world facing increasingly severe disruption from disease and disastrous weather events, how will gender justice form part of the solution for a safer and fairer world?

This event was created in partnership with the women of Charleville, Red Ridge Interior Queensland and Murweh Shire Council. Across the weekend of activities, more than 600 guests attended and enjoyed a range of performances, conversations, workshops and a makers market.

The event kicked off on the Friday evening at the Charleville racecourse with the first fashion performance of the new ready to wear collections by Red Ridge the Label, Diamantina and Georgina, featuring artwork from Two Sisters Talking (Anpanuawa) Joyce Crombie, and (Aulpunda) Jean Barr Crombie, alongside a special collection of one-off gowns featuring the artwork from Walali Wadyana Gumbi - Strong Black Women, and local artist collective Murweh Women.

Saturday featured a full day of WOW events located at Charlotte’s Nest, including a day long market place of women-led businesses and local services, conversations on health and well-being, developing an income from your passion, and hearing from women and girls on their own personal journey, workshops including Styling & Make-up, managing your finances with QSuper, how to be a good bystander with Griffith University’s MATE Program, African Dancing & Yoga, and lead into the evening with the ever-popular WOW Speed mentoring! 

The Country Witches Association brought the house down with a hysterically funny and delightfully frank performance. With Mandy Nolan and Áine Tyrrell in the house, there’s not a dry eye in sight.

The WOW Australia team alongside speakers and guests were very pleased to travel to Charleville on a specially decorated coach from Mt Gravatt Coach and Travel. Read an interview with Del Cole, bus-driver, philanthropist, and entrepreneur, and find out why we chose to travel with her company.

Read more about WOW Charleville 2021

In March 2020, after two centuries of struggle to change this, all over the world women were forced back into their homes during lockdown. For some, this meant a new confinement to the domestic sphere with little help, along with responsibilities for supervising children’s education, care for aging parents, worries about partners and finances. For others, new anxieties arose from their professional roles as health workers and teachers – on the frontline of caring.

We created three unique events to contribute to the global conversation on the impacts of COVID 19 on women and girls, and the changes we wish to see, in a series of events in the homes of Brisbane women. Each event showcased performances and great conversations on female innovation, resilience and fantastic ideas for the world we wish to create in the future!

Watch excerpts from the three events here, or head to our YouTube channel to see all the conversations and performances in this series.

Read this thinkpiece from Leigh Tabrett, ‘On DomestiCITY’.

DomestiCITY is presented by WOW Australia and proudly supported by all our 2020 partners.

Each DomestiCITY event was recorded by Griffith Film School students, and edited into episodes by Philip Gibb.

WOW Gold Coast, Commonwealth Games, 2018

"I am thrilled that WOW Australia will take place as part of the Gold Coast 2018’s Festival programme and hope it is the first of many WOWs to celebrate, challenge and contribute to the Commonwealth Games and its host cities and nations in the future. Through WOW’s dynamic and inclusive leadership, linking in with the world’s largest celebration of today’s modern, diverse Commonwealth, we’ll take even greater steps towards our collective vision for gender equality and a level playing field for women and men when we meet in Queensland next year.” - Louise Martin CBE, President, Commonwealth Games Federation

WOW at Festival 2018 took place at the Brisbane Powerhouse from the 6th to the 8th of April with a closing night performance at QPAC.

WOW was created by Southbank Centre London. Now an annual flagship event, WOW is a global force supporting women, action and change. WOW celebrates women’s achievements and takes a frank look at the lives of women and girls and the obstacles that prevent them from reaching their full potential. WOW looks for solutions, inspires insight, energy and laughter, and builds new networks and communities of strong women.

WOW Brisbane is part of the this global movement and is...

• A festival of keynotes, talks, debates, performances, workshops, speed-mentoring, a marketplace, exhibitions and community-building

• A catalyst for real change for many areas of women’s lives –politics, relationships, safety, economic participation, the arts, fashion, health, science, business and education

• An opportunity to engage with international and national leaders and everyday heroes

• A program focused on local needs and priorities where local women have chosen the themes, projects and speakers for their event.

Friday 15th Sept - Sunday 17th Sep 2016
Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts & Culture Centre

The WOW - Women of the World - Festival is a global festival originating at London's Southbank Centre that celebrates the formidable strength and inventiveness of girls and women. For the third time WOW returned to Katherine, bringing the community together for a weekend of speaker's panels, mentoring, workshops, entertainment and fun. 2016 saw a wide variety of international, national and local speakers covering a range of topics relevant to Territory women and the unique challenges they face, from living remotely, managing loneliness and surviving in our changing environment to how Australian women can have a voice on local, national and international stages.

In May 2013, the Southbank Centre launched WOW in Australia as part of the Sydney Writers’ Festival, celebrating the work, achievements and stories of Australian women. In September 2013, WOW came to the Northern Territory town of Katherine.

There are also WOW festivals happening in New York and Baltimore, India, Brisbane and across the UK.

By popular demand and after the success of WOW in 2013, WOW Katherine was presented for the second time.

WOW Katherine was an incredible opportunity for women from all corners of the Northern Territory, to join together and work with women from all corners of the world. The festival allows women to share their experiences, to heal and to learn from one another. WOW Katherine allows women to see themselves as part of a global network of strong women striving for change and equality.

Check out the program here