...featuring live discussion and Q&A with Sarah Gavron, director of 2015 award-winning film Suffragette; woodland gallery tour by Artists in Residence, Bunny Collective; and, showdown soundtrack by DJ Fiona McDonald, DJ Wondergupta, DJ Andrea Trout, and SNO!
On Saturday 7 May, a showcase of women’s art, music, photography, and film, plus a celebration of local, radical history, will be taking place at Alexandra Park in Manchester, as part of the Pankhurst in the Park 2016 Spring Showdown, curated by Alexandra Arts.
From 2pm until midnight, activities will be taking place at various locations around Alexandra Park, including the newly opened Chorlton Lodge, ‘Tea Hive’ Pavilion by the lake, and in the depths of the Park’s woodland.
Lotte Karlsen, founder and curator of Pankhurst in the Park, commented:
“For this final installment of Pankhurst in the Park 2016, we are delighted to be hosting an incredibly talented array of female artists, and we welcome people from all over Manchester to join us in this celebration of women’s art and community pride.
Celebrations will start with a glass of bubbly at the showdown opening at Chorlton Lodge, where an exhibition of artwork created by local residents will be on display. Bunny Collective, this year’s artists in residence for Pankhurst in the Park, will then host two woodland gallery tours of their final work, which has been inspired by the surrounding communities and exhibited in collaboration with students of the Manchester School of Architecture.
© Samantha Conlon, Bunny Collective
Samantha Conlon, founder of Bunny Collective, commented:
“As well as presenting our final exhibition, inspired by two months residency at Alexandra Park and a number of workshops with local teenagers and families, we're really excited to learn more about Sarah Gavron's artistic practice and especially her experience as a female director in such a male dominated field"
The evening will present a unique opportunity to join feminist artist collective, Bunny Collective in conversation with Sarah Gavron, director of the award-winning 2015 film Suffragette. Booking is essential for this part of the day, which will invite the audience to participate in the lively discussion.
Official poster for Suffragette film, 2015.
Sarah Gavron, director of award-winning film, Suffragette, commented:
“I am delighted to be taking part in these celebrations. I hope to be able to share some behind the scenes stories about directing Suffragette. I had wanted to make the film for ten years and it was a six year journey to bring it to the screen. It will be great to talk about this journey in the city where the movement began. Before this project, Manchester was already significant in my life as a filmmaker, as it is where I directed my first full length TV film (This Little Life). I am happy to answer any questions the audience might have.”
Andrea Trout © Benji Reid
The day’s events will culminate in a party at the Pavilion where some of Manchester’s finest DJs, including DJ Fiona McDonald, DJ Wondergupta, DJ Andrea Trout, and SNO, will unleash a soundtrack to the showdown’s after-hours party.
Manchester-based DJ Andrea Trout commented:
“I was both honoured and delighted to be asked to curate the DJs for the end of the Pankhurst in the Park 2016. I know each DJ personally and love what they play so I can guarantee the punters are in for a right treat!”
Pankhurst in the Park
Curated by the Manchester-based, artist-led collective, Alexandra Arts, Pankhurst in the Park 2016 is inspired by Alexandra Park’s rich historical connection to the Suffrage Movement, whose iconic leader, Emmeline Pankhurst, was born and bred yards from the Park in the neighbouring Moss Side Estate.
This Spring Showdown marks the end of the Pankhurst in the Park 2016 programme, which aims to empower the local communities around Alexandra Park through engagement with their local environment and social history, and to promote the wealth of talented female artists in Manchester and beyond by providing a platform for their work.
All events are free and open to the public. Food and drink will be available in the Pavilion. Booking is required for the talk and Q&A with film director, Sarah Gavron. For more information visit the Spring Showdown event page.