York International Women’s Week has more events than ever this year, as organiser Sue Lister tells CHARLES HUTCHINSON.

SPURRED on by the York 800 celebrations, the organisers of York International Women’s Week will be putting on 78 events from tomorrow until March 10.

“It’s our largest festival for many years – last year York women offered 48 events for everyone in the city to enjoy,” says co-ordinator Sue Lister, whose programme can be viewed online at yorkwomen.org.uk and in libraries, city-centre outlets and on the streets of York too.

York International Women’s Week is a grassroots festival with no external funding for events, so every event must aim to cover its own costs. Picking out highlights of the 15th festival to mark International Women’s Day on March 8, Sue mentions: “Our history will be explored in Just One Street, introducing a book that describes the lives of residents in one Edwardian terrace in Bootham over the course of a century, on Tuesday at St Olave’s Church Hall, Marygate, from 1pm.

“Meredith Towne’s talk, Make Do & Mend, at York Explore on Sunday at 1.30pm looks at the ingenuity of women keeping up with fashion from Georgian times to the Second World War years; the magic of post-war dance halls and cinema is remembered at The Reading Rooms in Dunnington on Tuesday at 2pm; and feminists take a new look at our past and our future in a discussion at the Black Swan Inn on Monday at 7.30pm.

“Yorkwalk will lead you through the city’s streets and tell the stories of Literary Women of York and Women in York History on Wednesday, starting at the main gates of the Museum Gardens at 10.30am.”

Sue also highlights the visit by women from Palestine for three events tomorrow that will “provide a better understanding of the crucial role they play in social and political life under the Israeli occupation”.

Post-graduates from the University of York have created a one-day conference on sport, gender and media to consider issues that will be affecting the London Olympics, as well as ordinary sporting opportunities around Britain, from 10am to 6pm at the Berrick Saul Building, University of York.

Meanwhile, City of York Council’s “outspoken women councillors and staff” will be taking part in a “a highly entertaining Loose Women panel”. On the panel at York Explore on Thursday afternoon will be Kersten England, Janet Barnes, Sonja Crisp, Julie Gunnell and Fiona Williams.

The week has 17 different routes to health and well-being on offer, from life coaching to aromatherapy, facial rejuvenation to unwinding for the weekend. A chiropractor will give gardeners advice at Dean’s Garden Centre and an Alexander Technique expert will do likewise at the Brunswick Nurseries.

Should you never have heard of EFT Tapping, now is your chance to find out how it works. Mums and babies can be helped by a free chiropractic check; Iyengar yoga can be tried out and there also will be Chinese foot reflexology, No Hands massage; weight loss advice; swimming; and a workshop on building your confidence at Love To Eat.

On Sunday, at 5.45pm, City Screen, York will show David Redmon and Ashley Sabin’s Girl Model, a documentary about the supply chain of young women for the modelling industry.

From India, thanks to Quaker support, comes Ekta Parishad, a film about a non-violent social movement for land reform and forest rights that took 25,000 people – mostly women – to the gates of Delhi and forced the Indian Government to back down. This will be shown at the Friends Meeting House, Friargate, next Friday at 2pm.

The Fairtrade Fair returns to Parliament Street and Fairer World is offering tasters of coffee and couscous in Gillygate.

On the social side, a tea party to raise funds for Oxfam will be held at the Healing Clinic; carers are invited to an arts and crafts gathering at City Mills; you can enjoy an Eton Mess meringue at Tea On The Green; or dance the night away at a Women’s Hafla!

Look out too for a Gypsy/Roma dance workshop; a finding your voice workshop with Red Box Impact!; a laughter workshop with Terry Anne Scholes; and rag rugging with the Ebor Ruggers.

If murder mystery is your obsession, then seek out Partners In Crime, in which the mother/daughter duo of Pauline Kirk and Jo Summers that writes as PJ Quinn will reveal all.

On the theatre front, as well as Paper Bag People, York Settlement Community Players present Miss Yesterday, Alan Ayckbourn’s exploration of life from a teenage girl’s perspective, from March 7 to 17 in the York Theatre Royal Studio.

York company Six Lips Theatre stages Roxanna Klimaszewska’s short play Tilling, in which a grieving widow discovers her only true companions are her plants, at the York Environment Centre, St Nicholas Fields, from Tuesday to next Saturday at 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Wednesday and Saturday matinees.

Leeds company The Music Room Players perform John Pielmeier’s play Agnes Of God at St Mary’s Church, Bishophill, next Saturday at 7.30pm. When the body of a newborn child is found in a convent, the court appoints a psychiatrist to investigate but Sister Agnes can remember nothing.

The Spoken Word Open Mic event celebrates 101 years of International Women’s Day with poems, prose, songs, essays and short stories in The Exhibition conservatory, Bootham, on Tuesday at 7.30pm.

Music takes centre stage in Songs Of The Sisterhood, featuring Union Jill, Holly Taymar, Gina Dootson and Jess Gardham, in the Basement Bar at City Screen next Friday from 8pm.

“Union Jill’s Helen Turner and Sharon Winfield will be presenting some of Yorkshire’s finest female singers and songwriters, coupled with the great banter you only get when women share a stage,” says Sue.

The Main Street Sound Ladies Barbershop Chorus will be raising money for two children’s charities at Acomb Baptist Church in a free concert on March 12 at 7.45pm, when donations will go to Lollipop and the Joseph Trust.

For dates and times, visit the website yorkwomen.org.uk

Paper bag drama explores real-life stories...

THE Real People Theatre Company will be taking part in York International Women’s Week for the 12th successive year.

Festival co-ordinator and artistic director Sue Lister’s company will present Paper Bag People in Studio Theatre 3 at York St John University on Wednesday and Thursday at 7.30pm.

“Through poetry, life stories and discussion with the audience, we’ll be exploring mental health, domestic violence, homophobia, addiction and hidden disability,” says Sue. “It’ll be challenging and rewarding at the same time.”

Why call the show Paper Bag People?

“Because it’s as if people walk around with paper bags over their heads, unable to be open and honest about who they are because of the stigma and prejudice in our society,” says Sue. “The show seeks to understand the fears and taboos and share ways of finding the common ground of our humanity.”

Individual Paper Bag People from the show already have appeared at the Holocaust Memorial Event at Tempest Anderson Hall, in Museum Gardens, on January 26 and taken part in a service at the York Unitarian Chapel on February 19.

“Their stories are moving and the discussion heart-felt,” says Sue. “It’s a memorable experience which puts you in touch with yourself and others.

“The majority of the population may well steer clear of such matters, but we offer a warm invitation to anyone with a personal interest or working with groups around these issues to attend.”

Tickets for the 7.30pm performances cost £5, concessions £3, on the door. Looking ahead, Paper Bag People and scenarios from last year’s forum theatre production, Encounters, are both available for workshops, conferences and training sessions to act as a springboard for discussion.

“The Encounters scenarios deal with homelessness, learning disability, mental health, care home concerns and refugees,” says Sue. “It takes courage for our all-female cast ranging in age from 20s to 70s to tackle such issues, and we do hope people can support us in our work.”

Sue can be contacted on 01904 488870 and more details of the company and its past shows can be found at realpeopletheatre.co.uk