A weekend of conversation, art and feminism

Women of the World (WOW) is a festival organised by the British Council that celebrates women and girls and takes a frank look at the obstacles they face across the world. The festival came to Dhaka last weekend, as the contribution of women and womanhood was celebrated at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA).

The two-day event was inaugurated by Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Speaker of the National Parliament. Robert Chatterton Dickson, British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Kate Joyce, Director, Higher Education and Science, British Council, Domino Pateman, Director, Festivals and Programmes, WOW Foundation and Sara Zaker, founder, Mongol Deep Foundation were also present as special guests during the inaugural ceremony.

The festival included four exhibitions, namely Made in Bangladesh by Prachyanat, Voices of Bangladesh by iCan Foundation, Moheshkhali Exhibition by University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh and Hum Studio Interactive, and Auyoni: Beyond Sexuality by Ayreen Khan which were displayed at Gallery 1 of the BSA.

Prachyanat's installation "Made in Bangladesh" highlighted the perils faced by RMG workers by bringing the Rana Plaza tragedy back to life through an immersive installation and performance art. The installation also included a video that aided in creating an audio-visual experience for the visitors. While walking through the site, one could notice several incomplete stories and shattered dreams, be it through the broken bangles, or unfinished tiffin boxes.

The documentary exhibition "Voices of Bangladesh" intended to display how women and other marginalised groups helped lay the groundwork for the great liberation struggle that led to Bangladesh's freedom. The videos share tales of indigenous groups, women who fought for freedom, and key witnesses to Bangladesh's liberation struggle. This project was initiated by iCan Foundation and organised by the US Embassy. It has been curated by the Bengal foundation.

The Maheshkhali Exhibition stitches together stories of displacement and reconciliation through arts, crafts, and storytelling. The exhibition is the result of an embroidery workshop that was part of a series of cases designed by HUM Studio Interactive, where local artists collaborated with communities to understand coastal conflicts through.

Finally, "Auyoni: Beyond Sexuality" by Ayreen Khan explores infinite forms within formless time and space, reflecting life stories and situations through her vivid imagination. "This exhibition presents the differences in the sense of life and nature. There are 18 paintings, all done with acrylic paint on canvas. They depict different stages of a woman's life, as she breaks and gathers herself in the search of liberation," Ayreen explained.

Apart from exhibitions, the festival also witnessed other art forms like film screenings. This included "Scooty" by Arifur Rahman and "Rising Silence" by Leesa Gazi. The story of "Scooty" revolves around the life of Onu Bahar, a strong-willed girl who uses public transportation every day and has too often faced sexual harassment. After experiencing a new kind of harassment, she decides to buy her own scooter and challenges norms in pursuit of freedom and respect in a patriarchal society. The documentary "Rising Silence" brings together women who have experienced war, brutality, and prejudice on a daily basis go through a healing process and build a future based on unwavering love.

There were also dance performances by several indigenous communities, which included Baisavi, bamboo dance, umbrella dance, Rakhain lamp dance and the dance of unity. Additionally, Ridy Sheikh and her group presented an electrifying performance.

During the festival, Director Sudip Chakroborthy reimagined the legendary playwright Selim Al Deen's masterwork "SwarnaBoal" in association with theatrEX..  Prachyanat's drama, "Naior", written by Jaganmoy Paul and directed by Kazi Toufikul Islam Emon, explored the dire circumstances of female migrant labourers. The performance primarily intended to raise awareness about the problem of illegal migration to the Middle East and to talk about the gender-based abuse faced by female migrant workers.

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In terms of music, the festival featured concerts by Khiyo, an English fusion band with Bengali descent, and Chirkutt, the only female-fronted fusion-driven rock band of Bangladesh. A unique display of indigenous folk music added life to the festival. Lastly there were crowd-pleasing performances by youth sensations Tosiba Begum and Masha Islam.