An arts festival will mark the centenary of women gaining the vote in Britain.

POW! Thanet will take place between Wednesday, March 7 and Sunday, March 11 and feature work by internationally renowned artists alongside homegrown talent.

Launching the festival is a show-stopping performance by the POW! choir: women, men and children will perform a soaring rendition of Milck’s protest anthem, I Can’t Keep Quiet. The song went viral following last year’s women’s march in America.

It will be followed by a sound installation by award-winning composer, Emily Peasgood.
Other highlights include a concert by singer Barb Jungr, singing the songs of Bob Dylan from her album Every Grain of Sand at the Pavilion in Broadstairs.

The theme of this year’s festival marks the centenary of women gaining the vote in Britain and there are suffragette-inspired and thought-provoking events presented by artists, authors and academics.

Many events are free to attend with opportunities for young women to explore anything from coding at Dreamland to music drop-ins organised by Pie Factory Music.

There’s also cutting-edge cabaret at the Lido while Ramsgate Music Hall hosts the POWder Room: a music night with an all-star line-up.

At the Theatre Royal, We Are the Lions, Mr Manager! tells the inspirational story of Jayaben Desai, whose struggle for equality led to the 1976 – 78 Grunwick strike, closing the festival.

Festival director Christina Clark-McQuaid said: “POW! started as a celebration of female creativity to coincide with International Women’s Day and is now a firm fixture on the isle’s events calendar. Thanet still suffers from deprivation but has also seen a huge increase in artistic creativity.

"Now, more than ever, it is important that women (and girls) have a voice and the festival offers them a platform from which to express their thoughts and feelings about their position in the contemporary world. We invite women, men, girls and boys to come along and experience, be challenged by, and enjoy the wide variety of events that POW! 2018 has to offer.”

Jan Ryan, programme director, added: "More than 150 female artists, performers and makers will light up the isle with theatre, music, cabaret, talks and exhibitions which will take place across Broadstairs, Margate and Ramsgate.

"We will be paying tribute to many of the strong women who have helped to shape the freedoms we enjoy today. Over a five day period, POW! 2018 will be looking back over the past 100 years, at what we have achieved and what the future might bring."

DETAILS

POW! started in 2016 for International Women's Day. It runs from Wednesday, March 7 and Sunday, March 11. To find out more and book tickets please visit powthanet.com