Brecon Women’s Festival has become an established event in Brecon’s cultural calendar and this year’s festival programme will take place from 6 to 17 March, at various venues throughout the town.
Tree planting on the Prom 2014. Left to right Hilda Benham. Sian Drinan. Paula Keen, Leigh Hendra, Nicky Bickerton, Karin Mear
The first festival took place in 2012. It was organised by a group of women who wanted to mark International Women’s Day, which takes place annually on 8 March, with a programme of events which would address women’s issues and celebrate the skills and achievements of women from the Brecon area.
Karin Mear, who originally came up with the concept of a women’s festival in Brecon says: “ Brecon Women’s Festival is organised on a voluntary basis by a small team of women, with no public funding and here it is in its fourth year! It’s an example of what can be achieved with hard work and a passion for a cause.”
One of the venues, The Hours Café & Bookshop, which is owned by two of the festival organisers, Leigh Hendra and Nicky Bickerton, will again be offering an eclectic selection of events. Leigh says: “We are thrilled and awed to be putting on our fourth Women’s Festival in Brecon. It has for the last few years heralded the start of spring in this bustling market town and is one of the highlights of our working year. We’ve a lovely week of events at The Hours this year, including a drawing class, a dementia friends workshop, and an open mic and quiz night. We hope everyone will continue to come along and support this beautiful bijou happening for many years to come.”
A new venue for this year, The Muse (on Glamorgan Street), is hosting the Brecon Women’s Festival Art Exhibition which is curated by Karin Mear and Hilda Benham. More than twenty five artists will be showing their work and there will also be a coffee morning where artists will be available to chat informally about their art. Hilda Benham says: “For me the Women’s Festival ushers in spring with the creativity it inspires.”
Other events taking place at The Muse include a women’s craft fair and an evening of music featuring Tarion, an all woman band who write and perform their own original songs.
One of the aims of the festival organisers is to give something back to the local community and for the past three years the Woodland Trust have donated a tree to Brecon Women’s Festival, to be planted in the locality. Brecon Women’s Festival trees are now growing at Maendu Well, Brecon High School and The Promenade. The location for this year’s tree is unconfirmed at time of going to press but details will soon become available on the festival website.
Other venues and events will be published on the festival website www.breconwomensfestival.co.uk. Follow @BreconWF2015 or LIKE Brecon Women’s Festival on Facebook
