Reclaim: our new festival of work by women, for women

Orange background. Gold, yellow and lilac wavy lines encircle the words 'Reclaim Festival', written in purple capitals.

We’re inviting South-West artists and audiences to take part in a week of women-centred performances, panel discussions, and networking opportunities this November. The festival, announced today, will take place at the city-centre Barnfield Theatre from Mon 11 Nov to Sat 16 Nov. The programme has been curated by local producers Katy Danbury and Naomi Turner.

Naomi and I are thrilled to unveil the full programme of Reclaim Festival. The South West is full of talented creatives who don’t always have access to the opportunities they deserve to develop and showcase their skills. It has been a real joy to invite so many local women to make the festival their own, and we can’t wait to welcome audiences and artists alike to celebrate their work.

Katy Danbury

The festival features over 13 different events ranging from performances to panel discussions, and workshops. Highlights include:

Carbon Theatre’s Bright Places, an autobiographical play about multiple sclerosis
Rosalie, a one-woman play about Rosalie Chichester, an enigmatic woman in local history, from Devon-based Pleasure Dome Theatre Company
Leadership and Legacy – Women Shaping Theatre, in which four local cultural leaders will discuss their careers

Artwork for Bright Places: Three women dressed in feather boas, bright leggings, and T-shirts that say 'Actor' are sat in the spotlight on a dark stage with a jukebox at their feet. Confetti falls from above and they look up, smiling.

Photo by Graeme Braidwood

Eight emerging companies or artists from the South West have been selected from an open call-out to perform across two double bills and one scratch night. This is the latest in a series of brand-new initiatives to cultivate creative talent in the region, including our recent launch of Elevate, a free membership for South-West theatre makers.

Reclaim Festival will also feature Daylight Comedy Club, a stand-up gig tailored towards sleep-deprived parents with babes-in-arms. The show will start at 11am on Fri 15 Nov, making it accessible to audience members who would be unable to attend an evening performance. This is our second collaboration with Lizzie Humber, after we co-produced Exeter’s first babes-in-arms theatre performance earlier this year.

Explore the full Reclaim Festival programme and find out how to get involved by clicking the button below.

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