Femfest returns for second year
St. John’s Status of Women Council prepares to host second Femfest conference
The St. John’s Status of Women Council will be hosting the second annual Femfest at The Space from Aug. 11-13.
Femfest seeks to prioritize the voice of all who identify as women and all who experience gendered oppression.
Last year, Femfest organizers put out an open call for anyone who wanted to speak or take part in a panel at the conference and the submissions they received were enthusiastic and varied. The same has been felt with submissions this year, organizers said.
“The goal behind this Femfest this year was to look at how we do feminist activism,” says Jenny Wright, Executive Director of the St. John’s Status of Women Council about the theme of this year’s conference, which was inspired by the rise of feminist activist movement’s such as the Women’s March, and feminist book clubs.
The structure of the conference will be largely the same as last year, opening with music on the Friday night and continuing with workshops, panels and speakers over the following two days. The subjects of panels range from media to medicine, highlighting the work and role of women as activists in multiple fields and aspects of life.
This year, Femfest has partnered with the St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival and will be screening the film “Angry Inuk” as the closing night event.
“It’s good for the soul as submissions come in and you’re reading them and seeing all the wonderful things people are doing,” says Wright about the process of reviewing entries for this year’s conference.
Beatrice Hunter will be this year’s keynote speaker.
Hunter is an Inuk mother and grandmother and a member of the Labrador Land Protectors who was formerly imprisoned for taking part in the protests over the Muskrat Falls project.
Registration for Femfest is going well as the event gets nearer. The conference is open to anyone who wants to attend or volunteer, regardless of gender.
“Come and immerse yourself in feminism with us,” says Wright.
Full weekend passes can be purchased online through eventbrite for $50. Admission to individual events is on a paywhat-you-can basis.