When asked what it means to be audacious, Sally Wainwright, co-founder of the Audacious Women Festival (AWF), told The Student: “It’s about breaking boundaries, turning convention on its head, being bold and courageous.”
The Audacious Women Festival was held in Edinburgh. It focused on enabling and encouraging women from all backgrounds to express themselves and commit acts of audacity, however big or small.
In the current political climate, women across the globe are expressing their voices in the fight for women’s rights.
The global Women’s Marches were a spotlight for media attention and provided an open platform for people to promote gender equality.
The second annual Audacious Women Festival, held February 18-26 in venues across Edinburgh, was no exception.
AWF was hosted in partnership with the Edinburgh Bookshop and Women’s Fund for Scotland, which provided venues and support that allowed the number of events to double from AWF 2016.
This celebration of female empowerment included approximately 40 workshops, exhibitions, and performances which covered topics ranging from stone-masonry to powerful women of history.
Rachel Morrison, who has been involved with AWF for the past two years, shared her experience of working at the festival with The Student.
Morrison stated: “Working with driven, ambitious and audacious women is incredible, to even be part of the conversations around issues we are all addressing is just brilliant, I feel so grateful us women are given this platform to use.”
Morrison’s original one-woman play, Unearthing, was debuted at AWF and aimed to remind us that powerful women are not purely an invention of the 21st century. Rather, we should give a voice to and find inspiration in all of the women who came before us.
The Audacious Women Festival concluded with a festival party on Saturday night, and included live music from well known musician Mairi Campbell and appearances by leaders and hosts of AWF events.
Although the 2017 festival has ended, Wainwright is already thinking ahead for 2018 and offers this advice for those still struggling to be audacious.
“Speaking about what you want is a good first step. At some point, someone will offer support, or point you in the direction of where to go for it,” Wainwright said.
Image: Audacious Women’s Festival Press Office