It’s 2019, and the cause for gender equality continues to rage on in its full glory; women stepping forth, women rising up, and women finding their long-obscured footing in the world. As International Women’s Day rolls in next month on Mar 8, there really is no better time to celebrate the strong female figures that have shaped our history, while looking ahead to lay down the way for daughters yet to be born. Glide on your richest red lipstick, put on your fiercest pumps (or flats) and head out to these eight events for some kickass female-centred quality time; because you deserve nothing less.
Beyond the Checked Boxes: Ariani Darmawan x Qinyi Lim (Feb 16)
As a special February feature for National Gallery’s monthly in-gallery sessions, a conversation between filmmaker Ariani Darmawan and and gallery curator Qinyi Lim explores themes of post-1980s diaspora, ethnicity and gender in Ariani’s works. Should the conversation get a little too heavy on the weary heart, though, laugh off some of the existential worries with a screening of Sugiharti Halim, Darmawan’s comedic short film about a young woman born under Indonesia’s New Order Regime. Watch as our strong female protagonist echoes questions we’ve got in the backs of our own heads, as she exposes the ironies and difficulties of cultural assimilation through light-hearted banter with various men; and as we listen and inspect issues of the past, we just might identify similarities with our own present-day identity struggles.
Studio Screening: Frida (Feb 20)
In honour of Frida Kahlo
You’ll know her for her surrealist paintings, her steady, strong gaze; there really is so much to celebrate about the LGBTQ-feminist icon, Frida Kahlo. Revisit her artistic, political and personal endeavours with a screening of Julie Taymor’s Frida, and prepare to emote heavily alongside the visually evocative piece.
Factory (Super)Women Exhibition (Feb 23)
Not all heroes wear capes, and some don yellow industrial-grade rubber boots instead; our forgotten women that have laboured behind the industrial scenes. As part of The Future Of Our Pasts Festival (TFOOPfest), a screening of the documentary film Factory (Super)Women zooms in on the narratives of factory women who have played their part in our economic success, giving these women a platform to remember and reflect about their previously unheard experiences. Further honouring the legacy of these women, the screening follows with a panel discussion, continuing the conversation on the importance of these experiences in our historical narrative. It’s also free admission with registration, so grab a #woke friend or two and get yourselves educated on the underrated female powerhouses in our history.
Women In War: Phase 3 (Feb 23)
Objectifs’ 2018 resident artist Nurul Huda Rashid invites everyone to travel back in time, to help locate and anchor women’s position in conventionally-male-dominated history. Phase three of a four-phase project looking at women as subject in war and conflict photography, the 30-minute long performance-meditation maps and traces bodily representations of women in these archival photographs, reviving bodily aesthetics in suffering. Converging the practice of photography with the mechanics of a performance, it’s a slice of history brought back to life, carried forth from a frozen snapshot in time. You’ll also hear about the process through the artist herself, as she shares about the work’s development—reaching meta levels of understanding you’ll continue to ponder over.
Kotor (Mar 7-10)
A response to Natalie Wang’s The Woman Who Turned Into A Vending Machine
Natalie Wang’s poetry in The Woman Who Turned Into A Vending Machine already raises important questions on female identity and selfhood in its written form, and this performative response to it will no doubt keep the existential uncertainties coming. -wright Assembly teams up with men and women to present an interdisciplinary performance that explores the murky depths of women’s oppressions, including that of the hard-hitting issue of physical and sexual violence. Come with an open mind, your full range of emotions, and heavy doses of empathy; as much as we celebrate the progress of women, there are too gray areas to continue working upon.
Fearless females – Queens of their Craft (Mar 8)
WeWork
Empower yourself and by being surrounded with like-minded, sparkling individuals at WeWork’s Women’s Day event. Gathering the best female artists, creators, and entrepreneurs in their vibrant co-working space, it’s sure to be the creative coalescence that will get the inspiration flowing once more—expect cutting-edge fashion, interactive art installations and crafty bakes, all while grooving to Nu-disco beats for maximum vibing. After you’ve stuffed your contact lists with powerful women like yourself, stay on for an exclusive panel session that sheds light on the nitty-gritty of journeys as founders and creators. Either way, it’s the kaleidoscopic, power-packed event to be at, one where women truly lift each other up; without anybody mansplaining women’s successes.
Women’s Adventure Film Tour 18/19 (Mar 10)
Persian Powder, a short film out of 12 to be screened
Everyone’s favourite hipster cinema at Golden Mile Tower never disappoints in their all-inclusive screenings, and they’re honouring Women’s Day with that same flair and energy. Toxic masculinity isn’t welcome here, for there’ll be a slew of 12 new short films exclusively featuring brave women on their adventures. Learn the heroic stories of women from all parts of the world, be it an unlikely friendship struck up mid-mountain-ascent in Mothered by Mountains, or a five-year-old girl’s foray into the Arctic Circle in Discovering Adventure, there’s so much to learn and adore about these women; reminding you of your limitless potential even from within your seat.
Unsung Voices of the Indian Woman (late 2019)
We’re all about spreading love to women everywhere this Women’s Day, and that includes lesser heard voices from minority communities. With a special spotlight cast on the struggles of Indian women specifically, Unsung Voices explores experiences of invisibility, objectification, and the tensions between selflessness and suffering. Drawing upon traditional Indian mythology, four women are fleshed out and re-imagined, with Singapore Bharathanatyam dancers bringing out their dynamic personalities and inner voices—repositioning them in the collective consciousness, as individuals beyond extensions of their honoured husbands. It’s also adjusted for the modern context, so expect to find these struggles hashtag relatable.
