InternationalWomen’s

Week

Events in Tower Hamlets 6-12 March 2021www.alternativearts.org.uk

Supported by Tower Hamlets Council and Alternative Arts

Saturday 6 March

WOMEN IN FOCUS FESTIVALPoplar Union2 Cotall Street E14 6TLwww.poplarunion.com 020 3039 3333 / 07581 222006Fri 5 March 7.30pm FREE open to allLIVE IN THE LIBRARY – Jelly Cleavers House PartyLive-streamed gig on Youtube, Facebook & TwitchOnline Link: https://poplarunion.com/event/live-in-the-library-online-jelly-cleavers-house-party/Sun 7 March 2pm-3.30pm FREE open to allFilm screening of ROCKS (dir: Sara Gavron). A powerful and moving storybased in East London of a young black girl who is forced to fend for herselfand her younger brother after her mother unexpectedly leaves home. The film deals with intercultural experiences, identity politics and race.

Presented in tandem with an online exhibition, curated by young people at the Spotlight Youth Centre, exploring the relationship between hair and peopleof colour. Ticket link: https://poplarunion/event/pop-corn-presents-rocks/Tues 9 March 7.30pm FREE open to allNARI CHETONA CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY. A celebration of women’s revolution, participation and achievement in 50 yearsof Bengali independence with music, panel discussions and the screening ofa new documentary. Online Link: https://poplarunion.com/event/nari-chetonas-international-womens-day/ Fri 12 March 7.30pm Free open to allLIVE IN THE LIBRARY – Community Music’s Fearless Females TakeoverLive-streamed gig on Youtube, Facebook & TwitchOnline link: https://poplarunion.com/event/live-in-the-library-online-community-musics-fearless-females-takeover/ The Women in Focus Festival continues throughout March. See theWomen’s History Month listings for the rest of the programme.

TATI CRAFT EXHIBITION & DEMONSTRATION and TATI FOODDEMONSTRATIONThe Oitij-jo CollectivePiazza Unit C, Lighterman House, Republic E14 2BEfacebook-@oitijjolondon 07932 944506Sat 6 March FREE women only – at venue or Online10am-1pm TATI CRAFT EXHIBITION & DEMONSTRATION Exhibition of all the work done by women in the Tati workshops and practicaldemonstrations of weaving, designing and embroidery to encourage morewomen to get actively involved in the Tati Craft Hub.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S WEEK in Tower Hamlets 6-12 March 2021Supported by Tower Hamlets Council and Alternative Arts

Poplar Union : Jelly Cleaver, photo by MrFizzy, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Poplar Union : Still from B

ump

Poplar Union : Nari Chetona

The Oitij-jo Collective : Tati Craft Exhibition and Demonstration

WOMEN Identity, Crisis, FutureIn 2021 our theme is WOMEN: Identity, Crisis, Future – looking at our values and sense of identity,how women have been affected by the current coronavirus pandemic, and how we may achieve a better, fairer future. This programme has been put together by local women’s groups andcommunity organisations and most of the events and activities will probably take place virtuallyonline. So please make sure you can access them by checking with the projects directly.

Cover image and graphic design : Viv Mullett

1pm-4pm TATI FOOD DEMONSTRATION Members of the Tati Food Café will demonstrate dishes with recipes from Oitij-jo’s project ‘Connecting Cultures’ – what is in your cupboard? Thisinitiative promotes healthy eating, use of sustainable products, and providesopportunities for women to upskill their cooking. If participants are not able to attend these sessions in person the demonstrations will take place onlinethrough Zoom/Teams/Google Meet.Online link https://www.facebook.com/oitijjolondon/live/

FROM CHALLENGE TO CHANGEMuslim Women’s Collectivewww.muslimwomenscollective.gov.uk 07877 997923Sat 6 March 2pm-4pm FREE women only Online via ZoomThis year the Muslim Women’s Collective will celebrate women’scontributions made during the difficult global pandemic and the immenseresilience shown to help others and the community. Guest speakers includeRushanara Ali MP, Apsama Begum MP, Cllr Asma Begum, Cllr Rachel Blakeand leaders from Telco and Women 100. Join us for fun packed activities invirtual breakout rooms celebrating women’s leadership and achievements,spoken word poetry, quizzes and a mindfulness session to help with anxiety. Please register for the event onwww.eastlondonmosque.org.uk/forms/international-womens-day-registration

Sunday 7 March

RE-INTERPRETING BEGUM ROKEYASaudha Society and Nari Chetonawww.saudha.org 07828 1905513pm-7pm FREE open to all ONLINEIn partnership with the Gronthee the Saudha Society presents aDISCUSSION on Begum Rokeya, a leading Bengali feminist in the early 20th Century who was the first to examine inequality and discriminationagainst women, focusing on her relevance in the 21st Century. The speakers include leading female academics from Bangladesh, India,

Latin America and the UK. There will also be READINGS from Rokeya’sworks in English and a PERFORMANCE of her short play Sultana’s Dream.This event will be live streamed through our social mediawww.facebook.com/events/409711720307370/

THE SHOW MUST GO ON – the spirit of a woman never diesMohila Ongon AssociationHasan Raja Centre, 117 Vallance Road E1 5BW07500 9709579.30am-3pm at the venue or 12noon-3pm online. FREE women onlyThe programme will include a GROUP DISCUSSION on how to cope duringthe current pandemic, a short video about our WALKING CLUB and itsbenefit to mental and physical health, a DRAMA to broaden women’sperspective and show them how their spirits never end and that they shouldnot underestimate themselves, a DANCE WORKSHOP and ART WORKSHOPwith tutors giving online demonstrations. If it is possible to hold the event at the venue we will celebrate with lots

more entertainment, games and workshops. Online link https://m.facebook.com/mohilaongon2010/

The Oitij-jo C

ollective : Tati Food Demonstration

Muslim

Women’s C

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ociety and Nari C

hetona : Begum

Rokeya

Mohila O

ngon Association : The S

how Must G

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International Women’s Week

Monday 8 March

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

LEARNING ABOUT COVID 19 in East London’s Bangladeshi CommunitySwadhinata Trustwww.swadhinata.org.uk 07908 3762524pm FREE open to allFOCUS GROUP with people from East London’s Bangladeshi Communitysharing experiences of Covid 19 in Bengali/Sylheti and English. Highlightingthe experiences of older Bangladeshis and their social contacts which consistof family, friends and key workers. Using research findings from Kings CollegeLondon and Tower Hamlets Health & Wellbeing. Email Swadhinatatrust@gmail.com to request an invitation to the ZOOMMEETING.

Tuesday 9 March

EQUALITY, INCLUSION, FEMINISMAccount 31-3 Birkbeck Street E2 6JYwww.account3.org.uk 020 7739 772010am all day team workshop ONLINEFacilitated by Marai Larasi MBE the workshop aims to help create a betterunderstanding of each other and consider any differences in the understandingof equalities, inclusion and feminism. Structured in sessions online via Zoom, with small group discussions, quizzes,time lines, images and games to explore ideas, open communication andovercome any potential conflicts.

Thursday 11 March

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ONSt Hilda’s East, Boundary Women’s ProjectSt Hilda’s East Community Centre, 18 Club Row E2 7EYwww.sthildas.org.uk 020 7739 806611am-6pm FREE open to all Online via ZOOMEvent focussing on women and the disproportionate changes we have had toface through the current pandemic. Since March 2020 women have not onlyplayed their roles as wives, mums, daughters, cooks, cleaners, carers andnurses but also continued to ‘work from home’, become expert teachers on all aspects of the curriculum, as well as entertainers to deal with the boredomand enforcers of the law. Self care has been thrown out the window as many women absorb the

trauma for their families, suffering an identity crisis while taking on so manyadditional roles and assigning ‘value’ to everyone else and loosing sight oftheir own needs and hopes for what seems a hopeless future.THIS EVENT will bring women to the fore and encourage ‘letting go’ of the

‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ attitude for a day, allowing them to relax and re-focus on themselves and share their experiences. There will be MEDITATION,YOGA, VOCAL and DISCUSSION sessions throughout the day to enableovercoming emotional and mental health issues. The event will be delivered entirely online.

Please register at https://forms.gle/KiVxKfC55hVPka6AA

International Women’s WeekSwadhinata Trust : Learning about Covid 19, image courtesy of www.gov.uk

Account 3 : Equality, Inclusion, Feminism

Account 3 : Equality, Inclusion, Feminism

St Hilda’s East, Boundary Women’s Project : Keep Calm and Carry On

International Women’s Week

THE BIGGER PICTURE – preview screeningTrapped in Zone One15 Heneage Street E1 5LJwww.trappedinzoneone.com 07870 5904027pm-7.30pm FREE open to all Online eventFollowing the theme of IWW 2021 of ‘WOMEN: Identity, Crisis, Future’, we are creating a short film with young women from Ocean Youth Connexions,Vallance Community Sports Association and Wapping Youth about how thecorona virus pandemic has affected their wellbeing and the need for provisionsto improve their health and be given equal opportunity for a fairer future.Online link: https://www.trappedinzoneone.com/projects/virtual-get-togetherThis film will also be shown in the ‘Virtual Get Together’ at St Margaret’s Houseon 17 March showcasing a diverse range of experiences for which you canregister on our website.

Friday 12 March

BLACK WOMEN’S POWER – response to Covid 19Women’s Inclusive TeamMayfield House, 202A Cambridge Heath Road E2 2LJwww.wit.org.uk 020 7790 26506pm FREE women only online via zoomAlthough our community has been disproportionately affected by the pandemicthe current crisis has shone a spotlight on some of our enormous strengths,skills and talents, demonstrating to the wider world just what we can achieve.As a black women’s led organisation the Women’s Inclusive Team has providedmuch needed practical and emotional support to local residents, which hasallowed for greater integration in our richly diverse community.Our IWW EVENT will highlight and celebrate the unity and amazing work of

the local women who mobilised everyone to support, care and provide for oneanother. We will share stories, memories and facilitate discussion. We will alsoshow the ‘WALL OF REMEMBRANCE’ we are creating at our new centre inBethnal Green dedicated to our local female heroes and leaders. The event willraise awareness of women’s critical role and the work we are doing to unite us.#together-we-are-strong #Identity,Crisis,Future #Womens international Week#BLM Online link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/black-women-power-for-international-womens-week-tickets-137959012119

BANGLADESHI WOMEN : Identity, Crisis, Future.Udichi Shilpi GhosthiBrady Arts Centre, 192-196 Hanbury Street E1 5HUwww.udichi.org 07950 7921566pm-8pm FREE open to all online event VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS engaging local women, women’s organisations andtheir representatives to discuss their circumstances, their wellbeing and theproblems they are facing during the pandemic and provide guidance andsupport. We will also be looking at future opportunities for employment,empowerment, achievements and challenges. And we will presentENTERTAINMENT with music and dance to celebrate International Women’sWeek with prominent performers.Online link: https://www.facebook.com/UdichiUK

International Women’s Week is co-ordinated for Tower Hamlets Council by Alternative Arts,who also produce Women’s History Month in East London www.alternativearts.org.ukTo receive this information in large print please contact info@alternativearts.co.uk

Trapped in Zone One : The B

igger Picture

Women’s Inclusive Team

: Black W

omen’s P

ower

Udichi S

hilpi Ghosthi : B

angladeshi Women: Identity, C

risis, Future

WOMEN AT WORK – A New Town Hall for Tower HamletsA special feature about the work of all the women transforming the old Royal LondonHospital building in Whitechapel into a 21st Century Town Hall for Tower Hamlets.www.alternativearts.org.uk/events/international-womens-week

Since early 2016, Allford Hall Monaghan Morris’(AHMM) team of architects has been overseeingthe transformation of the iconic former RoyalLondon Hospital in Whitechapel into a twenty-firstcentury Town Hall for Tower Hamlets. Theprominent role of women in the commissioning,design and construction of this exciting projecthints at a brighter, more diverse future for womenin an industry where gender disparity is still the norm.In this context I am proud to be overseeing

such an important project which will serve thecommunity of the borough and prouder still thatsix of the seven architects working with me arealso women. This sets our team apart from manyothers: Currently only 26% of RegisteredArchitects in the UK are women despite the factthat they make up 49% of all students

commencing architectural training in this country.As any team of architects working on a large

project under construction, we sit between theclient and the construction team advocating ourdesign intent in both directions. We carryresponsibility for many of the technical aspects ofthe project to deliver the design developed forand with the client. Do more women on the teamlead to a different team dynamic? When it comes to communication and engagement perhaps itdoes. Though meetings can sometimes beadversarial, the atmosphere across the site officeis more relaxed and, as women, we don’t feelsuch an oddity walking around site. This isenhanced by the fact that we are oftencommunicating with the experienced womenleading Tower Hamlets’ client team, and those onthe teams of our structures consultants Elliott

Thirty percent of main contractor Bouygues UK's on site team for the town hall project are women. Photo © Alex Sarginson

Wood and heritage architects Richard GriffithsArchitects. The most significant influence has comefrom collaborating with contractor Bouygues UK’steam, many of whom are women accomplished inguiding key aspects of the building’s construction.In 25 years as an architect never before have I seenwomen so well represented on site and it makes a refreshing change.This is particularly fortuitous as for the past two

years AHMM has forged a relationship with the artand design department of Swanlea School,located a stone’s throw from the former hospitalbuilding, supporting its initiative to encourageteenage girls to consider a career in theconstruction industry. Through away-dayworkshops held at AHMM’s office and visits to theTown Hall site we have promoted a myriad ofcareer opportunities for young women in the world

of construction and we hope that at least one ortwo pupils have been tempted away from other,more obvious career choices.This said there remains a significant lack of

female role models within the trades: in bricklaying,dry-lining and joinery for example. Genderstereotypes in manual construction work persistand more needs to be done by schools and tradeorganisations to encourage women into training.Last week, I admit I did a double-take as I

passed one of Bouygues UK’s traffic marshalsawaiting their next delivery. My glance was held bya pair of distinctly female eyes, framed betweenhard hat and face mask, as if to say ‘Yes, I’m hereand I’m proud too’.

Sam ScottAssociateALLFORD HALL MONAGHAN MORRIS Architects

Project Managers Naznin Chowdhury & Sarah Steer with Project DirectorYasmin Ali. Photo courtesy Tower Hamlets Council

Sam Scott with members of AHMM's team of architects. Six out of the seventeam members are women. Photo © Alex Sarginson

CGI impression of the Grocer’s Wing of the new Tower Hamlets Town Hall. Artist © Secchi Smith/Forbes Massey

Yasmin Ali and Sarah Steer of Tower Hamlets' client team. Photo © Alex Sarginson