#WIMBELFAST IWD 2024 INSPIRE INCLUSION EVENT AT BELFAST CITY HALL
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Hello all. Just a wee post to keep you up to date with what we have been up to.
International Women’s Day is next week and to mark it Women in Media Belfast is hosting our annual lunch event at Belfast City Hall.
Thanks so much to Belfast City Council, the team at the Lord Mayor’s Office, Lord Mayor Cllr Ryan Murphy, the U105 team and Radio Academy NI rep Peter McVerry, the NUJ Belfast Branch, Gerry White of Jawbox Gin, and Schweppes, for partnering again this year with WIMB. Your continued support is very much appreciated.
We are having an ‘Inspire Inclusion’ event on Wednesday, March 6, 1pm-4pm. There will be a buffet lunch, drinks reception, panel discussions, inspiring speakers, and some entertainment.
The WIMB event team for Inspire Inclusion features WIMB co-founders Amanda Ferguson and Patricia McBride, Belfast Telegraph reporter Niamh Campbell, freelance journalist Sophie Clarke, and freelance photographer Bernie McAllister. We also have freelance journalist Caoimhe Clements, and student journalists Lili Busby and Kirsty King, welcoming and interviewing our guests for the all important ‘socials’, with in depth reports on the event from them to follow.
Women in Media Belfast is about amplifying the voices of media women, and those who appear on the media. Proceedings will be in the capable hands of WIMB hosting team regular, reporter extraordinaire and Tyrone woman Niamh Campbell. She is emcee for the event which will be opened by WIMB cofounder and director Patricia McBride.
A WIMB event wouldn’t be a WIMB event without some media women talking all things media.. Rising journalism star Sophie Clarke (Irish News and Local Women magazine) will be chairing a ‘Future of the Media’ panel with our esteemed colleagues and friends: Radio Academy MD Aradhna Tayal Leach; UTV journalists Barbara McCann and Tori Watson; BBC journalist Claire Graham; and Q Radio presenter Yasmin Zemmoura.
WIMB cofounder and director Amanda Ferguson will be chairing a panel on ‘Disability and Difference’. We are so pleased to welcome a stellar panel of women, including Irish government diplomat Amy Smyth, who will be sharing her experience of dyslexia and diplomacy, student journalist Anna Kane discussing her dissertation research into the media and disabilty, plus the NOW Group’s employment development manager Niamh Rainey, and NOW Group ambassador Danielle Scott.
Poet, mental health champion, and rights activist Siobhan McCallion will be performing a monologue, and soul, R&B, and gospel singer Angela Ifonlaja will be giving us a song or two.
We always want to include as many amazing women as possible so a range of podium speakers will address the event including:
Feminist historian and author (and all round legend) Dr Margaret Ward
QUB media lecturer, VIEW Digital co-founder and NUJ Belfast Branch training rep Una Murphy
Yallaa coordinator and Arab culture champion Nouha Brereton
Author and Scots/Ulster Scots writing expert Dr Angeline King-Kelly
Belfast Asian Women’s Academy young person representative Darshita Jalan
Actor, casting director and intimacy coordinator Mary-Ellen O’Hara
Irish language champion Linda Ervine
Architect, Soultrane director and singer Siobhan Brown
Royal College of Nursing spokeswoman Denise Kelly
Policy expert and podcaster Ellen Finlay
Black & Ethnic Minority Women’s Network board member Daniela Tatarkova
Anaka Women’s Collective spokeswoman Oluwaseyi Oluwalana
And there will even be a word or two from the only man on the line up, Lord Mayor/Ard Mhéara Ryan Murphy. No pressure, Ryan!
Read the IWD line up bios here: https://www.wimbelfast.com/voices/bios-meet-the-women-inspire-inclusion-2024
For media enquiries about the March 6 event please email contact@wimbelfast.com
Thanks to the Radio Academy for their support in 2024.
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So, what’s coming up next for WIMB, and how can you be part of it?
If you want to get involved with WIMB or have any ideas for collaborations or projects please get in touch using the contact form on the website.
Our women’s week event on March 6, 2024 is a small affair so unfortunately we can’t fit everyone into the room who wants to attend BUT we are organising a larger ticketed event for later in the year at a venue to be announced. Keep your eyes peeled for more about that, and to register your interest in attending use the website form or WIMB email address with SUBJECT: WIMB 2024 REGISTER OF INTEREST.
Thanks
Team WIMB
