St. Brigid’s Festival Vancouver 2021

Free Virtual St. Brigid’s Festival Vancouver; running Sunday, January 31 to Sunday, February 7, 2021 http://www.brigidfestivalvancouver.com Celebrating women everywhere! St. Brigid’s Festival Vancouver is a week-long online free festival featuring academic, cultural and wellness sessions dedicated to celebrating women through the medium of Ireland’s mythical matriarchal figure Brigid. Despite Brigid’s origins in mythology and religion, this festival is non-religious. All are welcome. Festival Director Maura De Freitas said, “St. Brigid’s Festival Vancouver is an opportunity to celebrate and cherish the legacy of women everywhere, to learn from each other and share ideas.” EMMA DONOGHUE The expansive program of events will include a presentation from award-winning Irish- Canadian novelist, playwright and screenwriter Emma Donoghue. Well known for her novel “Room”, shortlisted for the Man Booker prize and adopted into an Academy Award-winning film. Donoghue will present the photographs that inspired her latest bestselling novel “The Pull of the Stars” set during the 1918 flu pandemic. AILBHE SMYTH Leading Irish activist and women’s rights campaigner Ailbhe Smyth, listed in Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2019, will also host a presentation on the impact COVID 19 has on women. MONICA McWILLIAMS Proudly supported by the Irish Embassy, the Consulate General of Ireland in Vancouver will host a talk by academic, peace activist, former politician Monica McWilliams on her documentary “Wave Goodbye to Dinosaurs”. Wave Goodbye to Dinosaurs is the extraordinary story of the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition, a cross-community party formed in 1996 by local working- and middle-class women. Frustrated with the stalemate of local politics, the women ran a door-to-door campaign to win two seats at the historic peace talks, which culminated in the Good Friday Agreement. Wave Goodbye to Dinosaurs is a compelling example of how grassroots activism can bring about real change. LEGENDS and MYTHOLOGY OF BRIGID A storytelling session focused on the “Legends and Mythology of Brigid” will present Irish storytellers — Philomena Jordan, Dolores Whelan of Brigid’s Way Celtic Pilgrimage, and Anthony Murphy of Mythical Ireland. MENTAL HEALTH PANEL With a strong emphasis on wellness and mental health, the St. Brigid’s Festival includes a panel discussion on suicide prevention and recovery during COVID 19, hosted by Darkness into Light Vancouver. IRELAND CANADA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Additionally, the Ireland Canada Chamber of Commerce will lead a panel discussion on the topic of “Women Leading Change” featuring three dynamic Irish women in business — Rachel Mockler, Niamh Cunningham, and Joan Sheehan. DR. EMER O’TOOLE Dr. Emer O’Toole, Associate Professor of Irish Performance Studies at Concordia University, Montreal will present on the topic “Irish Feminism: A Love Story.” LETTERS FROM THE DIASPORA Cultural workshops include a performance reading of “Letters from the Diaspora” under the direction of Dr. Dara Culhane, Professor of Anthropology at Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Coinciding with the traditional festival of St. Brigid’s Day, this comprehensive series of events will be presented online throughout the week of January 31 to February 7, 2021. Admission to all sessions of the St. Brigid’s Festival Vancouver is FREE. All sessions are listed in three time zone: PST / EST and GMT. Attendees can register at https://www.brigidfestivalvancouver.com/ For further information: Maura De Freitas, Festival Director • E-mail: bridfestvancouver@gmail.com • Website: http://www.brigidfestivalvancouver.com • Social Media: • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bridfestvan/ • Twitter: @bridfestvan: https://mobile.twitter.com/bridfestvan • Instagram: @Bridfestvancouver: https://www.instagram.com/bridfestvancouver/ • YouTube: St. Brigid Festival Vancouver: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChRjrKqjV-I6jqeqtyi8Z0g?view_as=subscriber Price: Free: CAD 0.00