The Wilding Festival

One hundred years ago, one woman tragically lost her life in an act of protest against a cause that still resonates with women today – the right to vote. When Emily Wilding Davison ran out of the crowds at the Epsom Derby in front of the King’s horse, the world was forced to look directly into the face of the burgeoning Suffragette movement – and admit something needed to be done.

What emerged from this tragic incident was a rare and evocative moment in women’s history when on 14 June 1913, 6,000 women dressed in white marched through the streets of London to pay their respects to their frontline sister at St George’s Church, Bloomsbury – representing a solidarity against suffrage the world could not ignore.On June 14 1913, 6000 women dressed in white marched through the streets of London to pay their respects to their frontline sister at St George’s Church, Bloomsbury – representing a solidarity against suffrage that the world could not ignore.

Whatever your thoughts on the Suffragette movement or of Davison’s protest itself, this event has come to be seen as a defining moment in the Vote for Women campaign and a symbol of the unwavering commitment these brave women had towards their cause.

Admittedly, it’s difficult for me to remain subjective about such a topic. Women’s rights and the fight we fought to get the vote is a cause that will always be very close to my heart, however, as we approach the centenary of this monumental event, it’s that ‘we’ that I find resonating. Indeed, ‘we’ didn’t fight for the vote – ‘they’ did, and so it is ‘they’ we should be celebrating on this anniversary, and celebrate we shall when The Wilding Festival arrives at the restored St George’s Church on 13-16 June.

Bringing people together once again in celebration and commemoration, The Wilding Festival presents an exciting and provocative multi-arts programme of art, performance and discussion inspired by Emily Davison and the legacy of the Suffragettes in our modern lives.

Curated by London arts collective Soundcastle in partnership with the Museum of London and St George’s, The Wilding Festival invokes the spirit of the voices from all walks of life that united to power the movement that finally won women the vote in 1918.

With live music in the atmospheric setting of St George’s, community dance performances, physical theatre, processions with the Olympic Suffragettes, storytelling with The Sound Story and cross-arts trio LightBox, panel discussions and debates and even a hatmaking workshop, The Wilding Festival brings a fresh voice to a cause that is often overlooked but one that is certainly not forgotten.

Speakers include Philippa Bilton, a direct descendant of Emily Davison, Hilary McCollum speaking about ‘The Love of Comrades – Emily Wilding Davison and her Militant Friendships’ and Suffragette expert Elizabeth Crawford who will be a walking information point throughout the festival.

One hundred years have passed since Emily Davison stepped out onto the racetrack with her Votes for Women flag. Yet, while women now have the vote, the fact we still need to ask the question, ‘How far has equality come?’ almost provides an answer for us – perhaps not far enough. With the collective of creative and impassioned people uniting to remember and honour these women, The Wilding Festival seems an ideal place to embrace and explore the all too present themes of women’s suffrage that still resonate in our modern society.

View the full festival programme on the website: www.thewildingfestival.co.uk and join the conversation on Twitter @wildingfestival

The Wilding Festival takes place 13 – 16 June at:

St. George’s Church
6-7 Little Russell St
Bloomsbury
WC1A 2HR