Jude Kelly opens the day with a reflection on how we can strengthen and develop women's leadership in our ever changing world. Are there new models of leadership and mentorship we should be considering? Join us for a day of coming together to deepen the mosaic understanding of leadership and how it acts as a mediator of power that all women must have access to.

Jude is joined on stage by some of the leaders who are innovating for real change and holding the door open for the people coming up behind them.

Speakers include MP and founder of VoteMama UK, Stella Creasy, author and First lady of Iceland, Eliza Reid and Senior UX Researcher at Google and co-founder of the Inspire Dialogue Foundation Dr Cameron Taylor

Mother Pukka founder Anna Whitehouse and Amaliah Founder and CEO Nafisa Bakkar join us to discuss all things flexonomics, what it is, who it benefits and why we should all get to know about flex appeal.

How we live, buy and work is changing. We are ready at last to put people and planet before profit. The post pandemic era will harness care, respect and a more sensitive understanding of the roles we all play in business and our work and how it affects the well-being of our planet and humanity. The kindness economy is a new value system that is growing as businesses are realising the role they play in the fabrics of our lives. We must all ask ourselves how am I doing this? How do I lead? What type of business am I working for? How can I play my part?

Grab a bite to eat or head on down to the WOW Marketplace.

The Women Leaders South West join us to discuss their pioneering arts leadership programme that seeks to address the gender imbalance in senior roles in arts organisations. We’ll be joined on stage by three of the trailblazing associates of the scheme, Daisy Higman, Abby Young and Vandna Mehta,to discuss what their leadership journeys look like, some of the challenges faced and reflect on examples of leadership that have changed their lives.

This session includes spoken word poetry by ​​Anjali Mavi & Vrushali Harihar and a BSL interpreted screening of a short film.

WOW Big Ideas features a line-up of short talks from the following speakers:

• Author and founder of the Everyday Sexism project Laura Bates on why we continue to police the behaviour and dress of individual women instead of focusing on institutional prejudice and the systems that fail us.

• Joanna Bourke, professor of History at Birkbeck, University of London, and Director of SHaME on The Power of Women in the Past

• Art curator and historian Aindrea Emelife presents musings on women, art and power

• Director General of BCC and WOW Board member, Shevaun Haviland explains that we’re making great strides in workplace gender equality, but there still aren’t enough women in senior roles. Is subconscious bias in language to blame?

• Tahmima Anam In Praise of Resting Bitch Face, and why I am no longer laughing at your jokes, a talk on the radical power of silence in combating workplace sexism.

Made possible through the British Council Gender Grant

Join Jude Kelly for this flash workshop on becoming a clear and engaging communicator. This is a chance to get tips on everything from public speaking to getting your ideas heard at home and at work.