WOW North East

In October 2025, WOW came to the North East of England for the very first time. In partnership with S&DR200, the festival celebrated the creativity, resilience and activism of women, girls and non-binary people across the region – from Stockton to Darlington to Durham and beyond.

The two-day Festival brought together hundreds of participants and audiences at Gala Durham and across local venues. The WOW North East Schools Day invited over 300 young people and teachers to take part in workshops, talks and mentoring sessions designed to build confidence, curiosity and leadership. An electric opening with rapper Kay Greyson was followed by workshops including Afrobeats dance with Teissy Easton, a VR session on climate change with Spark 2, poetry with Lizzie Lovejoy, Women in STEM with the Life centre, singing with Girls, Theys and Slays and a walking tour exploring Durham's untold feminist history with The Story.

On Saturday 18 October, the full festival opened its doors to the public for a day of performances, conversations, music, theatre and creative workshops. Audiences explored everything from politics, health and identity to climate justice and storytelling, with moments of joy, activism and celebration woven throughout. Speakers and artists included former Lioness Jill Scott, singer-songwriter Amelia Coburn, Mayor of the North East Combined Authority Kim McGuiness and poet Tahmina Ali, with workshops and performances from Urban Kaos, Clogbeatz, Beccy Owen and Curious Caravan. 

The festival also shone a spotlight on the region’s rich history – including the pioneering role of women in the development of the railways 200 years ago – and looked ahead to how women and girls can help shape the North East’s future in technology, transport and industry.

Evening audiences were treated to advice on Keeping Sane(ish) with comedians Athena Kugblenu and Jordan Gray and an evening with broadcaster and outspoken feminist Ashley James. A satellite programme of events saw The WOW Show with Jude Kelly at Durham Book Festival – with special guests Shaparak Khorsandi and Moira Buffini – as well as a rehearsed reading of Shelagh Stephenson's play Astell and Woolf at Live Theatre, Newcastle with Gemma Whelan and Rosie Cavaliero and a screening of Victoria Mapplebeck's film Motherboard at ARC Stockton.

It was a weekend of conversation, creativity and connection – one that celebrated the voices and vision of women, girls and non-binary people across the North East and joined them to WOW’s growing global movement for gender equality.