Joining forces with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre, we are delighted to invite you to the 3rd WOW – Women of the World Festival in Greece.
The festival is taking place from 4 to 7 April 2025 in Athens in co-operation with the UK-based WOW Foundation – the world’s largest event dedicated to women, girls and non-binary people – and the British Council.
With a dynamic programme of panel discussions and talks by Greek and international guests, visual arts exhibitions, speed-mentoring sessions, educational programmes, concerts, workshops and much more, WOW Athens is an ambitious event aiming to empower women and femininities in tackling the barriers and inequalities they encounter daily and celebrate their successes to date, as well as the people behind them and their inspiring stories.
Diverse and interdisciplinary, the festival focuses on present-day Greek reality, while also looking at shared concerns and challenges from across the globe.
Highlights
Discussions
Nikita Gill | Sunday 6 April, 14.30, Book Castle
Nikita Gill is a multifaceted creator – poet, writer, actress, illustrator – who has left an indelible mark on contemporary literature. Hailing from Ireland and India and based in the south of England, Gill draws inspiration from diverse cultural traditions, knitting them together into a unified narrative filled with imagination, power and emotional honesty.
Screenings
Orlando, My Political Biography by Paul B. Preciado | Saturday 5 April, 20.00, Lighthouse
A hymn to the fluidity of gender identity and the freedom of being.
Orlando, My Political Biography is a groundbreaking and deeply personal cinematic experience, based on Virginia Woolf’s novel, Orlando. Paul B. Preciado, one of today’s foremost thinkers in contemporary queer theory, brings this timeless work into social and political discourse with the modern era.
Concerts
Arooj Aftab | Monday 7 April, 21.00, Stavros Niarchos Hall
‘The coolest rock star in the world right now’ is what the leading British music magazine UNCUT calls her. Arooj Aftab combines traditional music forms from South Asia with elements of jazz, electronic music and minimalist aesthetics, resulting in the creation of a soundscape that challenges musical conventions and captivates audiences.
As in previous years, the WOW Speed Mentoring sessions and WOW Marketplace will also take place.
For the full programme, please visit WOW – Women of the World.
The WOW Show with Jude Kelly
The WOW Show with Jude Kelly – the opening event of this year’s festival – is taking place on Monday 24 February 2025 (20.30) at the Alternative Stage.
Following a tour of UK towns and cities, WOW Founder and award-winning theatre director Jude Kelly is coming to Athens to converse with three women about the difficult, and often daunting, journey towards gender equality. Kelly will share the stage with Katerina Athanasiadou, Vanessa Veneti and Katerina Vrana, three amazing women who have challenged stereotypes and gone against the tide. At The WOW Show, they will share their personal stories with the audience, each story a source of inspiration and hope for change.
Jude Kelly, Founder of The WOW Foundation, said: ‘I’m excited to come to Athens for The WOW Show. Wherever WOW is in the world, the thing I enjoy most is meeting local heroines and unearthing stories of the incredible things people are doing in their communities. It’s WOW’s 15th anniversary in 2025, and although we are far from having a gender equal society, there is still a huge amount to celebrate. It’s an evening for everyone, so grab your friends and family and show up!’
About WOW – Women of the World
The WOW Foundation exists to build, convene and sustain a global movement that believes a gender equal world is desirable, possible and urgently required.
WOW – Women of the World was founded by Jude Kelly in 2010, when the first WOW Festival took place at the Southbank Centre in London. Since then, WOW has staged more than 100 festivals and events, reaching more than five million people in 30 locations across six continents.