Based on the theme of TRANSMISSION/SURVIVAL, this 8th edition expanded and broke new ground.
From a new institutional anchoring to an expansion of places and partners, other artistic visions, challenges, a place for dialogue and debates were added. This edition took place across three cities and three places: Flagey in Brussels, Het Wereldculturencentrum Zuiderpershuis in Antwerp, and the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Liege.
In each of these places, the Festival has developed a particular perspective that is part of an overall cohesion: concerts and shows in the three places, the initiation of a film screening in Flagey and in Mamac, establishing of a Forum on Cultural Diversity (Brussels, Antwerp) a Memory and Justice Forum (Brussels) and a Micro-Finance Forum (Liege). Creation of a Transmission/Survival exhibition in Mamac. Opening of a place of remembrance in Liege. Participation of women’s associations in the three cities. Organisation of voice, dance, slam, and visual art workshops in Liege and Brussels, and workshops for reporting on all the activities and places of the festival.
Ten days, from 6 to 16 December, where traditional and contemporary artists, intellectuals and activists, and women questioned cultures, human rights, economic strategies, and presented art, shows, and workshops. Ten days during which, through seminars and fora, held an open discussion which would later be published (Minutes of the Fora) and used as a tool for appeal. The 8th Voix de Femmes Festival is set sail to Flagey, moved on to Antwerp and finished in Liege.
We added two dates to this journey: one in Paris (Quai Branly) and the other in Namur (Manège). Concerts, shows, films, exhibitions, fora, seminars around the Transmission/Survival theme bring together individual voices, testimonies, visions of creators, musicians, choreographers, filmmakers and visual artists. From Estrella Morente, who gave us back the biggest voices in song (cante) and Parissa who shared the brilliance of classic Persian song, to the mbira of Zimbabwe, the sarandra of Madagascar, the Filleules of Tartit, the mugham of Azerbaijan or the songs of a territory that runs from the Balkans to the banks of the Nile. From the inauguration of the Trees of Remembrance land to the powerful monologue of Darina Al Joundi, and Maria Giuffra's drawings, the 8th Voix de Femmes Festival breathed poetry into the diversity passed down through women. They came from Algeria, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Chili, Colombia, the French Community of Belgium, the Ivory Coast, Cuba, Egypt, Spain, France, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Lebanon, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Nicaragua, Norway, Palestine, Rwanda, Chechnya, and Zimbabwe.
Guest Artists
Anne-Marie Haller (Belgium), Birlyant Ramzaeva (Chechnya), Carole Karemera (Belgium), Chris Delville (Belgium), Darina Al Joundi (Lebanon), Dominique Duszynski (Belgium), Elena Ledda (Italy), Estrella Morente (Spain), Femmes d'Oujda (Morocco), Ferghana Qasimova (Azerbaijan), Hadda Ouakki (Morocco), Jean-Claude Diserens (Belgium), Julie Nioche (France), Kamiliya Jubran (Palestine), Laurence Vielle (Belgium), Marie-France Collard (Belgium), Mawawil (Egypt), Monika Lakatos (Hungary), Nyathi (Zimbabwe), Parissa (Iran), Safaa Erruas (Morocco), Savina Yannatou (Greece), Tartit (Mali), Tefa (Madagascar), Yalda Younes (Lebanon).