BFB '25
BFB '25

WOW Festival

Founded by Jude Kelly, WOW – Women of the World is a festival that has taken place in many cities worldwide since its first edition in London in 2010. It aims to make the work and achievements of women and girls visible, and to open space for discussions centered on gender equality. Bringing together arts, culture, and civil society, WOW festivals celebrate women’s creativity and accomplishments, encourage new collaborations that can build solutions to shared problems, and create spaces for inclusive thinking and dialogue through the transformative power of art.

 

The first WOW Festival was held in 2010 at London’s Southbank Centre, founded by Jude Kelly who was also the Artistic Director of the festival. WOW Foundation was later established in 2018 by Kelly to activate the festival globally. Since then, WOW has reached more than five million women across six continents, taking place in countries including Australia, Brazil, China, Egypt, Finland, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Somalia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In June 2020, WOW was presented globally and online for the first time under the name WOW Global 24.

 

The British Council is an international partner of the WOW Foundation, collaborating to support WOW festivals around the world. Through its global network of offices and local teams, combined with its deep engagement with the UK arts and culture scene, the British Council provides an ideal partnership for delivering WOW festivals that engage local cultures and communities, build new connections with the UK, and preserve the unique format for which WOW is renowned.

 

Turkey joined the WOW Global family in 2020 and contributed a two-hour digital segment to WOW Global 24, the first global 24-hour open-access festival organized by the WOW Foundation on 27–28 June 2020.

 

The following year, the British Council brought together the WOW Foundation and Sabancı Foundation to realize the first Women of the World Festival Istanbul, held online between 5–7 March 2021 via www.wowistanbul.org. Centered on the theme Seeing the City Through Women’s Eyes, the festival highlighted women’s stories and voices from across Türkiye through music, performance, discussions, and talks, and made them accessible to all in a digital environment.

 

In 2022, WOW held its first in-person festival in collaboration with Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, and continues to do so today. Applying the WOW Foundation’s distinctive methodology, WOW Istanbul creates safe spaces through talks, workshops, performances, food, music, movement, and mentoring. Its programming highlights creators whose work strengthens the role of art in positively influencing gender-equality awareness.

 

  • With its debut digital edition, WOW Istanbul reached 3 million viewers from all 81 provinces of Türkiye and eight other countries.
  • Between 2022 and 2024, WOW Festival Istanbul hosted approximately 10,000 participants and reached over 15 million individuals through media and press visibility.
  • As part of its Civil Space program, WOW has collaborated with more than 50 creative communities and civil society organizations to gain deeper insight into their work and projects.

 

After five years of development led by the British Council, WOW Istanbul will be organized by Kreşendo as of 2026. This new phase aims to maintain its connection with the international WOW network while building strong relationships with local communities, artists, and activists, amplifying and strengthening voices in the struggle for gender equality.