A week-long festival by women, for women

Exeter Northcott Theatre is holding a week-long festival of work by women for women at the city centre Barnfield Theatre this November. 

Reclaim Festival will feature the work of a huge range of local creatives in a week of women-centred performances, panel discussions, and networking opportunities. 

The festival will start on Monday, November 11, and run until Saturday, November 16.

The programme, made up of over 13 different events, has been curated by local producers Kate Danbury and Naomi Turner. 

“Naomi and I are thrilled to unveil the full programme of Reclaim Festival,” says Kate.

Above: Barnfield front entrance. Image: Ralph Whitehead

“The South West is full of talented creatives who don’t always have access to the opportunities they deserve to develop and showcase their skills. It has been a real joy to invite so many local women to make the festival their own, and we can’t wait to welcome audiences and artists alike to celebrate their work." 

Some of the highlights include Carbon Theatre’s Bright Places, an autobiographical play about multiple sclerosis; Rosalie, a one-woman play about Rosalie Chicester, an engimatic woman in local history, from Devon-based Pleasure Dome Theatre Company; and Leadership and Legacy—Women Shaping Theatre, in which four local cultural leaders will discuss their careers.

Northcott has also selected eight emerging companies or artists from across the South West from an open call-out to perform across two double bills and one scratch night.

This is the latest in a series of initiatives from Exeter Northcott to cultivate talent in the region, including its recently relaunched programme, Elevate. 

Reclaim Festival will also collaborate with the inspiring creative producer, Lizzy Humber, to feature Daylight Comedy Club, a stand-up gig headlined by Joe Enright tailored towards sleep-deprived parents with babes-in-arms. 

You can view the full Reclaim Festival programme here.