DomestiCITY: Brisfest 2020
WOW @ Brisbane Festival 2020
In the 19th century, women’s roles were highly defined. They were expected to be pious, pure in heart, mind and body, submissive to their husbands, and domestic – making the home their sole sphere of life – the cult of domesticity.
In March 2020, after two centuries of struggle to change this, all over the world women were forced back into their homes during lockdown. For some, this meant a new confinement to the domestic sphere with little help, along with responsibilities for supervising children’s education, care for aging parents, worries about partners and finances. For others, new anxieties arose from their professional roles as health workers and teachers – on the frontline of caring.
We created three unique events to contribute to the global conversation on the impacts of COVID 19 on women and girls, and the changes we wish to see, in a series of events in the homes of Brisbane women. Each event showcased performances and great conversations on female innovation, resilience and fantastic ideas for the world we wish to create in the future!
DomestiCITY was presented by WOW Australia and proudly supported by all our 2020 partners.
Each DomestiCITY event was recorded by Griffith Film School students, and edited into the following episodes by Philip Gibb.
Locked Down and Locked In: Safety of women and girls in a crisis
Friday 18 September 2020
The idea of ‘home’ is the place that is ‘safe’ for us to be in – and the traditional mythology of gender relations says that the male will provide the shelter and protect his wife and family.
Unfortunately, as we know all too well, this is not the case for many. When families were forced together as a result of the pandemic, many feared the impacts this could have on the safety of women and girls.
On Friday 18 September 2020, we heard from those on the frontline working in domestic abuse prevention, those dealing with the never-ending ‘pandemic’ of domestic and family violence, and the steps being taken to create change.
Enjoy this excerpt from the event, or head to our YouTube channel to see all the conversations and performances in this series.
Shaping A New Economy :Creating the businesses of the future
Saturday 19 September 2020
Long before the pandemic, the narrative we had around our existing ‘economy’ was being questioned, its role in society, who is currently benefiting and in particular, how it is being measured.
Over the last few months as we have had time to reflect on what we value in our lives and how the issue of ‘value’ is considered in the current economic model, we can perhaps start to build a new economy, providing opportunities for all, prioritizing sustainable businesses and placing people, the planet and local solutions at its heart.
On the afternoon of Saturday 19 September 2020, we heard from women developing these new ideas and approaches to ‘build back better’.
Enjoy this excerpt from the event, or head to our YouTube channel to see all the conversations and performances in this series.
A Roof Over Our Heads
Re-thinking housing - Eliminating homelessness
Sunday 20 September 2020
A house, a roof over our heads, is supposed to be our final refuge. But for many families, young people, and – increasingly - older women, this is becoming a fantasy.
Australia is one of the top ten richest countries in the world (GDP per capita) yet we have a social housing shortfall of 433,000 properties, and 116,000 people are on the streets on any given night, according to the ABS. Yet during this health crisis through governments, community organisations and the private sector working together, 16,000 individuals and families without stable accommodation have been taken off the streets and put into some form of housing.
How can we end systemic homelessness beyond this crisis and change thousands of lives forever?
Enjoy this excerpt from the event, or head to our YouTube channel to see all the conversations and performances in this series.
