Now in its third year, WAMFest champions women’s creativity across the arts and is
planning a day-long springtime event to coincide with International Women’s Day.
On Saturday, March 4 singers, performers and dancers will take over Beach Street and La
Vida show bar while workshops with an arts and wellness theme will take place at Hazel &
Co Yoga studio, also at Beach Street. Visual artists are also invited to exhibit.
The shops and eateries will participate with the colours purple, gold and green – the theme
of Mardi Gras – helping to create a carnival atmosphere.
In the evening WAMFest will move to The Grosvenor pub where a host of local musicians
and singers will take to the stage.
Organiser Laura Locke said she has been overwhelmed with support for the festival, which
was recently recognised as one of Suffolk’s most popular events.
“We are so lucky to have such talented women in and around Felixstowe and it is always a
pleasure to provide a platform for their creativity and celebrate women in arts and music
with live events for everyone to enjoy.
“The Mardi Gras theme will bring a new dimension to the festival, and it is pleasing that
purple, gold and green were also the colours of the suffragette movement, the original
champions of women’s rights. Our aim has always been to build a sustainable, annual event
promoting equality and diversity whilst providing top quality entertainment.”
Artists already confirmed include Felixstowe Harmonies, the Wild Flower Quartet, Ipswich
Reggae Choir, Serena Grant, Bounce, Gloria Gonzalez Picton and a Sevillanas workshop. The line up at The Gosvenor features
Katie Mitton, Lydia Angelica, Ruby Ambrose, Belinda Gillett, Nicola Collis and Evie White.
MEET THE TEAM
LAURA LOCKE
Laura Locke has worked in tourism and the media, and has been a course leader and senior lecturer in Events and Tourism Management at the University of Suffolk for over 20 years. She now works part-time and enjoys being a radio presenter for Felixstowe Radio.
Ever passionate about women’s issues and the arts, she worked with her students of event management to create women’s events at the University. On taking a break from full time work, she decided to run women’s networking events in Felixstowe – Cocktails and Conversations. From that sprung the idea of an International Women’s Day Celebration of women in art and music.
After a long period of planning and deferral due to the pandemic she is excited to work with a great team of WAMwomen, to bring WAMfest to fruition at last.
CATALINA CARVAJAL
Colombian illustrator and visual artist based in Suffolk, England.
Catalina works in digital and mixed media and enjoys drawing objects, plants, landscapes, animals and anthropomorphic figures.
Catalina has painted our wonderful murals opposite The Orwell Hotel and has produced all of our marketing material! She is an ultimate WAM Women!
To find out more about Catalina: www.catalinacarvajal.co.uk
SHELINE GLEDHILL
Sheline joins the WAMfest crew for their second year to help look after the website and social media.
She has been a journalist for most of her career and spent 12 happy years at the East Anglian Daily Times where she edited their monthly business magazine.
More recently she worked at Suffolk Chamber of Commerce, Felixstowe BID and Visit Felixstowe.
MIKAELA RACKHAM
Mikaela is a local photographic artist who has recently launched her own business, Illuminate, at Brightwell Barns in Suffolk.
After 8 years in teaching and 10 years running a photography business part time, Mikaela has followed her dream to create a space for all to learn, develop and experiment with their creative mediums.
Mikaela developed the WAM website and hosts the exhibitions at 142 Gallery in Hamilton Road, Felixstowe, she also snaps away as our photographer and will be hosting an all woman exhibition Illuminate in October as part of WAMfest!
To find out more about Mikaela: https://www.illuminatestudio.co.uk
ALLISON BOGGIS
I moved to Felixstowe with my young family 26 years ago and we totally fell in love with this beautiful part of Suffolk.
Having retired from a career as an academic at the University of Suffolk and enjoying previous WAM events, I was so impressed by the passion and ethos of the organisation I was happy to volunteer my services and help out at various social events.
KATE WHITE
Kate decided to get involved with WAMfest 2023 having been an active participant and audience member in previous years! She thinks it's a great local festival to showcase local female talent and thinks that Laura brings out the best in everybody, and loves her enthusiasm and energy, so she was keen to get involved this year!
Kate helped to organise ‘Hachfest” (a 3 day festival in Hacheston near Woodbridge) which ran for several years back in the early 2010s and set up her own plant-based business The Greenhouse Cafe in Orwell Road, Felixstowe in 2018.
CHANDRA GROVER
Chandra is a local musician and arranger and teaches clarinet and piano from her home studio in Trimley. In addition to running two choirs and a clarinet group, she also sings with Stellar Acapella and plays clarinet in Essentially Swing.
Having performed at WAMfest in previous years with her choir Felixstowe Harmonies, she was so impressed by the passion and vitality of the organising team that she was keen to be involved to support such a wonderful and unique festival, celebrating and showcasing the wealth of talent we have in the area.
