Apollo Theater Gathers Notable Artists and Civic Leaders From Around the Globe for the New York Premiere of WOW – Women of the World Festival Part of Southbank Centre London’s global WOW Movement Featuring Performances, Panel Discussions, Workshops, and Public Conversations Celebrating Women and Fostering Cross-Cultural Dialogues on a Range of Social Issues with Social Entrepreneur Angela Simmons Grammy-Winning Singer Michelle Williams Emmy Award Winner Iyanla Vanzant, Nobel Peace Prize Winner Leymah Gbowee, Bestselling Author Naomi Wolf And including Performances by Grammy-Winning Singer/Songwriter Macy Gray, Malaysian Pop Star Yuna and More Series of Events Throughout Harlem June 11-14, 2015 Harlem, N.Y., May 2015 – The Apollo Theater will gather artists, activists, and leaders from around the globe for the New York premiere of WOW - Women of the World Festival, which is being presented in association with the Southbank Centre London on June 11-14, 2015. Founded in 2011 by Southbank‘s Artistic Director Jude Kelly and originating at Southbank Centre, London, the international festival celebrates women‘s achievements and explores the issues that women face globally and has become a global movement with programs in London, Sydney, and Baltimore and beyond. Featuring over 80 events, Apollo‘s WOW Festival will feature a unique mix of performances, discussions, workshops, and celebrates the work of women from diverse backgrounds, exploring a variety of issues across cultural, civic, and social boundaries. As part of the institution‘s current artistic season, the WOW Festival is a major global initiative that extends the Apollo‘s role as a cultural and civic anchor dedicated to providing forums for meaningful discussion and exchange. Highlights of the WOW Festival include: a Main stage performance by Grammy-Winning Singer/Songwriter Macy Gray; a Girls Town Hall talk with social entrepreneur Angela Simmons, a day of panels hosted by Grammy winner Michelle Williams, a special evening with Emmy award-winner Iyanla Vanzant, star of OWN‘s ―Iyanla: Fix My Life,‖ and Malaysian pop star Yuna; a keynote speech by Nobel Peace Prize winner Leymah Gbowee and a keynote conversation with high profile women activists including bestselling author of The Beauty Myth and leading spokeswoman of the third wave of the feminist movement Naomi Wolf. The Festival will also cover discussions on female image in the music industry, teen feminism, anti-bullying and what it means to be a feminist in the 21st Century. There will also be performances on the Apollo‘s soundstage by artist activist Morley and The Frenchie Experience, a pop cabaret by former American Idol contestant and LGBTQ activist Frenchie Davis. ―As we continually look for ways to celebrate and extend the Apollo Theater‘s global influence on creativity, it‘s important that we also provide platforms here in Harlem for artists and leaders from the United States and internationally to discuss issues critical to our community in New York,‖ said Mikki Shepard, Executive Producer of the Apollo Theater. ―We are so honored to convene these powerful voices for the Women of the World Festival, which we hope will be enlightening and inspiring for all who join us.‖ "Women and girls hit the global news daily with examples of their achievements in every sphere, as well as devastating examples of how inequality and prejudice continue to blight their potential. It's a perplexing and galvanizing picture of a world on the move,‖ said Jude Kelly, Artistic Director of London‘s Southbank Centre and Founder and Director of WOW – Women of the World Festival. ―Achieving gender equality is the most pressing issue of the 21st century. I founded WOW - Women of the World Festival in 2011, the centenary of International Women's Day, to ensure that there was a high-profile cultural space where women's stories could be shared, achievements celebrated, feelings vented, fun had, minds influenced and progress made." Apollo Women of the World Festival Highlights Events will take place at the Apollo, the City College of New York and at Harlem restaurants. For detailed program information visit www.apollotheater.org. June 11-14, 2015 Thursday, June 11, 2015 6:30pm Apollo Live Wire: Artist. Activist Main Stage An Evening with Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon, and Toshi Reagon and Tashawn Reagon. Join us as we kick of the WOW Festival with three generations of extraordinary women who have used their artistry and scholarship to advance social change. Composer, scholar, and producer, Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon, has been a major cultural voice for freedom and justice for more than a half-century. Daughter Toshi Reagon is a socially conscious producer/curator, singer- songwriter who mixes folk, rock, funk and gospel traditions to speak truth to power. Granddaughter Tashawn Reagon is an undergraduate student at Skidmore College who has mobilized students to reflect on issues of race and identity. Free event Friday, June 12, 2015 10am – Noon Girls Town Hall Main Stage YOUTH TRACK Co-curated by Girls, Inc. Appropriate for 6th – 12th grade Hosted by Angela Simmons Girls take the mic at the WOW Girls Town Hall for frank discussions on issues impacting their daily lives like how to combat cyber bullying, what does it mean to be a teen feminist and why there‘s power in not always fitting in. The town hall will also feature conversations by dynamic thought leaders on the topic Girls and Education as well as put a spotlight on a series of young people whose personal stories on courage, persistence and taking a stand will inspire and empower. The Girls Town Hall will feature The City College of New York President, Lisa Staiano- Coico and performances by Urban Word poets, Sore Agbaje, Maya Osborne and Ramya Ramana, the 2014 New York City Youth Poet Laureate. Noon – 2:00pm WOW Bites! Have a WOW lunch with us. Enjoy fine cuisine and fascinating WOW Bites, which are bite- sized Ted – Talk style talks by movers and shakers who are changing the world. BILLIE’S BLACK | 271 W. 119TH ST, NEW YORK, NY 10026 Billie's Black has a reputation for amazing food and a great atmosphere. Featured WOW Bite speakers include: Brittany Hodak, founder of multi-million dollar company ZinePak, is an award-winning entrepreneur who is passionate about connecting music superfans with the artists they love. Named one of Advertising Age‘s 2013 40 Under 40, Hodak shares how she turned her passion into a powerful career. Shailja Patel is an internationally acclaimed Kenyan poet, playwright, theatre artist, and political activist, best known for her spoken-word theatre show Migritude. CNN characterizes Patel as an artist "who exemplifies globalization as a people-centered phenomenon of migration and exchange." Sandra Goldmark is a theatrical Set and Costume designer and the Founder of Pop Up Repair, an itinerant repair service for household items. Sandra is a graduate of Harvard College and Yale School of Drama, and Assistant Professor of Professional Practice at Barnard College. Note: they are ADA compliant but they are not wheelchair accessible. Their prefix buffet menu will be: o Fried Chicken o Fried Catfish Strips o Collard Greens o Parsley Potatoes o Yellow Rice o Black Eye Peas o Hot Cornbread o Lemonade, Ice Tea, Water, and/or Coffee o Red Velvet Cake or Carrot Cake o Cash Bar Available MADIBA HARLEM| 46 W. 116 STREET NEW YORK, NY 10026 Madiba Restaurant offers a unique South African experience. Featured WOW Bite speakers include: Anita Lo is an American chef and restaurateur, best known for her West Village Annisa Restaurant. In her male dominated field, Lo is making waves. Named one of the ten ―Best New Chefs in America‖ in 2001 by Food & Wine magazine, Lo shows us that women can have, or make, their cake and eat it too! Zeinab Eyega is the Executive Director and Founder of Sauti Yetu, an advocacy organization that empowers African immigrant women and tackles issues like forced marriage, female genital mutilation, violence against women and reproductive justice, amongst others. Debbie Kilroy knows the criminal justice system inside out, having experienced juvenile detention and a notoriously violent adult prison. Debbie is the first woman in Australia to serve time for a serious crime, and then go on to practice criminal law. She is a leading voice for prisoner rights and founder of the famous prisoner advocacy group, Sisters Inside. Their prefix menu will be: o Soup and Salad o Curry and rice o Vegetable /Chicken/Lamb/Seafood o Grilled salmon with Couscous o Malva Pudding MINTON’S | 206 W 118TH ST, NEW YORK, NY 10026 A revival of a famed Harlem nightclub, now with elevated Southern cuisine & elegant decor & live jazz. Featured WOW Bite speakers include: Nell Merlino is the creative force behind Take Our Daughters to Work Day and a leading advocate on women‘s business leadership. She is also a member of the U.S. Department of State Advisory Committee on International Economic Policy (ACIEP), and a Pathways Envoy for the State Dept. promoting women‘s business growth in North and South America. Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai is an award-winning spoken word poet, playwright, and filmmaker whose work has been featured at over 600 venues worldwide, including the White House, Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, BAM and three seasons of ―HBO Def Poetry.‖ Michele A. Roberts is the executive director of the National Basketball Players Association. She is the first woman to hold that position and the first woman to head a major professional sports union in North America. Pre-fix Menu: o Appetizers: Creole Caesar Salad & Chicken Liver Paté. o Entrees: Buttermilk Fried Chicken or Smoked Praline Pork Chop o Desert: TBD o A Soft Drink Served and Wildman Wine Served NEW HARLEM BESAME LATINO SOUL LOUNGE | 2070 ADAM CLAYTON POWELL JR BLVD, NEW YORK, NY 10027 A bustling, family-owned eatery featuring traditional Latin meals & cocktails in a lively atmosphere.