Variety show at Capitol Theatre to close Windsor's FEMeeting conference
Week long conference celebrating women and the intersection of arts and the arts wraps up Friday
A variety show marking the finale for the first FEMeeting: Women in Art, Science and Technology held in Canada happens this Friday.
FEMeeting is an annual conference that brings together women from around the world to discuss ideas and technology at the intersection of the arts and sciences.
This year's conference, running from June 23 to 28, has a special emphasis on the experiences of racialized, transgender and queer women, non-binary people and people with disabilities.
The conference comes to a close Friday with a variety show called Fems and Gems, lead by local drag performer, Cole Fortier.
Fortier says he's excited to showcase the talent and diversity of Windsor residents. He's never performed at the Capitol Theatre but says it's "beautiful" and is "really looking forward to performing on that stage."
Another feature for the 2024 edition of the conference was the inclusion of gallery exhibitions, film screening, workshop presentations and multimedia events in the call for proposals from the organizers.
"We usually think of education and learning as a singular entity, when really most of the magic happens when we collaborate with different disciplines," said Domenica Mediati, one of the organizers of this year's conference.
Mediati is a sessional instructor in the Faculty of Education and School of Creative Arts at the University of Windsor and a team leader at the Incubator Art Lab. She's also an artist whose mediums include painting, drawing, digital animation, and bioart practices.
This is Mediati's first time involved with organizing the conference, though FEMeeting is in its fifth year and she has attended before. She says taking on this new role has given her an opportunity to reflect on how "moving" the conference can be.
"These women are powerful beings that shed light on to many different areas within their research but also as human beings."
Another goal of Mediati's for this year's conference is to show off Windsor and its arts scene to an international audience,
"I hope people see Windsor as a cultural hub," she added.
The Fems and Gems show is free to attend but people must register online beforehand. Doors open at 7 p.m, the show starts at 7:30 p.m. and members most be 16 or older to attend.
With files from Afternoon Drive