There Is No Celebration Here: International Women's Day Performance

For many, International Women’s Day is not the celebration it should be. In Iran, women and girls are currently struggling against legally enshrined gender inequality and discrimination. Following the death of Masha Jina Amini in police custody, the girls and women of the Woman-Life-Freedom movement in Iran have courageously and peacefully demonstrated for their fundamental human rights. Protests have been met by fierce and fatal reprisals by authorities. 

On International Women’s Day 2023, experimental duo ZÖJ will perform 'There is no celebration here'. This performance is a dark, romantic and poetic improvisation against the backdrop of exhibitions by Iranian born artists Setareh Hosseini and Sofi Basseghi, and Burmese artist Shwe Wutt Hmon. 

ZÖJ, meaning ‘couple’ in Farsi, are the duo of acclaimed Iranian singer and kamancheh player Gelareh Pour and drummer Brian O’Dwyer who began collaborating in 2017 and have since developed a reputation for their deeply moving, experimental and free form music. 

Presented in partnership with the Brunswick Music Festival.