This year sees the 25th anniversary of the single release of Wannabe and the beginning of the Spice Girls and the Girl Power revolution. Girl Power was not complex. It was an affirmation that Spice Girl fans could quickly get on board with. It brought girls together. It showed girls it was OK to be loud and have a voice. They made it cool to be a girl. The Spice Girls embodied a new type of feminism and became true figures of the girl power movement.
Twenty-five years on, The Festival of the Girl’s mission is to give girls the platform to redefine what Girl Power means to them today by sharing photos, videos, drawings, and words that will feature at this year’s Festival of The Girl (10th October) #girlpower2021.
To launch this year’s campaign, a photoshoot took place on the steps of The Carlton House Terrace emulating that iconic moment featured in the Spice Girls iconic first music video ‘Wannabe’.
Shot by renowned music and lifestyle photographer Scarlet Page, the shoot features girl power icons for 2021; social entrepreneur Professor Sue Black OBE, beatboxer and singer songwriter Grace Savage, Tulip Siddiq MP, actress Sarah Gordy MBE and Paralympian Vanessa Wallace featured alongside five lucky winners who shared content with Festival of the Girl.
“Girl Power is about living the life you want to. There’s still a lot of stereotypes on what girls can and can’t do. Trust your gut and go for it!”
Professor Sue Black OBE, Technology Evangelist, digital skills expert, and social entrepreneur. Sue set up the UK’s first online network for women in tech BCSWomen in 1998 and led the campaign to save Bletchley Park.
Sue is pictured with Mollie Hamblet-Bowes aged 10.
“Girl Power is all about listening to your inner voice – whether it’s loud or quiet – and believing it is ready to be heard. Trust and believe in yourself”
Vanessa Wallace, British Paralympic athlete, shot put and javelin, who represented Team GB in this year’s Tokyo Paralympics.
Vanessa is pictured with Amelie Galea aged 10.
“I have Down’s Syndrome but that’s not all I am. Girl Power is about realising your dreams and making them come true. Girls can do everything that boys can”
Sarah Gordy MBE, Professional actor, dancer and model
Sarah is pictured with Sarah Mirkin aged 7.
Festival of the Girl is a fun, engaging and safe environment for girls and their families to explore key topics from body positivity and mental health to feminism and careers. Although primarily aimed at girls aged 7 – 11, it is open to everyone and aims to help attendees see beyond gender stereotypes and encourages girls to be confident in creating the future they want. The theme this year is My Brilliant Body, changing girls’ perceptions of their bodies. Celebrating them for what they do for us, rather than how they are seen by others, and redefining what girl power means in 2021. They’ll be covering topics including sports and body image, physical careers from construction to being a surgeon and activities like beatboxing and coding.
