The OPENING NIGHT GALA and CLOSING NIGHT GALA at previous festivals have included MARTINA TOPLEY BIRD singing jazz interpretations of her songs with the JOHN HOARE QUARTET, IMOGEN HEAP providing live accompaniment for short film TURNER, live music from Mercury Prize nominee ZOE RAHMAN, and DJ sets from Electro-pop goddess DJ SIREN, BBC Radio 1 regular DJ ANNIE MAC, DJ PEARL (Laundrettas, Lost Vagueness) and DJ KAYPER (first ever female to win the Vestax Juice DJ competition).

Our SPECIAL EVENT PARTIES have showcased musical delights from women artists such as FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE, PEGGY SUE AND THE PIRATES, PLASTER OF PARIS, THE BROKEN HEARTS DJS and DJ RITA RAY .

Yes women make music videos too! And just to prove it we screened videos from the best up-and-coming and established UK filmmakers, followed by a fascinating and insightful Q+A with some of these very filmmakers, hosted by critic and journalist MIRANDA SAWYER.

Every year we are always pleased to include our SOUNDS & SILENTS strand, where specially commissioned soundtracks are performed by cutting-edge female musicians such as JOANNA MACGREGOR, DJ RITA RAY, SHRI SRIRAM, ERROLYN WALLEN & SEAMING TO, NIKKI YEOH, SERAFINA STEER, ELYSIAN QUARTET, ZOE RAHMAN, ALCYONA and JANE GARDNER to silent films from early women pioneers.

In 2008 we had a particularly exciting SPECIAL EVENT: ARTPROJX PRESENT OPERA which screened a selection of films by contemporary artists who have utlised, investigated and celebrated opera and contemporary classic music.