To celebrate National Science Week next month (11-19 August 2012), our upcoming topic will be Feminism and Science! I’ll be welcoming a host of interesting and clever feminists to the Cherchez la Femme stage and guess what? They’re all scientists! We’ll be meeting:

Professor Rachel Webster - astrophysicist
Dr Krystal Evans - biomedical scientist
Dr Emma Burrows - neuroscientist
Andy Hastings - toxicologist

And I can hardly wait. So bring along your curiosity and your most interesting questions about how the sciences might be gendered, what kind of scientific research especially affects women (and how), and anything else you always wanted to ask a real-life scientist about gender politics in their field.

We’ll start at 7pm in the lush surrounds of the Gasometer Hotel in Collingwood (cnr Smith St & Alexandra Pde), where the kitchen can furnish you with vegetarian/vegan-friendly delights, as well as more carnivorous offerings. There’s also a cosy fireplace and on this occasion a bunch of mouthy feminists - what more could you ask for?

7-9pm $10/$5 unwaged 

Hope to see you!

Warmest
Karen x

P.S. More information about National Science Week here: http://www.scienceweek.net.au/ 

GET INTO IT!

I am thrilled to announce the next Cherchez la Femme will be presented in conjunction with Superlinguo - a community for those who like and use language. It’s run by Georgia Webster and Lauren Gawne, two linguaphiles from Melbourne who needed an online clubhouse for their regular language geek-outs.

So this month, we’ll take a look at how language is gendered, both literally and sneakily, and how we can ask probing questions of this thing we do, every day, and what our verbal communication has to do with our feminism. 

To guide us through the discussion I’ll be welcoming some excellent thinkers and speakers to the CLF stage:

Georgia Webster - broadcaster, communicator, linguist, feminist

Lauren Gawne - PhD student, teacher, linguist, feminist

Julien Leyre - polyglot, translator, artist, activist, feminist

The usual excellent food and drink will be available from our charming hosts at The Gasometer Hotel, on the corner of Smith St and Alexandra Pde. Here’s what you need to know:

7pm - 9pm Tuesday 5 June
$10 / $5 (or whatever you’ve got)
The Bandroom at The Gasometer
484 Smith St, Collingwood

Hope to see you there
Warmest
Karen

Instead of asking boring questions like “Can Women Be Funny?”, “Why Aren’t They As Funny As Men?” and “What Even Are Women (Comedians)?”, let’s just hang for the night with some tremendously funny women and ask them what they think about the industry, the artform and Amy Poehler.

Join me as I welcome to the Cherchez la Femme stage for the first time:

Stella Young - comedian, writer, editor, activist, feminist

Kate Boston Smith - comedian, cabaret singer, talent agent, feminist

Lauren Bok - comedian, wordsmith, charmer, feminist

as we take a slightly frisky look at the serious business of being funny.

I’ll be your friendly host and we’ll be testing out the new digs at the stunning Gasometer Hotel in Collingwood. If you’ve never eaten there, I suggest you make it your mission to do so on the night, as the food is to die for (and so vegetarian/vegan friendly it basically wants to make out with you).

Here are the details you need:

Tuesday 3 April
7pm start, 9pm finish
$10 entry now but $5 stands if you’re unwaged (and my policy is always that if you really want to come and you’ve got no cash just come along anyway, tell us and you’re welcome to stay!)
Gasometer Hotel
Cnr Smith St & Alexandra Pde, COLLINGWOOD

Hope to see y’all!

My warmest
Karen