Empower Station

Beirut Street Festival 2009

Concept: Arena Baubo
Performed by: Katja Seitajoki, Maria Stiernborg, Kajsa Wadhia, Sara Bou Teenal and Dania Jarakji

Empower Station is an interactive platform for meetings created around a market stand where five Pippi Longstocking characters and passers by in the street can exchange ideas and thoughts about what empowerment and equality is.

Passers by in Beirut are given the opportunity to exchange ideas on how to claim equality.
In front of Empower Station, a tent consisting of one separate room and a market stand, the suggestions are being shouted out in megaphones in English and Arabic.
Inside the separate room the instructions read:
How can you claim equality?
Write down your best idea of an action you can do today!
Go and exchange it for another one.
You now have two great ideas.
Do it yourself!

Once an idea has been written down it can be exchanged in the market stand for a new idea and get shouted out loud in megaphones for everyone to hear.

Some of the proposals we received:

3 I want that all girls are allowed to continue their education

83 I will put on some make-up like in the 80's. Gay pride!

90 I will convince all women that men are toys

98 Make a special day to visit people that are NOT from your rural area or city. Make some money and give as charity

103 Don't wait for freedom woman! You already have it!

104 Women should have the right to compliment, not to be equal with men

110 I wish that each two men married one woman

123 No visa's between countries

153 Who said a woman has to graduate! Getting married gives her equality

210 We have to forget about sectarianism

Supported by Swedish Art Council and The Swedish Arts Grants Committee