A feminist arts festival kicks off in Lancaster this week, to coincide with International Women’s Day.

Hear Me Roar (HMR) started in 2015, and returns this year on March 8 to March 12 with the theme ‘Ages, Stages, Phases’.

Creative Producer of HMR Leo Burtin said: “Whether it’s the tampon tax or the pay gap, representation in the media, business or politics, no matter how good it seems we have it in the UK, equality still has not been achieved.

“Of all the sectors, you would hope that theatre and the arts more broadly would be particularly proactive at ensuring that women’s voices are being heard, and once again, this is unfortunately not the case.

“We need a feminist arts festival so that those concerns can be explored creatively, so we can begin to tell a different story in the hope that sometime soon, we simply won’t need to roar any more.”

The line-up includes performances from Lois Weaver performing as Tammy WhyNot, Project O presenting Benz Punany, and a new performance from Stella Duffy.

The festival will also feature a day long symposium titled ‘Performing Feminism: Ages, Stages, Phases’ at Lancaster University.

Alice Booth, Hear Me Roar! Festival committee Chair said: “This festival reflects on feminism across generations, as we feel it’s crucial to consider what feminism means for people at various stages of their life.

“As the mother of two very young daughters, I’m only too aware of the countless powers acting on them to behave or think in certain ways.

“Although feminism has come a long way in the last few decades – we are clearly so far off an equal society.”

Hear Me Roar kicks off on March 8 in Lancaster. For more information, click here.