Workshops

From expectations to choices - Exploring what shapes us

Join Dr Rab for an interactive session exploring how gender roles are learned, shaped, and passed on in everyday life, and how these ideas influence the way we see ourselves and others.
Drawing on social, cultural, and psychological perspectives, the session gives participants a space to reflect on how families, education, and social media shapes expectations around gender. The session will explore how these patterns develop over time and how they continue to affect our choices and conversations.
This workshop offers a safe space to pause, listen, and think differently. Participants will leave with greater awareness of how gender roles are constructed, and with the confidence to engage more thoughtfully, whether by speaking up, listening carefully, or asking a different question.

Fierce Self-Compassion with Shahbano Lodhi

Mindfulness Practices of Fierce Self Compassion Shahbano Lodhi offers a workshop based on Kristen Neff’s concept of Fierce Self-Compassion – a missing element in many lives and particularly for women, as society traditionally emphasizes her role of a tender caregiver and censures her qualities as a fierce protector. In Kristen’s words “Specifically Fierce Self Compassion can propel us to stand up for and protect ourselves, meet our own needs without continually subordinating them, and motivate change both in ourselves and the world around us”.
In the workshop, Shahbano will facilitate a discussion to see where this need sits in our culture and particular context and lead us through mindfulness practices that help cultivate self-compassion.

Master class for investment with Mashal Khan

The Masterclass on Investment for Women with Mashal Khan is designed to break the myths, simplify the terms, and give you real clarity on how to invest with confidence. Whether you are just starting out or looking to refine your approach, this session turns complex financial concepts into practical, relatable insights you can actually use. This masterclass is for a

Whose Story Matters? Gendered citizenship in Pakistani television drama, music and public art

Led by Prof Dr Amina Yaqin, this interactive workshop examines how Pakistani television drama shapes and reflects ideas of gender, citizenship, and gender-based violence. Through guided discussion and selected drama clips, participants will explore who gets to tell stories on screen, forms of storytelling including melodrama and romance, and how themes such as marriage, honour, inheritance, and coercive control are portrayed in popular narratives.

The session invites audiences to critically reflect on the representation of normalised behaviours, social stigmas, and emotions that trigger discomfort, empathy, or trauma. Combining audience discussion, small group engagement, and reflective exercises, the workshop creates space for dialogue on how media narratives represent lived realities—particularly for women—and how viewers interpret, respond to and are impacted by representations of gender and violence in everyday popular media content consumption.

The Power of Funny with Sandi Toksvig

Ever wondered how stand-up comedy really works – from discovering your voice to landing the perfect punchline? Join famed comedian, broadcaster and WOW Festival favourite Sandi Toksvig for an exclusive Stand-Up Comedy Workshop! Drawing on decades of experience on stage, radio, and television — including QI and beyond — Sandi will guide you through joke structure, storytelling, timing and performance with her signature wit and insight. Known not just for her comedy but for inspiring others, this workshop is a rare opportunity to learn from one of the most respected voices in British comedy and performance.

The Courage to Lead: Confidence as an Inside Job by Sidra Iqbal

A powerful, introspective workshop on leadership, inner work, and authentic confidence. Through reflective exercises and real-world insights, Sidra will guide participants to strengthen their leadership presence from the inside out, cultivating clarity, emotional resilience, and a deep sense of self-trust. This immersive session empowers participants to lead with purpose, communicate with conviction, and show up more confidently in every arena of their life and work.