WOMENT! was designed to make Graz womyn’s and Graz womyn group’s herstory and achievements visible in view of „Graz 2003 - Cultural Capital of Europe“ and beyond. A further aim of this project was to send a signal to other cities and thus potentially create a standard.
WOMENT! stands for „WOmyn* – MoveMENT – Monuments - Men“. Since 1991 now woman historian Brigitte Dorfer and woman cultural intermediary Ilse Wieser in their „WomynWalkThrough Town“ tell of the herstory of Graz womyn.
There is yet little to be seen of this around the city, memorials or even plaques of commemoration about womyn are still very sparse. This is why, it is the foremost objective of this project to make herstoric events and achievements of womyn and womyn groups, and occurrences of significance for womyn visible in a lasting way.

For the first time there will be a feminist project as part of the Cultural Capital of Europe programme. Innovative and unique: 10 WOMENT!-productions are planned:

• 20+03 WOMENT!-SITES: 23 sites acclaiming and honouring womyn and womyn’s groups. Commemorative plaques and markers will make visible her-story and her-presence of Graz herstory, 10 „WomynWalkThroughTown“ tours will tell of this herstoric affair (partner: FRAUENSERVICE)
• The WOMENT!-INFOPOINT in the city district café Palaver offers information on the complete project and on all womyn institutions, centres, and associations in Graz.
• SUPERWOMAN designed by womyn artists Veronika Dreier and Eva Ursprung will soar over Graz as WOMENT!-landmark.
• The WOMENT!-WEBSITE, designed by Doris Jauk-Hinz, offers information via the Internet.
• The project „FrauenWEGE/ Womyn’sPATHS“ by the Catholic Womyn’s Movement researches and relates inter-religious and trans-denominational herstory.
• Body Cult(ure): evolving around the topic "Em-bodiment. Body Cult(ure): Women's amplitude and reluctance," womyn co-workers of the Women's Health Center of Graz together with InterACT are producing three interactive theatre performances for street theatre (starting on June 20, 2003) which present the scope of women experiencing their bodies. These productions will be available to professionals after the year 2003. Kindly consult the brochure "Körper- Kult(ur)" for performance dates and locations.
  Projektleiterin/ project management: SYLVIA GROTH, Frauengesundheitszentrum Graz
• Verein Mafalda, an organisation supporting girls and young womyn, with their video production „Make a sign“ will present their work - counselling and projects for young womyn and girls - and thereby show the abundant creativity of girls’ worlds.
• „Movements-Monuments“ is the title under which the Think Workshop of the Graz Co-ordination Center for Women´s Studies and Gender Research is working on topics such as identity, remembrance, commemoration and monuments“.
• The „PLAKATIV!“ project of the DOKU Graz - the Graz womyn’s documentation centre will present a virtual exhibition on the herstory of the Womyn’s Representative of the City of Graz.
• The „Restaurant a la Katharina Prato“ will offer cuisine cooked according to the recipes of the famous Graz cook book woman author. Designed by: Eva Ursprung, Veronika Dreier.

WOMENT! started in November 2001 with project preliminaries and preparations and will officially be opened for the public on Saturday, March 8, International Womyn’s Day 2003 with a herstoric event!

INFO: Bettina Behr, woman who conceived, planned and now co-ordinates WOMENT!
Tel: ++43/ 316/ 2003-0    FAX: ext. 8861
Email: woment@mur.at
http://woment.mur.at

Commissioned by „Graz 2003 Kulturhauptstadt Europas“

Media partners: Steirerkrone, dieStandard, verein mur.at

Translation: Swantje Cooper