Josey: An evening of Music, History and Activism

On Saturday 4 November, we held a special evening at Alnwick Playhouse celebrating the life and legacy of Josephine Butler (1828 – 1906), with live music and debate.

Our panel discussion was led by Karen Langdon, Vice Principal of the Josephine Butler College, Durham University. Joining Karen was a guest panel of speakers with a wealth of expertise, passion and enthusiasm to discuss and explore today’s issues of activism and gender equality.

Find out more about our speakers below.

Chair of panel, Karen Langdon, Vice Principal of the Josephine Butler College, Durham University.

Karen has had a varied career ranging from drama in learning, to international development, to teaching in a Business School, to mentoring young people in situations of adversity.  What the roles have in common is that they were all ‘new’ ventures or projects - just ‘off the page’, with no road map, precedent or deep history. Joining Josephine Butler College continued this pattern. A new role, at a young college (it opened in 2006), with ambition and energy to do things differently, in a traditional university for a demographic of students atypical at Durham.  The only college to be named for a secular woman and committed to taking a perspective on current issues by asking the question, “What would Josephine say?” It has been the perfect space for Karen to engage with young people and with the local community on contemporary issues and challenges.

Dr Catherine Donovan, Professor of Sociology and Head of Department at Durham University.

For nearly 30 years, Catherine has been researching the family and intimate lives of lesbian, gay men, bisexual women and men and, more recently, trans and non-binary people. Her research has ranged from family and parenting experiences to, in the last 15 years or so, domestic & sexual violence and hate crime. She has also conducted research into sexual violence and harassment in the higher education sector. Catherine is on the Board of Wearside Women in Need (WWIN), a domestic abuse service in Sunderland, and on the Drive Project’s national working group for developing interventions for LGBTQ+ perpetrators of domestic abuse.

Sara Bryson

Sara is the Lead Organiser for Tyne & Wear Citizens, a broad alliance of civil society institutions who work together for social justice and the common good.  Sara has been organising for almost a decade, training community leaders and supporting campaigns to tackle a broad range of concerns, such as poverty, racism, and climate change.  Winning Living Wage campaigns; a hate crime charter for public transport; reduced bus fares for young people and redeveloping green spaces to name just a few.  Sara is also chair of trustees at West End Women & Girls Centre and a mam to two children.

Katie Doherty

Katie, an award-winning singer-songwriter from Teesside, is the writer and composer of Josey. She has composed theatrical scores for productions from the RSC (Royal Shakespeare Company), November Club (including Beyond The End of the Road) , Cap-a-Pie, Kitchen Zoo, and many others.   Her trio, Katie Doherty & The Navigators, recently released their second album ‘Flow’, touring it nationally and receiving airplay all over Europe. The band have played live sessions on both BBC Radio 2 and 3 and ‘Flow’ entered the Official Folk Chart at number 30. Katie is passionate about the power of music and song to bring much needed magic and joy to everyone. She is often involved in community projects all over the North East, facilitating music – making and songwriting with all ages and abilities. 

Josey, an Evening of Music, History and Activism was an event at Alnwick Playhouse on Saturday 4 November 2023. Thank you to everyone who supported this event.