Performing arts students say iconic lines said by Oscar winning actresses in celebration of International Women’s Day

They also explain what they would do to make things more equal if they were in charge of the world

A group of performing arts students from Suffolk New College got ready for the upcoming Oscars by saying their favourite film lines said by previous winners of the lead actress category of these iconic awards.

The learners did so as part of the colleges activities based around International Women’s Day that takes place on Friday 8 March 2024.

They also reflected on what International Women’s Day (IWD) means to them.

Hannah Burman, 18, Ipswich is on a level three performing arts course at the college chose the classic line ‘a spoonful of medicine makes the medicine go down’ from Mary Poppins said by Julie Andrews in the classic musical.

Hannah is a champion of IWD and hopes it helps us ‘move forward to a more equal future’ and cites ‘my tutors at college, my mum and my sister’ as being her female role models.

Reflecting on what she would do if she was in charge of the world and could make things more equal, Hannah said: “I’d put every woman in the world in education.”

Caitlyn Geraghty, 18, from Great Yarmouth is on the same course as Hannah and chose the iconic line ‘most serial killers keep some trophies from their victims’ said by Jodie Foster playing Clarice in the film called Silence of the Lambs.

On IWD, Caitlyn said: “I think it’s important as it reminds you of history and even now some women are fighting in different countries to get the rights we have.”

Caitlyn, said her mum, nan and tutors are her female role models and if she was in charge of the world, she would make things more equal by ‘making sure everyone has an opportunity for health care and education – and would also make sure women have an opportunity to speak up because some environments are quite oppressive’.

Gemma Wall, 18, from Ipswich is on a level three performing arts course and said the line ‘after all – tomorrow is another day’ that was quoted by Vivien Leigh who played Scarlett O’Hara in the film Gone with the Wind. On IWD Gemma said: “It (IWD) is important as I’m a woman myself and I feel very passionate about it and I like being educated.”

Gemma said all her female family members are really hard-working and that is something that she aspires to be – and in terms of being in charge of the world to make things more equal she added: “I’d make sure period products were free.”

For IWD, the college also made a number of videos getting feedback from students on why the day is important to them and also created a collage in college. The theme for this year is #InspireInclusion and the IWD website features people creating a heart pose. Suffolk New College wanted to create their own version with staff and students doing a heart pose and this will then be made into a giant collage (in the shape of a heart). . 

What IWD means to the performing arts students at Suffolk New College: