#IWD2025: Creative Women - Mina Anwar

International Women's Day (IWD) is an annual global event celebrating women and their achievements. 

First initiated in 1911, IWD has since grown into a global movement encouraging us to stand up for a more diverse, equitable and inclusive world, free of discrimination and stereotypes.

According to World Economic Forum at the current rate of progress, gender parity is only expected to be achieved in 2158, five generations from now.

This year's campaign theme is #AccelerateAction, emphasising the important need for us to take swift and decisive steps to speed up the rate of action, so we can achieve gender parity sooner.

As part of our #IWD2025 "Creative Women" Series, meet the well-known actor, director, and singer, Mina Anwar.

Mina is a born and bred Lancastrian. She was born in Blackburn and grew up in Church, Accrington before going on to find fame on stage and screen.

What inspires or motivates your career in performing and the creative arts? 

As long as I can remember I’ve had music and drama and dance in my life. 

My infant school Ernest Street in Church had the most brilliant teachers who not only encouraged learning maths and reading and literature, but also had music, singing, and dancing as part of our education, I’ve been singing since I was 4. 

Singing has always been my first love. My greatest joy is singing big band jazz and swing with the Manchester Jazz Orchestra.

Drama and acting and dance came much later, but to me it’s all about telling stories. It’s a joy and a privilege to create characters and tell their stories and being part of a cast or a creative team is wonderful. It can be challenging as you try to find your voice and negotiate all the different energies in a room, but the pursuit is part of the process. 

I've learnt so much about myself as an artist and a person throughout all of my 33 years as a professional actor and singer, and more recently in the last five years, as a film and theatre director and a writer.

I've had many extraordinary mentors and champions that have seen the potential in me before I had the courage to see it in myself. 

Mrs Ogilvy from infant school encouraged me to sing out loud at 4 years old. Mrs Jopson from primary school believed in me and encouraged me to be brave. Mrs Mulderrig ignited my love of literature and acting and drama. All brilliant women. 

Martin Cosgrif, my Performing Arts teacher from Accrington and Rossendale College, who sadly died from Covid in 2020, was instrumental in my acting career encouraging me to pursue a profession in the arts and go to drama school in London. I studied for 3 years in Acting and Musical Theatre at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.

So many inspirational people along the way.

I'd like to thank Lotte Wakeham, the Artistic Director at Bolton Octagon, who had an instinct that I could play Shirley Valentine a 15,000-word monologue which she rightly predicted I would love performing. 

Ray Spencer from Customs House Theatre in South Shields who took a risk on giving me my first theatre Director and Choreographer job. 

I'd like to give a special mention to Ben Elton who really saw my comedy potential and changed my life by casting me in 'The Thin Blue Line' alongside Rowan Atkinson.  

As I get older, I also love now being of service to others through my teaching and mentorship in all aspects of Arts and Communication skills. 

Teaching acting, singing and using my experience to guide others in fulfilling their dreams and ambitions. These people and countless others keep me inspired and motivated in the arts.

Any advice for women starting out on their creative journey?

Be brave and bold, find your voice with integrity and authenticity, be disciplined about your personal and artistic endeavours. 

Be curious always, be a good human and dare greatly. 

It’s a process. Knowing why you want to be on that journey is half the battle, then let the journey unfold.

As a woman working in the arts, how do you think we can address systemic barriers and biases in your industry to accelerate action?

The best way to forge forward, in my opinion, is to not let anything stop or scare you. 

Systemic barriers are being challenged slowly in some sectors and faster in others, and whether that is to do with perceptions of beauty, age, gender, cultural, class or race, any perceived narratives can only be changed if we are the ones who stick our heads above the parapet and find our voices. 

About IWD

International Women's Day (8 March) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.

It calls for increased momentum and urgency in addressing the systemic barriers and biases that women face, both in personal and professional spheres.

So, together, let's Accelerate Action and speed up the rate of progress worldwide

Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that's diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge women's equality and  accelerate Action for gender equality. 

InternationalWomensDay.com

Images provided by Mina Anwar

Shirley Valentine, Bolton Octagon

Life of Pi at Sheffield Theatre and West End, 

Mina at the London Indian Film Festival red carpet.  Her first starring role in a television movie called Flight, was set and shot in Accrington back in 1995, and had a retrospective showing at the festival in 2021. 

Stills from the Thin Blue Line, TV Series.

Stills from The Worst Witch, Spring and Port Wine, Bolton Octagon 2023.