UK Culture Feature Archive
Peace in the Park
05-06-2006 19:28
Peace in the Park is an annual free festival celebrating creativity, unity and understanding within the Sheffield community. The aim is to work towards peace and solidarity by bringing communities together through artistic, musical and vocal expression. Peace in the Park has been running for four years, driven by the efforts of many volunteers, and each year collects money for nominated charities.
This years Peace in the Park was the biggest yet as glorious sunshine and the enchanting surroundings of Sheffield General Cemetery brought in huge crowds [Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 ]. There was a live stage featuring a right good array of bands, an open-mic stage with a kalaidescope of acts, healing area with massage and yoga, kids area including mask making and drumming and an 'insect trail', a samba band, a film tent showing independent films and documentaries about local and global issues, ethical food outlets including a SpeakEasy with topical discussions, craft and information stalls offering opportunities to paint what you would do with £24 billion or play the asylum lottery or question a councellor or Bug your MP!
Boatyard evicted
14-05-2006 22:55
Update (15/05/06): A small group of bailiffs came and photographed the perimeter of the site around lunchtime today.
Boaters occupying Castle Mill boatyard in Jericho are facing an eviction sometime in the next three weeks, with a first visit from the bailiffs expected this Monday (15th May).
The yard, an indispensable facility for Oxford's narrowboat community, has been occupied since July last year to block British Waterways' attempt to sell the site on to property developers. The emphasis has been on keeping the site going as a working boatyard, and 8 boats have now been craned onto the yard for essential repairs and maintainence, something that no other yard in the area can do.
Despite boaters raising huge public support, defeating the original plan by Bellway Homes to build housing on the site, getting the city council to pass a motion of support and pointing out British Waterways' obligation in law to provide vital services for Oxford's residential boaters, the eviction and development plans are still ploughing on with a mindless momentum of their own, probably fuelled by Oxford's high property prices.
If you would be able to help out in the event of an eviction, join the phone tree by texting your number to the site mobile (07788 915545), emailing boatyardeviction@yahoo.co.uk or ringing the site office (01865 559481). Or get down to the boatyard in person!
[ latest report | Campaign Website | Other ways to help ]
[ old reports: Bellway plan defeated | Boatyard occupied ]
Action stepped up at Sharp Hill
12-05-2006 20:05
The campaign to save Sharp Hill is stepping up this weekend with live music and a fresh call for support. A group of activists - with strong support from the community - have been camping at the site near Edwalton for a month in protest against Rushcliffe Borough Council's plan to build 1200 houses. They have pledged to stay at least until June 15 when the council makes its final decision, and encourage everyone to join them. A central government inspector's report opposed the council's plan. Read it (Sharphill from page 14), with the council's response.
Site photos: BBC 'Politics Show' visit | Camp Piccys | What's going to be lost, Landscape Piccys | Activist in Market Sq Photos | Hands Across the Hill Pictures | Bus Living at Wilford Hill [an earlier site]
Aerial Views Sharphill Woods Satellite view
Audio Interview: Tash's podcast of the BBC interview [6:26mins 2.6Mb]
Public Debate: Public Meeting and debate at Edwalton Village Hall[56mins 49Mb]
Links: Campaigners' response to planning document | Activists' statement | Announcement, directions and map | BBC Politics Show | BBC Politics Show watch again [RM from 14:30mins] | Rushcliffe Council: Response to Inspector's Report and Proposed Modifications | 'Savesharphill' a NEW website
May Day Weekend on Merseyside
04-05-2006 15:54
The long weekend beginning 29th April was a very active one for Merseyside activists. On the Saturday, a number of different groups gathered in Liverpool city centre and set out various stalls in an attempt to 'Make Our Streets Political'. Sunday evening saw Liverpool Social Forum host the first 'Free Screen' film night. And of course Monday the 1st was May Day itself, when hundreds made their way to Princes Park in Toxteth for a rally and family fun day.
May Day Report Mersey May Day 2006
Sunday 30th April 'Free Screen' hosted by Liverpool Social Forum
Click here for a round up of Mayday events UK wide.
Mayday in the East Midlands
03-05-2006 11:16
Mayday was celebrated in a variety of ways around the Nottinghamshire/East Midlands area. From organised marches to Pagan festivities.
Saturday saw a May Day march and rally in Nottingham and a May Fayre in Leicester. Sunday saw the Mayday minus one event at the Sumac Centre in Nottingham. Monday saw a large Mayday march and rally in Chesterfield.
Click here for a full round up of all the Mayday events that happened UK wide.
Creative activist roadshow in east-west collaboration
30-04-2006 17:44
The Art and Activism Caravan is a border crossing project, starting early June, travelling for 3 months from Greece via Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia Herzegovina and Hungary to the eco-activist gathering Ecotopia in Slovakia. Its aim is to support and connect youth, campaign, community and activist groups, their actions and campaigns with creative forms of activism. The participants will share skills in the field of video, creative writing, music and dance, sculpturing, street performance, drawing and painting, samba and screen printing.
Groups involved in the AA Caravan are EYFA (European Youth For Action), Candida TV (video collective, Italy), Rhythms of Resistance (samba), The Mischief Makers (creative activist collective, Nottingham), Undercurrents (UK video collective), Karahaber (video news network, Turkey), Loesje (creative writing), Rebel Clown Army and VideA (video collective, Balkans).
The local organisations and groups hosting the project are Medsos (Greece), Bitola Youth Forum (Macedonia), Mjaft (Albania), Plagus_M (Serbia & Montenegro), In Stage (Serbia & Montenegro), Kulturanova (Serbia & Montenegro), Tuzla Live (Bosnia & Herzegovina), Uruk (Bosnia & Herzegovina) and ZoFi and Valley of Arts (Hungary) and Ecotopia (Slovakia). For more information on the host groups click here. The artists taking part in the project come from Norway, Turkey, Italy, The Netherlands, UK, Ukraine, Germany and Armenia.
Links: AA Caravan website | Map of route | The host groups | The artists
Wikipedia on: Balkans | Greece | Macedonia | Albania | Montenegro | Serbia | Bosnia Herzegovina | Hungary | Slovakia
Local Indymedias: Athens | Belgrade | Croatia | Hungary
Art Activism Links: Design for Social Change | My Dads Strip Club | Northern Arts Tactical Offensive | Movement of the Imagination | The Church of Stop Shopping | The YES Men | The Lab of Insurrectionary Imagination | YoMango | Space Hijackers | videoactivism.org (everything for the video activist)
Background Links: ZNet Balkanwatch (Background articles on the political situation in the Balkans + lots of links) | Transitions Online (Online newsletter covering politics in the Balkans and wider region) | Maknews.com (Macedonian independent news agency) | Abolishing the Borders from Below (anarchist magazine focused around Eastern Europe) | Role of Women in The Balkans War (links) | Balkansnet.org (Balkans anti-war and human rights resources) | Our target is peace (The centre for peace in the Balkans)
Full article | 1 addition | 2 comments
Immaterial Labour
28-04-2006 13:44
Ed Emery of the Universitas adversitatis has organised the "Immaterial Labour, Multitudes, and New Social Subjects: Class Composition in Cognitive Capitalism" Conference in Cambridge this weekend (August 28-30th). This conference will be feature a large international gathering of radicals and militants, with a focus on autonomous inquiry in the digital era and a keynote open to the public by Antonio Negri, co-author of Empire.
This diverse revolutionary current believes that the era of the "material labour" of the factory has been superseded by the "immaterial labour" that includes unpaid family work, "service with a smile" and the production of affects, and symbolic-linguistic production such as computer programming and entertainment. There is also an increased focus on the cybernetic communications of both capital, and as opposed to vanguard parties, the natural antagonism of labour to capitalism and their ability to subvert their own machinery - including the Internet (see texts related to the themes of the conference).
Antonio Negri will give his keynote in French on the evening of the 28th on the topic of "J.M. Keynes, Guaranteed Minimum Income and the Recent Events in France," an analysis of the recent revolt in France against the neoliberal CPE.
To make this conference as widely available, there will be live audio-stream available on www.radiovague.com and an IRC chat room at chat.indymedia.org#immaterial. This room will allow people, regardless of their location in space, to discuss the speakers and ask questions. A full archive will also be made.
Update: At the last moment, Negri had to cancel for personal reasons, but his paper will be delivered by his esteemed colleague Andrea Fumagalli at 7:30.
Sikhs gather for Vaisakhi Parade
19-04-2006 09:10
The Sikh Vaisakhi Parade is essentially a harvest festival and new year rolled into one. Vaisakhi, also spelled Baisakhi, is thus one of the most important dates in the Sikh calendar. It also commemorates 1699, the year Sikhism was born as a collective faith.
In Nottingham, the parade started at the Sikh Temple in Church Road, Lenton at 12:00 on Sunday 16 April. Then walked to other temples in the city, visiting Noel Street, Gladstone Street in Forest Fields, where walkers were given refreshments. Then, onto Basford.
Links: Wikipedia on Vaisakhi | BBC Sikh Vaisakhi | eBook
"European Alternatives Resistance", United Against Repression
18-04-2006 18:35
The French city of Strasbourg became a 'free party area' on Saturday 15 April, when around 3000 people gathered for the "European Alternatives Resistance" Sound-System Parade [Flyers]. The protest was called by Free 4 Euroalternatives, a loose coalition of sound systems, free party and festival organisers, squats and people from around Europe.
The parade was a show of defiance to the increasing levels of repression against non-commercial and autonomous forms of culture, and in particular to protest about last summer's brutal attack by Czech police against the Czechtek tekno festival. This event was widely considered as the 'breaking point', when police in riot gear steamed into dancing people with baton charges and tear gas attacks. As a result, two people died and over 50 were seriously injured. [See Czech Teknival attack feature]
The demonstration passed peacefully with people dancing to music played by several mobile sound systems, and it ended with different parties across Strasbourg. Some of the banners read "Nothing Stops People Who Dance", "Free Party! Free People!", "Respect Our Rights" and "Against Police Brutality". One of the organisers said: "We chose Strasbourg because the city accommodates several European institutions, in particular the European Court of the humans right, to which we intend to immediately address a letter after the demonstration".
Photos and Czech TV news report
Photo Galleries 1 | 2 | 3
Join Us for Nwroz Celebration!!!
18-03-2006 19:46
Join us for Nwroz Celebration ; New years Celebrated in Kurdistan, Iran and Afghanistan on Tuesday 21st March from 6pm in the Sycamore Centre.(see map).
There will be World Music, Dancing, Drinks and Kurdish Food (good prices). Admission £3.
Links: Wikipedia on Newroz, Kurdish New Year | UK Indymedia articles on 'The International Federation of Iraqi Refugees | The International Organisation of Iranian Refugees
Valentine's Day Protests
18-02-2006 12:23
On Feb 14th itself campaigners held a mock funeral demonstration outside the Icelandic Embassy in London. They were demonstrating against the Karahnjukar Icelandic dam and the multinational aluminium invasion of the last great pristine wilderness of Europe by companies Alcoa and Alcan [report | Saving Iceland website]. Other recent actions included a protest at the offices of Impregilo, part of the company which is building the Dam [report].
The Hazards Campaign also held a Valentine's Day 'Death by Deregulation' protest in London outside the Health and Safety Commission, drawing attention to the abolition of basic safeguards for workers [report + pic]. See also '10 reasons the Health and Safety Executive top brass makes us sick' - New Hazards Report | Safety at Work: a retreat from law? | LabourStart Health + Safety News Stories.
Meanwhile over in Belfast, where an unofficial two week plus postal strike has crippled the postal service, well over a thousand workers marched through the streets including both the Catholic Falls road and Protestant Shankhill. The wildcat strike action was in response to management bullying. The strike ended on Sat 18th, when the Royal Mail agreed to an independent review of industrial employee relations and not to penalise workers for the strike action [report and pics | Libcom Strike Coverage].
Prior to Valentine's, on 12th February campaigners from Trident Ploughshares held a mock wedding at Devonport dockyard in plymouth. Dressed in red and pink and black they enacted the 'marriage' of the people and City of Plymouth to Britain's own Weapons of Mass Destruction, the Trident missile system. A marriage made seemingly without the consent of many residents in the City [report + pics].
Community Radio on FM in Cambridge
09-02-2006 21:10
209 Radio is broadcasting on 103.5 FM for one week in Cambridge - the 10th - 19th of February. 209 Radio has been broadcasting over the internet since March 2003, building up its output - a range of specialist music programs with community and arts programmes being added all the time. And 209 Radio is hoping to hear soon about the results of its application for a long term FM community radio license.
As the Community Media Association say "Community Media is community owned and controlled, giving access to voices in the community and encouraging diversity, creativity and participation. Community media provide a vital counterbalance to the increasing globalisation and commercialisation of the media."
The shows being broadcast include local news and views on Newzone, local and global issues on So Far and Yet So Near, socially responsible technology on Brain Candy and traveller issues on Romani Radio.
Update 24/3/2006: Shows have been uploaded as additions to this article.
[ 209 radio | Schedule | So Far and Yet So Near | Newzone | Brain Candy | Romani Radio ]
City celebrates Chinese new year
04-02-2006 18:17
Once again the popular and successful Chinese New Year celebration events took place at Beeston and at the Lakeside Arts Centre on the 28th and 29th January consecutively. The events had been organised by Broxtowe Borough Council in conjunction with Broxtowe College, Lakeside Arts Centre (Nottingham University) and Nottingham City Council. Acts included, over the two days, were contributions from local schools and Broxtowe College, acrobats, Master Lee Kam Wing's Troupe did Kung Fu demonstrations and performed the Lion Dance. Students from the Chinese Society at Nottingham University performed their now famous Dragon Dance. A really colourful and exhiberant performance.
Links: More about the Chinese New Year | The Nottingham Chinese Student Society
Social Centres, Where Next?
26-01-2006 11:29
Interest in the idea of social centres is still very high amongst the radical/anarchist milieu. Meanwhile a small group from the popular education collective Trapese have been travelling the country interviewing people involved in current social centres for a new book provisionally titled 'a handbook for autonomy and creation' due out in June 2006. But why haven't we got many places that can live up to the name "social centres"? What were the problems politically with previous attempts of social centres? What can we learn? What is next? Last month thirty people attended a wombles meeting in London to discuss just these issues and now a similar discussion planned to take place in Leeds at the end of January has started to turn into a national gathering of social centres.
Links:
- Infousurpa - a new 'social centres' event listings project
- Gathering in Leeds 29th Jan
- YES, we're open ! - article about Nottinghams Social Spaces
- Abandoned for over 7 years... Reclaimed back for community use
Your views sought...
BNP activists threaten community arts group in Coalville
20-01-2006 17:15
The annual community lantern festival in Coalville, Leicestershire was moved from just before christmas to coincide with the Chinese New Year celebrations this year. Members from the far-right British National Party (BNP) think that because of the 'removal of Christian symbolism and tradition from Christmas' it needs them to 'once again save another British tradition'.
Ever since the rescheduling of the event was announced, local members of the BNP have threatened the organisers of the community run event. Verbal abuse from people ringing up the group has become a daily occurance since the BNP posted the contact details on their website. The BNP, who claim to be the 'law and order party' recently published another article on their website inciting criminal damage, calling on people to protest the usage of the words 'white trash' in a recent episode of the TV soap serie Coronation Street. A prominent member of the party in Lincoln recently appeared in court for multiple counts of arson and criminal damage. Read article.
Links: Photos from last years lantern festival | Watch video of last years lanternfestival: [1] [2] | Stop the BNP (website full of facts and research) | Wikipedia on the BNP | Previous articles on Indymedia on the BNP
From the Notts Indymedia newswire: Lincoln BNP member in court ! | Meeting called at uni after BNP article published in student paper
Sumac Cafe in crisis
09-01-2006 11:01
The Sumac Cafe is in crisis, due to a shortage of volunteers. It is in danger of closing and an important meeting is planned to look at possible solutions. These might include reinventing the nature of the cafe, perhaps doing more 'special nights', such as the monthly People's Kitchen events, instead of serving the breakfasts during weekends.
The meeting will be held on Friday 13th January, 7pm at the Sumac Centre, 245 Gladstone Street, Forest Fields, Nottingham, NG7 6HX. All people with an interest in the cafe, or ideas about how it could or should be run, are most welcome.
Contact: email: sumaccafe@veggies.org.uk
Links: Sumac Cafe website | The Sumac Centre | Veggies Diary listing
Community use for the Howard Mallett centre?
15-12-2005 19:37
Aiming at making effective community use of the soon to be empty Howard Mallett centre, a group has been set up to put forward proposals for the space.
The centre, in Cambridge’s densely populated Petersfield ward on Sturton Street, has a long history of community usage and features a gym, radio recording room, café area and further office and community rooms. However, it is soon to be vacated by current lease-holders Dawe Media and the new tenants, charity Citylife, will take a long time to carry through their plans of knocking the building down to construct a ‘social innovation incubation centre’.
The new group is connecting with people with ideas for how the space should be used, which so far include a range of community media, arts, youth, sport and soup kitchen proposals.
New group list: hmcwg@wereallneighbours.co.uk
and their website
Indymedia articles on the Howard Mallet Centre: [ 1 | 2 | 3 ]
East Midlands Vegan Festival, Nottingham Council House
11-12-2005 12:03
Whether you’re a committed vegan or vegetarian or simply interested in finding new ways to make your healthy lifestyle more fun, they came along and saw what was on offer.
Police escalates offensive crackdown culture poster drive
09-12-2005 14:05
Nottingham Police, allied with authoritarians at the local council and the Home Office, have been wasting taxpayers' money on a wave of offensive posters intended to terrorise dissidents and the socially excluded. This campaign has escalated with attempts to terrorise those involved in subvertising the posters.
Recent instances have included the return of the especially sinister anti-begging campaign, where the state spreads slanderous accusations accusing beggars of bankrolling drug dealers. This campaign has been connected in previous years to deaths of homeless people in cold weather, and to physical assaults on homeless people due to incitement by the posters. The campaign even led to violence and reduced revenue for Big Issue vendors who are engaged in an entirely legal activity.
Buy Nothing Day
29-11-2005 15:39
Saturday November 26th 2005 was Buy Nothing Day (UK), the self proclaimed festival of frugal living and culture jammers jamboree. A day to expose the environmental and ethical consequences of consumerism, where developed countries (only 20% of the world population) are consuming over 80% of the earth's natural resources, causing a disproportionate level of environmental damage and unfair distribution of wealth. [Buy Nothing Day UK website]
A wide range of activities happened over the country. In Leeds free vegan burgers were given away outside McDonalds, there was also a free shop and party [report and pic]; Birmingham saw not only a Free Shop and Food Not Bombs but a day of mischief [report and pics]; Southampton people had a picnic on a busy shopping street; in Bristol People met up and gave away books, clothes, tea, food and information [feature] [pictures] [video], Bristol IMC also held a related film night. Glasgow who had advertised their By Nothing Day with some interesting subvertising were invaded by a detachment of the Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army.
