Tomorrow I'll go see Miros LADDER OF ESCAPE. Have always been drawn to his work but without thinking, why, what is it about it? What does it mean to me? Less 'representational' so the essence of a man, of an idea of a thought, of a question is striving within it. Or did he know what he wanted to say or do before he did it? Is it prepared or a considered response.. and through that response and the process interprations or patterns begin to emerge.
Am looking at jumping between all sets of ideas and going back into the meeting today about building the CWI.. what was said in discussion, processes, what has happened our interaction to who we are and what we do.
I work at things as I go along but there is lots of thinking and the thinking takes time.. how to ease it any and out of that?? Calm this anger and edgy way and ways or maybe its is that I 'm up and I should make the most of where I am right now?
Its not a terrible thing to be awake at 11pm! (yes thats all.!) If I sleep late I can get up later.. . Work with the flow with the engery and the anger.. discomfort of being here and being me right now. I'm annoying and I can ? that or wallow in it? Channel it to cecome.. where next. Talk and think around the revolution or find out about it clearly and precisely.. I am so not precise!
Was thinking of V & J.. Frida and hospital.. What do I do.. you do if this comes in and out of your life so much.. what do you do?
READ JULY DAYS - LENIN
"role of the diary in Fridas work.. and in art history at large"
I don't know my place (this is from morning pages at midnight.. not what I thought I should put here but fuck it) I was brought up with huge invisible and visible boundries yet none.. They were confused with thier own journeys and backgrounds and life fucks so sometimes gave into, gave up..
Each time I', here (with you bits of paper) I find something out about myself and that makes sense of this of me too.
An awkward and defensive person and I dont have to or need to bring to the front of me and all if it was the 6pm coffee??
Perhaps I can make it weaker.. thought it smelt lovely!
Looking back at friday khalo I realised Shelley gave it to me when I was going into hospital..
Pg 10 "She painted.. she was the subject she knew best" - or maybe she was working herself out in the process?
And she goes with intuition.. a liberation.. yes a liberation!
Wednesday, 3 August 2011
Friday, 29 July 2011
NSSN Bulletin - 29th July
With the Murdoch Media scandal ongoing, the massacre in Norway and continuing
starvation of growing numbers in Somalia, plus the rise in poverty globally as
the cuts hit, whilst we pay for the bosses’ crisis, it would be easy to
despair. In the UK alone, there has been a rise of those taking anti
depressants to 43% in the past 4 years, with more and more workers and
communities struggling with unsecure jobs, homes and futures. The question seem
unanswered, what kind of world are we living? It could be easy in some ways to
think this was just part of life, something to accept or that theres nothing we
can do to change things. But we can! We are part of the trade union and anti
cuts movement not just to fight for our jobs, services and homes but, within
that, fight the establishments idea that says we can not or do not have the
right to fight, to question or to consider alternative ways of running our
society for the collective benefit of us all, not the tiny minority who work
hard to burden us with their greed and manipulation.
Last Saturday in Derby saw a huge trade union and community demonstrations of
around 10,000 against the closure of Bombardier.
http://www.shopstewards.net/news.129.htm
NSSN midlands held a public meeting with the Vice chair of the Bombardier shop
stewards committee, Alex Gordon RMT president and Rob Williams NSSN organiser.
The nationalisation of the company was called for; something that unfortunately
none of the outdoor platform speakers suggested. http://tinyurl.com/3jysbkj
Shamefully, Tony Woodley of UNITE ended his speech at the main rally with the
call for ‘British jobs for British workers.’ This pandering to the race to
the bottom and dangerous set of nationalist ideas was unnecessary and holds out
nationalism and the ideas of the far right as the torch to follow. It is not a
fight between worker against worker in this country or workers in other
countries but a fight by workers in every country for our jobs and future.
And that is part of the reason we are lobbying the TUC on the 11th of Sep. To
push our leaderships to make use of all the resources, financial, human
publicity to call for a 24 hour public sector strike, to raise the idea more
clearly and openly of co-coordinated action and not to leave it rotting on a
website of motions passed for the virtual world to imagine that because its
written, it will happen, it wont, anything we have ever fought for, takes time,
energy, conversations, meetings, actions, strategies worked out together and
then for each and everyone of us to take responsibility to act together.
We welcome the national support from RMT & PCS for the lobby of the TUC and
Mark Serwotka and Bob Crow will be speaking at our rally, starting at 1:30-3:30
on the 11th at Friends meeting house before we move onto the march and protest
at TUC. Coaches have been booked from Newcastle, Coventry & Stoke so far, other
areas will be organizing to come together on trains and in cars.
http://www.shopstewards.net/sign.htm
Leaflets & Petitions: http://www.shopstewards.net/resources.leaflets.htm
As the volume of work has increased with the number of events and actions we
are involved in we need more finances: Please send in donations and
affilations: http://www.shopstewards.net/affiliate.htm
DISPUTES & UPDATES
Swindon Honda Steward Suspended
The National Shop Stewards Network has just received word that Paddy Brennan,
UNITE Convenor at the Swindon Honda plant has been suspended from work. More
details to follow when we get them, but Paddy's suspension is a provocative
attack on a prominent trade union fighter and by extension an attack on the
right to organise at Honda. We demand Paddy's reinstatement and the NSSN
pledges to do all it can in support of this.
Please text messages of support to Paddy on 07503 174 827 and email letters of
protest to humgen@honda-eu.com. More updates to follow.
EDL & Muslims Against Crusades
The right-wing group Muslims Against Crusades has called a national
mobilisation in Waltham Forest this Saturday; in response, the EDL are
threatening a counter-protest.
Waltham Forest Anti-Cuts Union is calling on all trade unionists and
anti-fascists to come to Walthamstow Town Square on this Saturday 30th July
from 11am onwards. This is to help the Anti-Cuts Union give out leaflets
promoting working class solidarity, opposing all those forces that create
divisions in the fight-back against cuts, and pointing the finger at the real
fight culprits ie the bankers, the bond traders, speculators and global finance
companies.
We stand for working class solidarity in Waltham Forest against any demands
that workers pay for bankers’ greed, and we will not allow our neighbourhood
and our fightback to be divided along racist or religious lines.
NUJ Strikes
Members of the NUJ working at the BBC will be taking their second 24-hour
strike action on Monday 1st August in opposition to compulsory redundancies of
NUJ members in the BBC. The industrial action will be from 00.01 hours to 23.59
hours on Monday 1st August 2011 and there will be picket lines on a majority of
the BBC sites across the United Kingdom. There will be an indefinite work to
rule from 2nd August 2011.
Coca-Cola Strikes
Workers from Coca-Cola Enterprises have voted overwhelmingly for industrial
action. Staff from distribution centers across the country will strike for 24
hours from 6am on 4 August in a dispute over pay with an offer of 2.3% 4th
August
http://tinyurl.com/3g4n7fy
Save Our Coastguards
Over 200 people packed into Oystermouth primary school, Swansea on Friday
evening (22 July) to hear coastguards and local campaigners make the case for
saving Swansea coastguard station.
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-swansea-coastguard.html and respond to
the consultation on the Department for Transport web site.The original
government proposal was to close Milford Haven station and downgrade Swansea to
a daylight hour’s only service. Now the Con-Dem coalition has done a U-turn
and proposes to close Swansea, the busiest coastguard station in Wales,
although Milford Haven has had a reprieve.
Remploy
Remploy & the Sayce report: Remploy is still the biggest employer of disabled
people in the UK, but it must be remembered that it is not the ONLY employer of
disabled people there are still very many more ranging from factories run by
charities to those run by local authorities.
Birmingham Council backtracks on offshoring: http://tinyurl.com/3ffalzj
Stop bullying disabled claimants, says PCS
http://tinyurl.com/3eppk4a
Support for Korean strikers as they picket Standard Chartered UK headquarters
http://tinyurl.com/3g9vfz9
RMT & TSSA to merge: http://tinyurl.com/42rdngg
DIARY
Sat 30 July
12 - 3pm Croydon Town Centre, North End
GMB to join UK UNCUT protest in CROYDON over cuts and tax dodging at SOUTHERN
CROSS HOMES : http://tinyurl.com/42jmd9w
Mon 1 August 12.30pm
Demonstration against the Health Bill when Health Minister Andrew Lansley will
be at the Royal Hospital Farnborough, Bromley BR6 8ND from 1 to 1.45pm to open
the new stroke unit (which we are not against!). Assemble at car park entrance
to Hospital near Sainsbury’s. Frances Hook Tel: 020 8853 2567
Wed 3rd August
Southampton Council Strike Rally Guildhall Square Southampton 11am
Brighton Stop the Cuts 7:30pm King and Queen
25th July – 12th August News International Wapping – 25 Years on TUC
http://tinyurl.com/3pk37te
11th Sep Rally & Lobby TUC for call for 24 hour public sector strike!
Assemble 1.30pm Friends Meeting Hse, Euston Rd, NW1 for a rally before our
protest.
http://www.shopstewards.net/sign.htm
5th November London March for Jobs
Youth Fight for Jobs is marching from Jarrow to London, starting on 1 October
2011. This is on the 75 anniversary of the Jarrow Crusade, when 200 unemployed
workers took a similar route to raise awareness of mass unemployment
http://jarrowmarch11.com/about/
Join, Get involved, and donate!
http://www.stopcuts.net/affiliate.htm
info@shopstewards.net
07952 283 558
starvation of growing numbers in Somalia, plus the rise in poverty globally as
the cuts hit, whilst we pay for the bosses’ crisis, it would be easy to
despair. In the UK alone, there has been a rise of those taking anti
depressants to 43% in the past 4 years, with more and more workers and
communities struggling with unsecure jobs, homes and futures. The question seem
unanswered, what kind of world are we living? It could be easy in some ways to
think this was just part of life, something to accept or that theres nothing we
can do to change things. But we can! We are part of the trade union and anti
cuts movement not just to fight for our jobs, services and homes but, within
that, fight the establishments idea that says we can not or do not have the
right to fight, to question or to consider alternative ways of running our
society for the collective benefit of us all, not the tiny minority who work
hard to burden us with their greed and manipulation.
Last Saturday in Derby saw a huge trade union and community demonstrations of
around 10,000 against the closure of Bombardier.
http://www.shopstewards.net/news.129.htm
NSSN midlands held a public meeting with the Vice chair of the Bombardier shop
stewards committee, Alex Gordon RMT president and Rob Williams NSSN organiser.
The nationalisation of the company was called for; something that unfortunately
none of the outdoor platform speakers suggested. http://tinyurl.com/3jysbkj
Shamefully, Tony Woodley of UNITE ended his speech at the main rally with the
call for ‘British jobs for British workers.’ This pandering to the race to
the bottom and dangerous set of nationalist ideas was unnecessary and holds out
nationalism and the ideas of the far right as the torch to follow. It is not a
fight between worker against worker in this country or workers in other
countries but a fight by workers in every country for our jobs and future.
And that is part of the reason we are lobbying the TUC on the 11th of Sep. To
push our leaderships to make use of all the resources, financial, human
publicity to call for a 24 hour public sector strike, to raise the idea more
clearly and openly of co-coordinated action and not to leave it rotting on a
website of motions passed for the virtual world to imagine that because its
written, it will happen, it wont, anything we have ever fought for, takes time,
energy, conversations, meetings, actions, strategies worked out together and
then for each and everyone of us to take responsibility to act together.
We welcome the national support from RMT & PCS for the lobby of the TUC and
Mark Serwotka and Bob Crow will be speaking at our rally, starting at 1:30-3:30
on the 11th at Friends meeting house before we move onto the march and protest
at TUC. Coaches have been booked from Newcastle, Coventry & Stoke so far, other
areas will be organizing to come together on trains and in cars.
http://www.shopstewards.net/sign.htm
Leaflets & Petitions: http://www.shopstewards.net/resources.leaflets.htm
As the volume of work has increased with the number of events and actions we
are involved in we need more finances: Please send in donations and
affilations: http://www.shopstewards.net/affiliate.htm
DISPUTES & UPDATES
Swindon Honda Steward Suspended
The National Shop Stewards Network has just received word that Paddy Brennan,
UNITE Convenor at the Swindon Honda plant has been suspended from work. More
details to follow when we get them, but Paddy's suspension is a provocative
attack on a prominent trade union fighter and by extension an attack on the
right to organise at Honda. We demand Paddy's reinstatement and the NSSN
pledges to do all it can in support of this.
Please text messages of support to Paddy on 07503 174 827 and email letters of
protest to humgen@honda-eu.com. More updates to follow.
EDL & Muslims Against Crusades
The right-wing group Muslims Against Crusades has called a national
mobilisation in Waltham Forest this Saturday; in response, the EDL are
threatening a counter-protest.
Waltham Forest Anti-Cuts Union is calling on all trade unionists and
anti-fascists to come to Walthamstow Town Square on this Saturday 30th July
from 11am onwards. This is to help the Anti-Cuts Union give out leaflets
promoting working class solidarity, opposing all those forces that create
divisions in the fight-back against cuts, and pointing the finger at the real
fight culprits ie the bankers, the bond traders, speculators and global finance
companies.
We stand for working class solidarity in Waltham Forest against any demands
that workers pay for bankers’ greed, and we will not allow our neighbourhood
and our fightback to be divided along racist or religious lines.
NUJ Strikes
Members of the NUJ working at the BBC will be taking their second 24-hour
strike action on Monday 1st August in opposition to compulsory redundancies of
NUJ members in the BBC. The industrial action will be from 00.01 hours to 23.59
hours on Monday 1st August 2011 and there will be picket lines on a majority of
the BBC sites across the United Kingdom. There will be an indefinite work to
rule from 2nd August 2011.
Coca-Cola Strikes
Workers from Coca-Cola Enterprises have voted overwhelmingly for industrial
action. Staff from distribution centers across the country will strike for 24
hours from 6am on 4 August in a dispute over pay with an offer of 2.3% 4th
August
http://tinyurl.com/3g4n7fy
Save Our Coastguards
Over 200 people packed into Oystermouth primary school, Swansea on Friday
evening (22 July) to hear coastguards and local campaigners make the case for
saving Swansea coastguard station.
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-swansea-coastguard.html and respond to
the consultation on the Department for Transport web site.The original
government proposal was to close Milford Haven station and downgrade Swansea to
a daylight hour’s only service. Now the Con-Dem coalition has done a U-turn
and proposes to close Swansea, the busiest coastguard station in Wales,
although Milford Haven has had a reprieve.
Remploy
Remploy & the Sayce report: Remploy is still the biggest employer of disabled
people in the UK, but it must be remembered that it is not the ONLY employer of
disabled people there are still very many more ranging from factories run by
charities to those run by local authorities.
Birmingham Council backtracks on offshoring: http://tinyurl.com/3ffalzj
Stop bullying disabled claimants, says PCS
http://tinyurl.com/3eppk4a
Support for Korean strikers as they picket Standard Chartered UK headquarters
http://tinyurl.com/3g9vfz9
RMT & TSSA to merge: http://tinyurl.com/42rdngg
DIARY
Sat 30 July
12 - 3pm Croydon Town Centre, North End
GMB to join UK UNCUT protest in CROYDON over cuts and tax dodging at SOUTHERN
CROSS HOMES : http://tinyurl.com/42jmd9w
Mon 1 August 12.30pm
Demonstration against the Health Bill when Health Minister Andrew Lansley will
be at the Royal Hospital Farnborough, Bromley BR6 8ND from 1 to 1.45pm to open
the new stroke unit (which we are not against!). Assemble at car park entrance
to Hospital near Sainsbury’s. Frances Hook Tel: 020 8853 2567
Wed 3rd August
Southampton Council Strike Rally Guildhall Square Southampton 11am
Brighton Stop the Cuts 7:30pm King and Queen
25th July – 12th August News International Wapping – 25 Years on TUC
http://tinyurl.com/3pk37te
11th Sep Rally & Lobby TUC for call for 24 hour public sector strike!
Assemble 1.30pm Friends Meeting Hse, Euston Rd, NW1 for a rally before our
protest.
http://www.shopstewards.net/sign.htm
5th November London March for Jobs
Youth Fight for Jobs is marching from Jarrow to London, starting on 1 October
2011. This is on the 75 anniversary of the Jarrow Crusade, when 200 unemployed
workers took a similar route to raise awareness of mass unemployment
http://jarrowmarch11.com/about/
Join, Get involved, and donate!
http://www.stopcuts.net/affiliate.htm
info@shopstewards.net
07952 283 558
Friday, 22 July 2011
NSSN Bulletin 22nd July
nfo@shopstewards.net via riseup.net to shopstewardsnet
show details 22 Jul (13 days ago)
Mark Serwotka PCS General Secretary this week called for Maximun Unity over
pensions. PCS is considering further industrial action in the autumn aimed at
putting more pressure on the government to agree to full and meaningful
negotiations on all the main issues, and there are already indications there
will be more unions on board. http://bit.ly/oRHetT.
A joint statement from UCU, NUT & ATL noted the success of the strike & concern
at the lack of real negotations, which could lead to more action in the Autumn.
The National Association of Head Teachers and UCAC have also already decided to
ballot their members for industrial action so joint co-ordinated action in
Education is developing further. http://bit.ly/evExBC.
Last week the NEC of PCS agreed to support the NSSN march & lobby of the TUC on
Sep 11th. PCS will be moving a resolution at this year's TUC conference calling
for co-ordinated industrial action to defend public sector pensions. However,
we are aware that some key motions may have been supported in the few years
which include and require the TUC to lead the fight over the cuts which are
devasting our lives and the futures of our younger generation, but there has
been little if any actions taken to move these motions into reality. The
demonstration of the 26th March showed a little of what is possible when the
TUC begin to mobilise its membership, a call for national co-ordinated action
will have an echo from so many more workers now the cuts have really begun to
bite. Please arrange to attend the 11th Sep lobby, invite your fellow stewards,
members, friends and family & also sign the petition we will be handing in to
the TUC. http://bit.ly/qVuOAW. The pre-lobby rally is in the Friends Meeting
House on Euston Rd, NW1 2BJ. The speakers include PCS General Secretary Mark
Serwotka - for flyer http://bit.ly/phIn71 and letter to union branches & trades
councils http://bit.ly/nQckWS.
London NSSN, RMT, CWU, FBU & PCS joint meeting earlier this week started with
Steve Hedley RMT London, "This is what the National Shop Stewards Network is
for - to bring together the most advanced elements in the unions to develop
strategy." He and others also discussed the need for Unions such as Unite,
Unsion & GMB to take part in the co-ordinated action, the need to ensure unions
are not divided by the government was essential. Ben Sprung (FBU London)
reported that the FBU had agreed to ballot its members over pensions, and is
"fully prepared for serious, sustained action; of course we want to be in
coordinated action". The meeting was an important step in London to bring
together leading members of some of the most powerful unions for the battles
ahead and also begin to mobilse for the lobby of the TUC 11th Sep.
We have been actively supporting the campaign to save the 1400 Bombardier jobs
and will be marching with RMT, UNITE, TSSA workers and the community. There
will be a huge march and rally to save Bombardier this Saturday 23rd July 10am
Bass's Recreation Ground. NSSN will be having a meeting after 1pm at the
Flowerpot, 23 King St, Derby, DE1 3DZ with RMT President Alex Gordon to discuss
what next in the fight for jobs. http://bit.ly/pdeDcO.
DISPUTES & UPDATES
Libraries strike suspended - victory for jobs and services
Strike action planned to close all Lambeth Council’s libraries on Friday 22
July will not now be going ahead as the council management conceded that there
will be no compulsory redundancies in an offer put to the union today.
The latest management offer will be put to all UNISON members in Libraries at a
joint shop meeting on Monday. No deal can be made before it is discussed and
agreed by members in Libraries and we can not rule out industrial action to
protect the service, but management’s offer represents a significant victory
as it protects both our jobs and many frontline services.
This is a tribute to the unity and determination of our members in the
libraries, who were ready to strike to defend the library service and protect
their jobs. This is a lesson to every other worker – in Lambeth Council and
elsewhere – that to look after your interests you have to be prepared to take
industrial action.
NUJ - South Yorkshire journalists on indefinite strike to protect jobs
This strike continues and support on picket lines is welcome. Striking South
Yorkshire journalists believe their management is using work placement
volunteers to undermine the industrial action launched by the NUJ last Friday
to protect jobs and quality journalism. A " 16-year-old has been asked to
extend his work experience by a week by bosses desperate to ensure the paper is
printed on time." www.nuj.org.uk.
SOUTHAMPTON UNITE & UNISON - Despite talks the council has refused to withdraw
cuts members are continuing to take selective strike action in parking
services, port health, Itchen Bridge, street cleaning, libraries, children’s
contact centres, building maintenance, refuse collection and vehicle workshops.
Members in social services also voted at a meeting on 19 July to join strike
action in August. UNISON and Unite have already lodged a legal challenge to the
Council’s failure to consult unions on their proposals. http://bit.ly/95wvrY.
TSSA - Strike over equal pay - as women workers recieve £4k less a year than
men on similar grades. http://tinyurl.com/3kvlbkf
NUJ BBC - Thousands of BBC journalists have held a 24-hour strike against
compulsory redundancies, and the NUJ is accusing the corporation's top
management of wilfully avoiding talks which could have averted the stoppage. A
further strike is due on Monday August 1. http://bit.ly/p0VM2P.
REMPLOY- Lobby board in Leicester to save jobs, about 1,000 grievance letters
alleging failure in the duty of care by Remploy’s chief executive, Tim
Matthews, for the organisation’s 2,800 disabled workers have been collected
by Unite, the country’s largest trade union; the GMB; and Community
http://bit.ly/pLUDF8.
Bromley Unison reps leave to join UNITE - This includes newly elected NEC
member Kathy Smith, "Faced with the biggest onslaught against our jobs, wages
and conditions in our history we had a right to expect that every ounce of
energy of the union would be used to fight the employers. However in Bromley,
Unison nationally has put in massive resources, but not to fight the employer
and organise the members, but to effectively strangle the rights of the branch
and its members and its ability to resist the cuts. http://bit.ly/q1OqLi.
Major strike is raging in the Mangistau oblast in the west of Kazakhstan, where
at its height; up to 16,000 workers in the oil industry have been on
strike.Workers faced with jailings, intimidation and brutal repression.
Solidarity urgently needed http://bit.ly/pMVwIZ.
DIARY
23 July
March and rally to save Bombardier:
Saturday 23 July, 10:00 am, Bass’s Recreation Ground
NSSN meeting after the rally:
THE FLOWERPOT
23-25 King St, Derby DE1 3DZ 1:00pm,
http://bit.ly/pdeDcO.
Noon Demo & rally against welfare cuts!
Assemble on The Level, Brighton
http://on.fb.me/rm7BM7.
YouthRock4Jobs gig in Nuneaton .07931455391
http://nuneatonagainstcuts.wordpress.com
25 July
Public meeting: Our NHS is not for sale! 7pm
Friends Meeting House, Ship Street, Brighton
How we can unite to stop the government's cuts and privatisation plans.
Speakers from health workers' trade unions and professional bodies, Keep Our
NHS Public and workers involved in the June 30 strike.
26 July
Lobby the council Communities need council libraries!
1pm, at County Hall, Penrhyn Road, Kingston
www.saveourservic.es
27 July
Lobby of Cambridge City Council
1pm. Meet at Guildhall, Cambridge
www.cambridgeshireagainstthecuts.org.uk/
30 July
12 - 3pm Croydon Town Centre, North End
GMB to join UK UNCUT protest in CROYDON over cuts and tax dodging at SOUTHERN
CROSS HOMES http://bit.ly/nK9wA9.
11 Sep
Assemble 1.30pm Friends Meeting Hse, Euston Rd, NW1 for a rally before our
protest. http://bit.ly/qVuOAW.
March for Jobs
Youth Fight for Jobs is marching from Jarrow to London, starting on 1 October
2011. This is on the 75 anniversary of the Jarrow Crusade, when 200 unemployed
workers took a similar route to raise awareness of mass unemployment.
jarrowmarch11.com.
Some NSSN videos:
http://bit.ly/jP96UU
http://bit.ly/nhMsmP
Join, Get involved, Affilate
http://www.stopcuts.net/affiliate.htm
info@shopstewards.net
07952 283 558
show details 22 Jul (13 days ago)
Mark Serwotka PCS General Secretary this week called for Maximun Unity over
pensions. PCS is considering further industrial action in the autumn aimed at
putting more pressure on the government to agree to full and meaningful
negotiations on all the main issues, and there are already indications there
will be more unions on board. http://bit.ly/oRHetT.
A joint statement from UCU, NUT & ATL noted the success of the strike & concern
at the lack of real negotations, which could lead to more action in the Autumn.
The National Association of Head Teachers and UCAC have also already decided to
ballot their members for industrial action so joint co-ordinated action in
Education is developing further. http://bit.ly/evExBC.
Last week the NEC of PCS agreed to support the NSSN march & lobby of the TUC on
Sep 11th. PCS will be moving a resolution at this year's TUC conference calling
for co-ordinated industrial action to defend public sector pensions. However,
we are aware that some key motions may have been supported in the few years
which include and require the TUC to lead the fight over the cuts which are
devasting our lives and the futures of our younger generation, but there has
been little if any actions taken to move these motions into reality. The
demonstration of the 26th March showed a little of what is possible when the
TUC begin to mobilise its membership, a call for national co-ordinated action
will have an echo from so many more workers now the cuts have really begun to
bite. Please arrange to attend the 11th Sep lobby, invite your fellow stewards,
members, friends and family & also sign the petition we will be handing in to
the TUC. http://bit.ly/qVuOAW. The pre-lobby rally is in the Friends Meeting
House on Euston Rd, NW1 2BJ. The speakers include PCS General Secretary Mark
Serwotka - for flyer http://bit.ly/phIn71 and letter to union branches & trades
councils http://bit.ly/nQckWS.
London NSSN, RMT, CWU, FBU & PCS joint meeting earlier this week started with
Steve Hedley RMT London, "This is what the National Shop Stewards Network is
for - to bring together the most advanced elements in the unions to develop
strategy." He and others also discussed the need for Unions such as Unite,
Unsion & GMB to take part in the co-ordinated action, the need to ensure unions
are not divided by the government was essential. Ben Sprung (FBU London)
reported that the FBU had agreed to ballot its members over pensions, and is
"fully prepared for serious, sustained action; of course we want to be in
coordinated action". The meeting was an important step in London to bring
together leading members of some of the most powerful unions for the battles
ahead and also begin to mobilse for the lobby of the TUC 11th Sep.
We have been actively supporting the campaign to save the 1400 Bombardier jobs
and will be marching with RMT, UNITE, TSSA workers and the community. There
will be a huge march and rally to save Bombardier this Saturday 23rd July 10am
Bass's Recreation Ground. NSSN will be having a meeting after 1pm at the
Flowerpot, 23 King St, Derby, DE1 3DZ with RMT President Alex Gordon to discuss
what next in the fight for jobs. http://bit.ly/pdeDcO.
DISPUTES & UPDATES
Libraries strike suspended - victory for jobs and services
Strike action planned to close all Lambeth Council’s libraries on Friday 22
July will not now be going ahead as the council management conceded that there
will be no compulsory redundancies in an offer put to the union today.
The latest management offer will be put to all UNISON members in Libraries at a
joint shop meeting on Monday. No deal can be made before it is discussed and
agreed by members in Libraries and we can not rule out industrial action to
protect the service, but management’s offer represents a significant victory
as it protects both our jobs and many frontline services.
This is a tribute to the unity and determination of our members in the
libraries, who were ready to strike to defend the library service and protect
their jobs. This is a lesson to every other worker – in Lambeth Council and
elsewhere – that to look after your interests you have to be prepared to take
industrial action.
NUJ - South Yorkshire journalists on indefinite strike to protect jobs
This strike continues and support on picket lines is welcome. Striking South
Yorkshire journalists believe their management is using work placement
volunteers to undermine the industrial action launched by the NUJ last Friday
to protect jobs and quality journalism. A " 16-year-old has been asked to
extend his work experience by a week by bosses desperate to ensure the paper is
printed on time." www.nuj.org.uk.
SOUTHAMPTON UNITE & UNISON - Despite talks the council has refused to withdraw
cuts members are continuing to take selective strike action in parking
services, port health, Itchen Bridge, street cleaning, libraries, children’s
contact centres, building maintenance, refuse collection and vehicle workshops.
Members in social services also voted at a meeting on 19 July to join strike
action in August. UNISON and Unite have already lodged a legal challenge to the
Council’s failure to consult unions on their proposals. http://bit.ly/95wvrY.
TSSA - Strike over equal pay - as women workers recieve £4k less a year than
men on similar grades. http://tinyurl.com/3kvlbkf
NUJ BBC - Thousands of BBC journalists have held a 24-hour strike against
compulsory redundancies, and the NUJ is accusing the corporation's top
management of wilfully avoiding talks which could have averted the stoppage. A
further strike is due on Monday August 1. http://bit.ly/p0VM2P.
REMPLOY- Lobby board in Leicester to save jobs, about 1,000 grievance letters
alleging failure in the duty of care by Remploy’s chief executive, Tim
Matthews, for the organisation’s 2,800 disabled workers have been collected
by Unite, the country’s largest trade union; the GMB; and Community
http://bit.ly/pLUDF8.
Bromley Unison reps leave to join UNITE - This includes newly elected NEC
member Kathy Smith, "Faced with the biggest onslaught against our jobs, wages
and conditions in our history we had a right to expect that every ounce of
energy of the union would be used to fight the employers. However in Bromley,
Unison nationally has put in massive resources, but not to fight the employer
and organise the members, but to effectively strangle the rights of the branch
and its members and its ability to resist the cuts. http://bit.ly/q1OqLi.
Major strike is raging in the Mangistau oblast in the west of Kazakhstan, where
at its height; up to 16,000 workers in the oil industry have been on
strike.Workers faced with jailings, intimidation and brutal repression.
Solidarity urgently needed http://bit.ly/pMVwIZ.
DIARY
23 July
March and rally to save Bombardier:
Saturday 23 July, 10:00 am, Bass’s Recreation Ground
NSSN meeting after the rally:
THE FLOWERPOT
23-25 King St, Derby DE1 3DZ 1:00pm,
http://bit.ly/pdeDcO.
Noon Demo & rally against welfare cuts!
Assemble on The Level, Brighton
http://on.fb.me/rm7BM7.
YouthRock4Jobs gig in Nuneaton .07931455391
http://nuneatonagainstcuts.wordpress.com
25 July
Public meeting: Our NHS is not for sale! 7pm
Friends Meeting House, Ship Street, Brighton
How we can unite to stop the government's cuts and privatisation plans.
Speakers from health workers' trade unions and professional bodies, Keep Our
NHS Public and workers involved in the June 30 strike.
26 July
Lobby the council Communities need council libraries!
1pm, at County Hall, Penrhyn Road, Kingston
www.saveourservic.es
27 July
Lobby of Cambridge City Council
1pm. Meet at Guildhall, Cambridge
www.cambridgeshireagainstthecuts.org.uk/
30 July
12 - 3pm Croydon Town Centre, North End
GMB to join UK UNCUT protest in CROYDON over cuts and tax dodging at SOUTHERN
CROSS HOMES http://bit.ly/nK9wA9.
11 Sep
Assemble 1.30pm Friends Meeting Hse, Euston Rd, NW1 for a rally before our
protest. http://bit.ly/qVuOAW.
March for Jobs
Youth Fight for Jobs is marching from Jarrow to London, starting on 1 October
2011. This is on the 75 anniversary of the Jarrow Crusade, when 200 unemployed
workers took a similar route to raise awareness of mass unemployment.
jarrowmarch11.com.
Some NSSN videos:
http://bit.ly/jP96UU
http://bit.ly/nhMsmP
Join, Get involved, Affilate
http://www.stopcuts.net/affiliate.htm
info@shopstewards.net
07952 283 558
Tuesday, 12 July 2011
Dissertation - Some ideas class concioiusness or arts to mobilise?
NOTES after supervision and some reading..
Maybe something on
How could we or have we used arts to represent resistance? (Is represent the wrong word? Mobilse, develop, interrogate)
Look at work in the past 6 months:
Student
March 26th
June 30th
NSSN
or
In what ways does arts raise class conciousness?
Maybe focusign on class, consumption of arts or use of art ?
See Peierr Boduire..
Maybe look at work of one artists?
Suz Muna
Dennis Rudd
Read art as a weapon
http://libcom.org/history/art-weapon-frans-seiwert-cologne-progressives-martyn-everett
Surrealist manefesto..
The art of interruption - john roberts
Photography turned experience of working class into authenticity rather than expressions of class conciousness.
Maybe something on
How could we or have we used arts to represent resistance? (Is represent the wrong word? Mobilse, develop, interrogate)
Look at work in the past 6 months:
Student
March 26th
June 30th
NSSN
or
In what ways does arts raise class conciousness?
Maybe focusign on class, consumption of arts or use of art ?
See Peierr Boduire..
Maybe look at work of one artists?
Suz Muna
Dennis Rudd
Read art as a weapon
http://libcom.org/history/art-weapon-frans-seiwert-cologne-progressives-martyn-everett
Surrealist manefesto..
The art of interruption - john roberts
Photography turned experience of working class into authenticity rather than expressions of class conciousness.
Monday, 11 July 2011
Preparing for supervision
Was do to have a supervision and preparing for most of the day.. so where am I now?
Inbetween I went for some books and owe over £35 - really don't know how that happened??! Thought there was a small fine not that much! Fuck -
I wanted and found interesting Qualative research methods with text, image and sound - G Gaskel
Chapters on Group and individual interviewing, eposodic and narrative - all of which would have been interesting and relevant.
Video and photography as research documents..
Conversation and TALK (pg 191) as 'complex forms of social interaction'
G Rose - visual methodologies
'important means within which social life happens' does life happen within images??
Chapter 11 - Making photos not found images - difference of analysing the past data to creating data.
Notes to self - I created data in the process and opened up some hidden data from the past.
TO SCAN THESE CHAPTERS... and parts of the book: The postgraduate research handbook Wisker, G (2008)
A few weeks back in planning for this supervision I asked for feedback on the three elements that I handed in which Anna gave me this morning in writing and then with notes and questions which take another layer, add another layer. Something for evaluation and development.
1. Production work multimedia workshop = presentation?
What are your thoughts on this process and how it enhanced the overall production?
2. Production report
How in practice do you think this worked? And how would I do this differently?
3. What will happen now to this piece and how could it gain wider circulation?
-----------------------------------
What is the explicit question being asked and whats implicit within that?
annoyingly i have lost a piece of paper where I was looking at the question
How can arts be used in representing resistance in challenging capitalism in a crisis?
- representation of what
- or is is more developing or mainting resistance
- or exploring the possibility of the future
- do we just show the darkness or the light of possibility?
-
-------------
what are my ongoing obsessions
liveness
conversation
collaberation
cons
Inbetween I went for some books and owe over £35 - really don't know how that happened??! Thought there was a small fine not that much! Fuck -
I wanted and found interesting Qualative research methods with text, image and sound - G Gaskel
Chapters on Group and individual interviewing, eposodic and narrative - all of which would have been interesting and relevant.
Video and photography as research documents..
Conversation and TALK (pg 191) as 'complex forms of social interaction'
G Rose - visual methodologies
'important means within which social life happens' does life happen within images??
Chapter 11 - Making photos not found images - difference of analysing the past data to creating data.
Notes to self - I created data in the process and opened up some hidden data from the past.
TO SCAN THESE CHAPTERS... and parts of the book: The postgraduate research handbook Wisker, G (2008)
A few weeks back in planning for this supervision I asked for feedback on the three elements that I handed in which Anna gave me this morning in writing and then with notes and questions which take another layer, add another layer. Something for evaluation and development.
1. Production work multimedia workshop = presentation?
What are your thoughts on this process and how it enhanced the overall production?
2. Production report
How in practice do you think this worked? And how would I do this differently?
3. What will happen now to this piece and how could it gain wider circulation?
-----------------------------------
What is the explicit question being asked and whats implicit within that?
annoyingly i have lost a piece of paper where I was looking at the question
How can arts be used in representing resistance in challenging capitalism in a crisis?
- representation of what
- or is is more developing or mainting resistance
- or exploring the possibility of the future
- do we just show the darkness or the light of possibility?
-
-------------
what are my ongoing obsessions
liveness
conversation
collaberation
cons
Report handed in June - work in progress
Something I have been up to..
This was the report I handed in with a work in progress of the 47 and audio recording of a presentation to cultural memory students.
INTRODUCTION
In producing and developing my production element of the MA I have continued to tackle issues of form, content, context and audience. The project aims to explore and expose the relevance of the Liverpool 47 surcharged councillors (1983-1987) on today, though other areas of conflict, investigation and interrogation do surface and layered within this. The video is a collaborative effort with Lisa Lonsdale who I met in Liverpool in 1987, a student, activist and then ongoing theatre collaborator. We both work better with at least one other person; it gives ongoing guidance, skills sharing, reflection and energy. Lisa was 8 & half months pregnant when we shot the majority of the interviews.
This report accompanies a 46-minute video work in progress, the first 21 minutes includes some visual work apart from the interviewees, there is much more to do. There is also a full audio recording of a presentation and discussion within the Digital Gallery with Cultural memory students & a 26 second shot of students watching the work. The latter process is part of my desire to engage in discussion and consider feedback around the work. It also pushes me to expose myself, as that is also a personal challenge. I was aware this huge piece of controversial working class history, was going to be an enormous project, and not one that could be completed for this MA. However this MA has given me the opportunity to begin this with an ongoing experimentation of forms, whilst also considering the ideological debates around objectivity, purpose of art, relationships between artefacts, content, context and audiences.
OBJECTIVITY
In a book written at the time ‘Liverpool a city that dared to fight’, Mulhern & Taaffe (1987:Preface) reflect on how and why they have created a book that intended not to narrate the period but bring to the surface the process that were rarely expressed. It does not intend to be what is often referred to as an objective work, which denies editorial construction & commercial context.
In the same spirit, but with different mediums, I too acknowledge there is no attempt to play at balancing arguments. However there are responses to the period and to the mediation of the struggle clearly within the work, if it were not for that mainstream mediation and ban from office for the 47, the subject is unlikely to have been chose and needed to be re-aired in such a way. Several interviewees reflect on the media representations. I have chosen to produce an audio visual work as I better engage and express ideas in those medium as well as playing with written words into sound, images, process.
PURPOSE
In Orwell’s ‘Why I write’ (1984 p21), he argues that he wrote, not to “produce some kind of work of art but, “because there is some lie that I want to expose, some fact to which I want to draw attention … but I could not do the work. If it were not an aesthetic experience” (Orwell: 1984:8). He uses ‘Homage to Catalonia’, as an example ‘it contains a long chapter, full of newspaper quotations. Defending trotskyists who were accused of plotting with Franco.” (Orwell: 1984:8) Challenged for this chapter his response was, “I happened to know, what very few people in England know, what very few people were allowed to know…If I had not been angry about that I should have never written the book’. (Orwell:1984:8)
The need to draw attention to a past or lie, also expresses itself within the exhibition, ‘News International Wapping – 25 Years on: The workers story’. It is also within the same period of Liverpool 47 and relates to job cuts and trade union rights but also the concentration of media by one person and the potential impact on public memory and opinion. (APPENDIX 1)
FORM
The form of the project chosen, documentary, was one potential medium that could be more accessible to a wider audience than a nonfiction book or an installation. Though the space, experience of movement, opportunity to converse in the installation environment that I had created was important element of ‘liveness’ and interactivity.
This ‘documentary’ follows some conventions of a traditional documentary, with head and shoulder shots. However they are always on screen, those who narrate are never hidden, showing the constructive nature of the work. There is also the opportunity to look at each of them, their visual expressions and see a little of whom they are. Allowing the viewers time to see them, like the time given on screen to begin to represent and explore their part in the dispute with the Tory government, and later the Leadership of the labour party and others. It has become a repeated motif within the film, boxed, screened, somewhat contained because of the medium, the history, the ongoing challenge of providing an audience with so much information and maintain interest.
The expectations of how a documentary is constructed and delivered is steeped within the development of documentary form which has unhealthy links to observing ‘subjects’ as victims and some voyeurism, despite attempts to develop the form and sub categories within it. If I called this an artist documentary, would the piece then become acceptable as it stands? Why so? What does calling something an’ Artist’ work allow for and why?
Looking through some of the identified categories of documentary, which Nicholas B discusses (2001 pg 121), there are elements of the work and process that could be considered as ‘participative’ with an ongoing engagement in space, interviewees, access & contents. With the use of a formal interview process, to create different accounts of one story & aim to explore ‘our’ history not ‘a’ history. There is a strong intention of ‘expository’ documentary that aims to access memory and representations that are not in the mass media or archives. It also contains a huge amount of the ‘reflexive’ style, drawing ‘our attention to our assumptions and expectations about what documentary form itself…(&) world around us’. (Nichols: 2001:121)
REPRESENTATIONS & IDENTITY
Those taking part are mainly female; this was another key aim to create a project that better reflected those involved. Making the invisible, visible. The characters are mainly working class backgrounds, with none of usual business, academic, paid experts to the subject brought in to comment. I have chosen ‘experts’ as those who took part in the struggle. The intention was to expose how many working class people took control of their lives and began to create a world which could better provide for them and the wider society, one based on need.
Woodward K (1997 pg14) suggests that, ‘Representations produce meanings through which we can make sense of our experiences…and create possibilities of what we are and what we become”. Though I agree with the first part, I could not say that this work, or several cultural products alone could be the sole influencing factor on believing a set of ideas or a media product. It could be how their pensions are being cut or the proposed NHS cuts. Often material conditions or changes have the biggest influence, though not solely.
Woodward further suggests ‘representation’ as a key area of study and consideration, came to the fore after ‘ideologies’ were moved away from in the late 1970’s; a question arises, is that due the Tories winning the election under Thatcher at the same time the collapse of Communism (Stalinism) in East Germany and the move rightwards of the Labour Party? Did academics, along with huge swathes of the population and particularly politicians feel that socialism was not a solution? Or that economic determinism, which was often preached without a dialectical relationship to complex ideas and experiences by some Marxists, was thus an insufficient theoretical tools to analyse and make use of in these circumstances? Perhaps.
COLLABERATION
To add further visual layers, we requested photographs from Dave Sinclair who was one of the few photographers of the time who had access to most of the events and people. Dave is a paid photographer but has given us access to a huge archive of photographs and his personal memories around them, for no cost. It would have cost around £80 per shot for 5-second usage (£1000 approximately for us). I have offered to do work in lieu for him but he has declined, for him and his beliefs this collection need to be shared more widely. His online collection assisted in us accessing his work and making choices as well as displaying this in the installations. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dave_sinclair_liverpool_photos/sets/72157603820320816/)
The texture, layers and composition of his work add hugely to the piece both in terms of aesthetics but also integrity of someone there. They are black and white and that feature very much encourages the audience into looking back. They also begin to show who else was involved at the time, which was a much wider grouping of people than those interviewed, or those who were councillors and that is hugely important as it is also about the representation of the participation and democratisation of the city & wider movement in that period.
In addition to the photographs from Dave Sinclair, I approached Suzanne Muna, a housing trade unionist & socialist, who was also suspended by Unison nationally for a cartoon leaflet she created for a conference which was challenging the leadership for not allowing some resolutions onto the agenda for conference to hear and debate. Suzanne is also an artist, though decided many years ago not to be paid for any of her work, as she told me that would compromise her. Her work was chosen after seeing it for many years and getting to know some of what she and 3 others went through in that particular union. Photographs of her collection are online which are moving and human collection. Being online made it easier for us to choose the work in advance and discuss how it could fit in as all three of us had competing priorities.
(http://www.squashdonkey.co.uk/artworksalist.htm)
The union theme developed after meeting with her to see the originals and also discuss elements of the installation that some had seen and many had not. One item I had left in the room was a union mug, which had a moulding dirty teabag, obviously important at a point but had now become something that was decaying and not allowing the mug to be used as it could or should be, a critique of several trade unions at the present time most of which have strong financial and affiliations to the Labour Party.
Her work is multimedia, created with low cost materials and includes newspaper quotes, an ongoing critique of the mass media. It is deeply critical of the current capitalist system and the way that operates, whilst also suggesting alternatives. Suzanne's work add a dual purpose and role, aesthetically but also in her as human spirit and fighting actions.
With the aim to provide a more uplifting experience for the subjects and audiences, the final question I asked of interviews, what did you get from being involved? This was in order to end the interviews positively and with some reflection on personal and collective gains to create a layer or possibility of what happens when someone gets involved in a dispute or movement. Most interviewees reflected on the process as uplifting and enjoyable. I did want not want to ‘take from them’, without facilitating some positive reflections to end with.
On a recent visit to the TATE Modern (May 15th 2011) I looked at one photographic exhibition called ‘BURKE & NORFOLK’ in Afghanistan. My initial reaction was distaste at the ‘prettiness’ of the images, the brightness, luscious colours, lack of visual ideas that reflected what was and has gone on. This led me to watch a video accompanying the exhibition where he argued that beauty was a tactic, ‘people are tricked into engaging”. (TATE: May 2011) The conscious tactic he used chills me, not only as something disingenuous and frankly limiting his expectations of an audience. Was I, were we, trying to make pretty something that had within it the huge forces of the state and internal collusion with personalised memories?
REFLEXIVITY & Circle of evaluation & feedback
One part of the ongoing evaluation of the process and production was to work within the AHS Digital gallery, perfectly positioned at the main entrance of one of the largest university buildings. I purposefully stayed in space 4-7 hours a day to explore space, experiment with additional work, continue project, meet collaborators, invite people in and chat. This is an important part of process to be there, observe, engage, discuss, expose self and work. In addition a presentation to cultural memory students supported this process. (APPENDIX 2)
The presentation & discussion process assisted bringing to air the ideas around public and private memory and what that might mean to an individual or society. Silverstone (1999 pg48) argues, ‘with the decline of oral culture we no longer need, ourselves, collectively to remember.” And that, ‘the media have the power to define the past’. (Silverstone: 1999:48).
This could hold some truth of how the written word is valued, its solidity, fixed, exchangeable, and sellable. The oral process less fixed and but clearly the tradition does continue. Just in terms of political and trade union activity I am involved in weekly meets between once to five times a week. These are important to women, though I regularly observe they are more at ease in a conversation or in the action of doing than the saying, so many men continue to dominate the spaces. I now purposefully try to contribute but in my own style, and with observations and experiences and possible suggestions, to show that it also ok without huge vocabulary or the ability to recall related historical events. I have, though, also continued to use a blog, as an archive and a small memory for me, as I have a very poor working memory, which impacts on an ability to recall information short term and requires multiple approaches to learning and engagement for ideas and facts to imprint themselves. Hand in hand, I attempt to develop a memory but also work without one.
TECHNOLOGY
The opportunity to film, edit and research this project has much been made easier, with the use of lower cost technology. It does not, however, determine the content of the work, or the ability to use the technology that requires critical consideration, technical learning, reflection and practice. The issue of distribution is still commercially restrictive though some models of distributing campaign documentaries have developed such as Mclibel that used a campaign model that could suit this work.
Without us needing or demanding for something, we might not have the technologies or know what to do with them. As Marx is quoted in Lister et Al, ‘They are organs of the brain, created by the human hand’. Lister et Al (2003 pg 191)
Only one piece of quirky, music has been chosen, so far, (royalty free) to have some lighter, warmer, lift for the audience. With the overall intention to express some processes and open up the possibility of ways of participating or leading struggles for democratic and fairer way of living and acting within this world, whilst not leaving them paralysed by the burden of the past.
I’ll be honest and say I am not completely happy with what I have done so far, it’s fighting within forms but it is a work in progress. And on reflection, I rarely like anything I create, though I love the work of those I collaborate with, I just know I need to do it!
So What Next? (In summary)
1. Review structure and missing content with collaborator and also subjects. Share feedback made so far and discuss suggestion. From that decide on cutaways list and shot list to add more moving images to the work and several visual motifs.
2. Look at more music for soundtrack and discuss with others to look for a composer for all. (Mainstream work would generally cost?)
3. Create a distribution strategy and timeline.
4. Review the budget and look at a fundraising model and strategy to resource the project.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lewis, H (1990) Dada turns Red, Edinborough, Edinborough Press
Benjamin, W (1977) Author as Producer
Nichols, B (2001) “What types of documentaries are there? in An Introduction to Documentary. Boomington Ind, Indiana University Press
Orwell, G. (1984) Why I write, London, Penguin.
Pryluck, C (2005) “Ultimately we are all outsiders: The ethics of documentary filmmaking” in Rosenthal, A & J Corner (eds). New Challenges for Documentary (2nd Edition), Manchester: Manchester University Press.
Rabinger, M (1997) Directing techniques and aesthetics Massachusetts Focal press
Silverstone R (1999) Why study the media? London, Sage
Taaffee, P & Mulhern T. (1988) Liverpool a city that dared to fight, London, Fortress.
Woodward (1997) ‘Concepts of Identity & Difference’, in K Woodward (ed.) Identity & Difference. London Sage
Martin Lister. Jon Dovey, Seth Giddings, Iain Grant & Kieran Kelly (2003) New Media: A Critical Introduction. London. Rutledge
Williams, G (2010) Shafted: The Media, The Miners Strike & the aftermath London, Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom
Films
Vogel, K (2011) Burke and Norfolk, video loop. Tate Modern, London
Exhibition
Tate Modern – Burke & Norfolk: Photographs from the war in Afghanistan May 2011
Websites
Luxonline.org.uk/themes/documentary.html (19.5.2011)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dave_sinclair_liverpool_photos/sets/72157603820320816/(Last accessed 23.5.2011)
http://www.squashdonkey.co.uk/artworksalist.htm (last accessed 23.5.2011)
ORAL?
In additional I have attended meetings of trade unionists, anti cuts campaigners, socialists 2-6 times a week that are part of the huge and ongoing oral process of exchanging ideas and develop process. I could not begin to name and note which ones have influenced this work but the combination of them all and the ongoing need for collective discussions and actions to make change.
APPENDIX 1: WAPPING
In 1986 Murdoch, the owner of several main stream newspapers planned to secretly change the location of the press to Wapping, over 5,000 jobs were to be lost in this change but it also changed and continued to determinate the potential for a democratic press and important trade union branch … It was London based dispute with a strong trade union membership, though some trade union leaders and unions choose to hold back the dispute with the EEPTU members took the jobs in the new plant. Eric Hammond the then leader of the EEPTU is said to have “boasted in his autobiography of his extensive liaison and collaboration’ (Exhibition programme: 2011:18)
The dispute and the need of those who were involved, several who were at the exhibition on the day I attended, wanted more people to know about what happened, and lots of discussions took place. The venue itself was full to bursting with banners, papers, write-ups, posters and some older merchandise for sale.
APPENDIX 2:
A selection of the feedback given:
Unsure it was past till part way through
Good to have visuals, helped memory
Good not just to have mainstream archives, ‘This is more powerful, people involved’
Against representation of mad left
Is there something about Liverpool? Community?
Was intention to rep history another way?
Why H&S shots of interviews? Why are you not there?
Consider Neil Kinnock for interview?
Who owns the work and uses it?
Could see a version like Dagenham Girls, mainstreamed
How this has come about – process of production cheaper, social media for marketing?
Begin with mass mediated story,
Liked music – massive attack 1980’s
Is it an installation or film?
It reminds me of that time, I was there..
If not completed soon, it will be out of time, relevance?
I see it as your process, the past and then this wall
Introduction confusing
Like the water in the intro
Emotion elements more engaging – possible hook to start
This was the report I handed in with a work in progress of the 47 and audio recording of a presentation to cultural memory students.
INTRODUCTION
In producing and developing my production element of the MA I have continued to tackle issues of form, content, context and audience. The project aims to explore and expose the relevance of the Liverpool 47 surcharged councillors (1983-1987) on today, though other areas of conflict, investigation and interrogation do surface and layered within this. The video is a collaborative effort with Lisa Lonsdale who I met in Liverpool in 1987, a student, activist and then ongoing theatre collaborator. We both work better with at least one other person; it gives ongoing guidance, skills sharing, reflection and energy. Lisa was 8 & half months pregnant when we shot the majority of the interviews.
This report accompanies a 46-minute video work in progress, the first 21 minutes includes some visual work apart from the interviewees, there is much more to do. There is also a full audio recording of a presentation and discussion within the Digital Gallery with Cultural memory students & a 26 second shot of students watching the work. The latter process is part of my desire to engage in discussion and consider feedback around the work. It also pushes me to expose myself, as that is also a personal challenge. I was aware this huge piece of controversial working class history, was going to be an enormous project, and not one that could be completed for this MA. However this MA has given me the opportunity to begin this with an ongoing experimentation of forms, whilst also considering the ideological debates around objectivity, purpose of art, relationships between artefacts, content, context and audiences.
OBJECTIVITY
In a book written at the time ‘Liverpool a city that dared to fight’, Mulhern & Taaffe (1987:Preface) reflect on how and why they have created a book that intended not to narrate the period but bring to the surface the process that were rarely expressed. It does not intend to be what is often referred to as an objective work, which denies editorial construction & commercial context.
In the same spirit, but with different mediums, I too acknowledge there is no attempt to play at balancing arguments. However there are responses to the period and to the mediation of the struggle clearly within the work, if it were not for that mainstream mediation and ban from office for the 47, the subject is unlikely to have been chose and needed to be re-aired in such a way. Several interviewees reflect on the media representations. I have chosen to produce an audio visual work as I better engage and express ideas in those medium as well as playing with written words into sound, images, process.
PURPOSE
In Orwell’s ‘Why I write’ (1984 p21), he argues that he wrote, not to “produce some kind of work of art but, “because there is some lie that I want to expose, some fact to which I want to draw attention … but I could not do the work. If it were not an aesthetic experience” (Orwell: 1984:8). He uses ‘Homage to Catalonia’, as an example ‘it contains a long chapter, full of newspaper quotations. Defending trotskyists who were accused of plotting with Franco.” (Orwell: 1984:8) Challenged for this chapter his response was, “I happened to know, what very few people in England know, what very few people were allowed to know…If I had not been angry about that I should have never written the book’. (Orwell:1984:8)
The need to draw attention to a past or lie, also expresses itself within the exhibition, ‘News International Wapping – 25 Years on: The workers story’. It is also within the same period of Liverpool 47 and relates to job cuts and trade union rights but also the concentration of media by one person and the potential impact on public memory and opinion. (APPENDIX 1)
FORM
The form of the project chosen, documentary, was one potential medium that could be more accessible to a wider audience than a nonfiction book or an installation. Though the space, experience of movement, opportunity to converse in the installation environment that I had created was important element of ‘liveness’ and interactivity.
This ‘documentary’ follows some conventions of a traditional documentary, with head and shoulder shots. However they are always on screen, those who narrate are never hidden, showing the constructive nature of the work. There is also the opportunity to look at each of them, their visual expressions and see a little of whom they are. Allowing the viewers time to see them, like the time given on screen to begin to represent and explore their part in the dispute with the Tory government, and later the Leadership of the labour party and others. It has become a repeated motif within the film, boxed, screened, somewhat contained because of the medium, the history, the ongoing challenge of providing an audience with so much information and maintain interest.
The expectations of how a documentary is constructed and delivered is steeped within the development of documentary form which has unhealthy links to observing ‘subjects’ as victims and some voyeurism, despite attempts to develop the form and sub categories within it. If I called this an artist documentary, would the piece then become acceptable as it stands? Why so? What does calling something an’ Artist’ work allow for and why?
Looking through some of the identified categories of documentary, which Nicholas B discusses (2001 pg 121), there are elements of the work and process that could be considered as ‘participative’ with an ongoing engagement in space, interviewees, access & contents. With the use of a formal interview process, to create different accounts of one story & aim to explore ‘our’ history not ‘a’ history. There is a strong intention of ‘expository’ documentary that aims to access memory and representations that are not in the mass media or archives. It also contains a huge amount of the ‘reflexive’ style, drawing ‘our attention to our assumptions and expectations about what documentary form itself…(&) world around us’. (Nichols: 2001:121)
REPRESENTATIONS & IDENTITY
Those taking part are mainly female; this was another key aim to create a project that better reflected those involved. Making the invisible, visible. The characters are mainly working class backgrounds, with none of usual business, academic, paid experts to the subject brought in to comment. I have chosen ‘experts’ as those who took part in the struggle. The intention was to expose how many working class people took control of their lives and began to create a world which could better provide for them and the wider society, one based on need.
Woodward K (1997 pg14) suggests that, ‘Representations produce meanings through which we can make sense of our experiences…and create possibilities of what we are and what we become”. Though I agree with the first part, I could not say that this work, or several cultural products alone could be the sole influencing factor on believing a set of ideas or a media product. It could be how their pensions are being cut or the proposed NHS cuts. Often material conditions or changes have the biggest influence, though not solely.
Woodward further suggests ‘representation’ as a key area of study and consideration, came to the fore after ‘ideologies’ were moved away from in the late 1970’s; a question arises, is that due the Tories winning the election under Thatcher at the same time the collapse of Communism (Stalinism) in East Germany and the move rightwards of the Labour Party? Did academics, along with huge swathes of the population and particularly politicians feel that socialism was not a solution? Or that economic determinism, which was often preached without a dialectical relationship to complex ideas and experiences by some Marxists, was thus an insufficient theoretical tools to analyse and make use of in these circumstances? Perhaps.
COLLABERATION
To add further visual layers, we requested photographs from Dave Sinclair who was one of the few photographers of the time who had access to most of the events and people. Dave is a paid photographer but has given us access to a huge archive of photographs and his personal memories around them, for no cost. It would have cost around £80 per shot for 5-second usage (£1000 approximately for us). I have offered to do work in lieu for him but he has declined, for him and his beliefs this collection need to be shared more widely. His online collection assisted in us accessing his work and making choices as well as displaying this in the installations. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dave_sinclair_liverpool_photos/sets/72157603820320816/)
The texture, layers and composition of his work add hugely to the piece both in terms of aesthetics but also integrity of someone there. They are black and white and that feature very much encourages the audience into looking back. They also begin to show who else was involved at the time, which was a much wider grouping of people than those interviewed, or those who were councillors and that is hugely important as it is also about the representation of the participation and democratisation of the city & wider movement in that period.
In addition to the photographs from Dave Sinclair, I approached Suzanne Muna, a housing trade unionist & socialist, who was also suspended by Unison nationally for a cartoon leaflet she created for a conference which was challenging the leadership for not allowing some resolutions onto the agenda for conference to hear and debate. Suzanne is also an artist, though decided many years ago not to be paid for any of her work, as she told me that would compromise her. Her work was chosen after seeing it for many years and getting to know some of what she and 3 others went through in that particular union. Photographs of her collection are online which are moving and human collection. Being online made it easier for us to choose the work in advance and discuss how it could fit in as all three of us had competing priorities.
(http://www.squashdonkey.co.uk/artworksalist.htm)
The union theme developed after meeting with her to see the originals and also discuss elements of the installation that some had seen and many had not. One item I had left in the room was a union mug, which had a moulding dirty teabag, obviously important at a point but had now become something that was decaying and not allowing the mug to be used as it could or should be, a critique of several trade unions at the present time most of which have strong financial and affiliations to the Labour Party.
Her work is multimedia, created with low cost materials and includes newspaper quotes, an ongoing critique of the mass media. It is deeply critical of the current capitalist system and the way that operates, whilst also suggesting alternatives. Suzanne's work add a dual purpose and role, aesthetically but also in her as human spirit and fighting actions.
With the aim to provide a more uplifting experience for the subjects and audiences, the final question I asked of interviews, what did you get from being involved? This was in order to end the interviews positively and with some reflection on personal and collective gains to create a layer or possibility of what happens when someone gets involved in a dispute or movement. Most interviewees reflected on the process as uplifting and enjoyable. I did want not want to ‘take from them’, without facilitating some positive reflections to end with.
On a recent visit to the TATE Modern (May 15th 2011) I looked at one photographic exhibition called ‘BURKE & NORFOLK’ in Afghanistan. My initial reaction was distaste at the ‘prettiness’ of the images, the brightness, luscious colours, lack of visual ideas that reflected what was and has gone on. This led me to watch a video accompanying the exhibition where he argued that beauty was a tactic, ‘people are tricked into engaging”. (TATE: May 2011) The conscious tactic he used chills me, not only as something disingenuous and frankly limiting his expectations of an audience. Was I, were we, trying to make pretty something that had within it the huge forces of the state and internal collusion with personalised memories?
REFLEXIVITY & Circle of evaluation & feedback
One part of the ongoing evaluation of the process and production was to work within the AHS Digital gallery, perfectly positioned at the main entrance of one of the largest university buildings. I purposefully stayed in space 4-7 hours a day to explore space, experiment with additional work, continue project, meet collaborators, invite people in and chat. This is an important part of process to be there, observe, engage, discuss, expose self and work. In addition a presentation to cultural memory students supported this process. (APPENDIX 2)
The presentation & discussion process assisted bringing to air the ideas around public and private memory and what that might mean to an individual or society. Silverstone (1999 pg48) argues, ‘with the decline of oral culture we no longer need, ourselves, collectively to remember.” And that, ‘the media have the power to define the past’. (Silverstone: 1999:48).
This could hold some truth of how the written word is valued, its solidity, fixed, exchangeable, and sellable. The oral process less fixed and but clearly the tradition does continue. Just in terms of political and trade union activity I am involved in weekly meets between once to five times a week. These are important to women, though I regularly observe they are more at ease in a conversation or in the action of doing than the saying, so many men continue to dominate the spaces. I now purposefully try to contribute but in my own style, and with observations and experiences and possible suggestions, to show that it also ok without huge vocabulary or the ability to recall related historical events. I have, though, also continued to use a blog, as an archive and a small memory for me, as I have a very poor working memory, which impacts on an ability to recall information short term and requires multiple approaches to learning and engagement for ideas and facts to imprint themselves. Hand in hand, I attempt to develop a memory but also work without one.
TECHNOLOGY
The opportunity to film, edit and research this project has much been made easier, with the use of lower cost technology. It does not, however, determine the content of the work, or the ability to use the technology that requires critical consideration, technical learning, reflection and practice. The issue of distribution is still commercially restrictive though some models of distributing campaign documentaries have developed such as Mclibel that used a campaign model that could suit this work.
Without us needing or demanding for something, we might not have the technologies or know what to do with them. As Marx is quoted in Lister et Al, ‘They are organs of the brain, created by the human hand’. Lister et Al (2003 pg 191)
Only one piece of quirky, music has been chosen, so far, (royalty free) to have some lighter, warmer, lift for the audience. With the overall intention to express some processes and open up the possibility of ways of participating or leading struggles for democratic and fairer way of living and acting within this world, whilst not leaving them paralysed by the burden of the past.
I’ll be honest and say I am not completely happy with what I have done so far, it’s fighting within forms but it is a work in progress. And on reflection, I rarely like anything I create, though I love the work of those I collaborate with, I just know I need to do it!
So What Next? (In summary)
1. Review structure and missing content with collaborator and also subjects. Share feedback made so far and discuss suggestion. From that decide on cutaways list and shot list to add more moving images to the work and several visual motifs.
2. Look at more music for soundtrack and discuss with others to look for a composer for all. (Mainstream work would generally cost?)
3. Create a distribution strategy and timeline.
4. Review the budget and look at a fundraising model and strategy to resource the project.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lewis, H (1990) Dada turns Red, Edinborough, Edinborough Press
Benjamin, W (1977) Author as Producer
Nichols, B (2001) “What types of documentaries are there? in An Introduction to Documentary. Boomington Ind, Indiana University Press
Orwell, G. (1984) Why I write, London, Penguin.
Pryluck, C (2005) “Ultimately we are all outsiders: The ethics of documentary filmmaking” in Rosenthal, A & J Corner (eds). New Challenges for Documentary (2nd Edition), Manchester: Manchester University Press.
Rabinger, M (1997) Directing techniques and aesthetics Massachusetts Focal press
Silverstone R (1999) Why study the media? London, Sage
Taaffee, P & Mulhern T. (1988) Liverpool a city that dared to fight, London, Fortress.
Woodward (1997) ‘Concepts of Identity & Difference’, in K Woodward (ed.) Identity & Difference. London Sage
Martin Lister. Jon Dovey, Seth Giddings, Iain Grant & Kieran Kelly (2003) New Media: A Critical Introduction. London. Rutledge
Williams, G (2010) Shafted: The Media, The Miners Strike & the aftermath London, Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom
Films
Vogel, K (2011) Burke and Norfolk, video loop. Tate Modern, London
Exhibition
Tate Modern – Burke & Norfolk: Photographs from the war in Afghanistan May 2011
Websites
Luxonline.org.uk/themes/documentary.html (19.5.2011)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dave_sinclair_liverpool_photos/sets/72157603820320816/(Last accessed 23.5.2011)
http://www.squashdonkey.co.uk/artworksalist.htm (last accessed 23.5.2011)
ORAL?
In additional I have attended meetings of trade unionists, anti cuts campaigners, socialists 2-6 times a week that are part of the huge and ongoing oral process of exchanging ideas and develop process. I could not begin to name and note which ones have influenced this work but the combination of them all and the ongoing need for collective discussions and actions to make change.
APPENDIX 1: WAPPING
In 1986 Murdoch, the owner of several main stream newspapers planned to secretly change the location of the press to Wapping, over 5,000 jobs were to be lost in this change but it also changed and continued to determinate the potential for a democratic press and important trade union branch … It was London based dispute with a strong trade union membership, though some trade union leaders and unions choose to hold back the dispute with the EEPTU members took the jobs in the new plant. Eric Hammond the then leader of the EEPTU is said to have “boasted in his autobiography of his extensive liaison and collaboration’ (Exhibition programme: 2011:18)
The dispute and the need of those who were involved, several who were at the exhibition on the day I attended, wanted more people to know about what happened, and lots of discussions took place. The venue itself was full to bursting with banners, papers, write-ups, posters and some older merchandise for sale.
APPENDIX 2:
A selection of the feedback given:
Unsure it was past till part way through
Good to have visuals, helped memory
Good not just to have mainstream archives, ‘This is more powerful, people involved’
Against representation of mad left
Is there something about Liverpool? Community?
Was intention to rep history another way?
Why H&S shots of interviews? Why are you not there?
Consider Neil Kinnock for interview?
Who owns the work and uses it?
Could see a version like Dagenham Girls, mainstreamed
How this has come about – process of production cheaper, social media for marketing?
Begin with mass mediated story,
Liked music – massive attack 1980’s
Is it an installation or film?
It reminds me of that time, I was there..
If not completed soon, it will be out of time, relevance?
I see it as your process, the past and then this wall
Introduction confusing
Like the water in the intro
Emotion elements more engaging – possible hook to start
Friday, 1 July 2011
NSSN Bulletin - Striking together (1st July)
Yesterday was an amazing day for the fight-back against pension cuts and
beyond! A demonstration of what can be achieved when the unions move into
action!
There were picket lines, lunch time rallies, walkouts, occupations and support
from unions not even officially on strike but desperate to be involved in some
way, despite the vile and vicious propaganda from the government & media, &
sadly those you would hope to gain support from. Mary Bousted, general
secretary of the ATL, won the biggest cheer at a rally yesterday with: "The
response of Ed Miliband has been a disgrace – he should be ashamed of
himself. If our strike is a mistake, what has he done to oppose this
devastating attack on our pensions? If the Opposition will not defend our
pensions, we will."
You would think from looking at most of the main stream press this we are not
supported or that very little happened, but to be honest it impossible for us
to report the all of the details in one bulletin! In terms of demonstrations
there were: 4,000 Brighton, 5,000 Birmingham, Manchester & Bristol, 3,000
Liverpool, 500 Ipswich, 800 Cardiff, Exeter & Truro, 300 Chester & York, 1,000
Glasgow, Southampton & Hull, 200 Southend, 600 Preston, 1500 Cambridge, 350
Reading, 550 Plymouth, 400 Doncaster, 100 Lincoln, 200 Derby, 700 Norwich,
30,000 London & many many more! More area reports will be added to the website
over the next week, please send in yours & details of follow up meetings &
actions.
In some areas the NSSN joined forces with local unions to organise demos and
rallies. Outside Central Hall Westminster NSSN speakers addressed the overflow
crowd. With a one –day warning shot across the bows of this millionaire
coalition government, now is the time to prepare to step up the fight.
Thousands of our leaflets, bulletins and postcards were given out; placards
were held high. Our message to develop a general strike was welcomed &
supported. Tomorrow the new NSSN Steering Committee will be making an
assessment of yesterdays action and discussing a lobby of the TUC on September
11th in London in order to help ratchet up the pressure on these leaders to
follow up the March 26th demo with bigger joint strike action in the autumn.
We would encourage unions, campaign groups etc to follow up meetings of what
next, if you have visited a new workplaces then re-visit and develop union and
community actions for the future. If you were not on strike this time, look at
how your union and workplace can take part in the future, invite a local
striker & donate to the hardship funds.
Over the last 5 months we have been involved in a huge amount of work,
organising & speaking union meetings & conferences, anti cuts campaigns and
organising events and publishing different leaflets, stickers & cards. The cost
of this work adds up and we are in much need of finances right now! Please
could you consider donating by affiliating individually or via your trades
council or union. £5 per individual or £25 minimum for branches and local
trades councils. Online: http://www.stopcuts.net/affiliate.htm or cheques made
payable to 'National Shop Stewards Network’ NSSN PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE
DISPUTES:
UCU London Southbank University took strike action to defend pay and conditions
29th June. Lobby Board of governors 14th July.
http://www.shopstewards.net/news.113.htm
RMT Strike ballot on First Devon and Cornwall for strike action and action
short of a strike in a dispute over the axing of essential staff transport.
http://www.rmt.org.uk/Templates/Internal.asp?NodeID=146966
UNITE to ballot workers for strike action at Centrica (Hull) over pay
http://tinyurl.com/67d4sf8
NHS UPDATE: http://www.stopcuts.net/news.51.htm
DATES FOR THE DIARY
Sat 2nd July Bournemouth & Poole Anticuts Coalition
10:15am Broadstone Library, 10 Story Lane, Poole, Dorset BH18
info@bpacc.net
North Tyneside Public Services Alliance
11am North Tyneside General Hospital, North Shields NE29
l.nelson@unison.co.uk
6:30pm Birmingham Against the Cuts open planning meeting, Unison Offices, 19th
Floor McClaren Building. B4 Planning meeting
Mon 4th
Save the Accord Centre, Parkhead Forge Shopping Centre, Duke Entrance 3pm
Tues 5th
5pm-6: 30pm Disabled People Against the Cuts (DPAC) Lobby of council house
meeting.
Other celebrations & protests as part of the campaign to save the NHS on its
birthday will take place in Stoke, Preston, Manchester, Birmingham,
Wolverhampton, South Tyneside, Bradford, London & South Sea, & more!
Wed 6th
7.30pm Brighton Stop the Cuts, King & Queen
7:30pm Handsworth Anti-Cuts Group public meeting, St Andrews Sports and
Community Centre
Thur 7th July
12 – Manchester Central Conf Centre, M2
Protest outside the NHS Confederation National Conference with Langsley
speaking! https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=101668313261415
7:30pm – Birmingham TUC meeting - rooms 3&4, Council House, B1
Fri 9th
Save Our NHS Day of Action. Nottingham SOS nottssos+doa@gmail.com
11th Sep – NSSN lobby TUC to actively develop national action against the
cuts! https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=222515987782045
Joint meeting of London NSSN, RMT, CWU, FBU - Trade Unions battle ConDem cuts:
Mon 18th 6pm Indian YMCA, 41 Fitzroy Square, W1T
Some of the strongest & most militant unions in London will come together to
discuss what we can do now to help get all our unions up for concerted action
to stop ALL cuts.
http://www.shopstewards.net/news.110.htm
JOIN AFFILIATE & GET INVOLVED
Email: info@shopstewards.net
Phone: 07952 283 558
http://www.shopstewards.net/index.htm
beyond! A demonstration of what can be achieved when the unions move into
action!
There were picket lines, lunch time rallies, walkouts, occupations and support
from unions not even officially on strike but desperate to be involved in some
way, despite the vile and vicious propaganda from the government & media, &
sadly those you would hope to gain support from. Mary Bousted, general
secretary of the ATL, won the biggest cheer at a rally yesterday with: "The
response of Ed Miliband has been a disgrace – he should be ashamed of
himself. If our strike is a mistake, what has he done to oppose this
devastating attack on our pensions? If the Opposition will not defend our
pensions, we will."
You would think from looking at most of the main stream press this we are not
supported or that very little happened, but to be honest it impossible for us
to report the all of the details in one bulletin! In terms of demonstrations
there were: 4,000 Brighton, 5,000 Birmingham, Manchester & Bristol, 3,000
Liverpool, 500 Ipswich, 800 Cardiff, Exeter & Truro, 300 Chester & York, 1,000
Glasgow, Southampton & Hull, 200 Southend, 600 Preston, 1500 Cambridge, 350
Reading, 550 Plymouth, 400 Doncaster, 100 Lincoln, 200 Derby, 700 Norwich,
30,000 London & many many more! More area reports will be added to the website
over the next week, please send in yours & details of follow up meetings &
actions.
In some areas the NSSN joined forces with local unions to organise demos and
rallies. Outside Central Hall Westminster NSSN speakers addressed the overflow
crowd. With a one –day warning shot across the bows of this millionaire
coalition government, now is the time to prepare to step up the fight.
Thousands of our leaflets, bulletins and postcards were given out; placards
were held high. Our message to develop a general strike was welcomed &
supported. Tomorrow the new NSSN Steering Committee will be making an
assessment of yesterdays action and discussing a lobby of the TUC on September
11th in London in order to help ratchet up the pressure on these leaders to
follow up the March 26th demo with bigger joint strike action in the autumn.
We would encourage unions, campaign groups etc to follow up meetings of what
next, if you have visited a new workplaces then re-visit and develop union and
community actions for the future. If you were not on strike this time, look at
how your union and workplace can take part in the future, invite a local
striker & donate to the hardship funds.
Over the last 5 months we have been involved in a huge amount of work,
organising & speaking union meetings & conferences, anti cuts campaigns and
organising events and publishing different leaflets, stickers & cards. The cost
of this work adds up and we are in much need of finances right now! Please
could you consider donating by affiliating individually or via your trades
council or union. £5 per individual or £25 minimum for branches and local
trades councils. Online: http://www.stopcuts.net/affiliate.htm or cheques made
payable to 'National Shop Stewards Network’ NSSN PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE
DISPUTES:
UCU London Southbank University took strike action to defend pay and conditions
29th June. Lobby Board of governors 14th July.
http://www.shopstewards.net/news.113.htm
RMT Strike ballot on First Devon and Cornwall for strike action and action
short of a strike in a dispute over the axing of essential staff transport.
http://www.rmt.org.uk/Templates/Internal.asp?NodeID=146966
UNITE to ballot workers for strike action at Centrica (Hull) over pay
http://tinyurl.com/67d4sf8
NHS UPDATE: http://www.stopcuts.net/news.51.htm
DATES FOR THE DIARY
Sat 2nd July Bournemouth & Poole Anticuts Coalition
10:15am Broadstone Library, 10 Story Lane, Poole, Dorset BH18
info@bpacc.net
North Tyneside Public Services Alliance
11am North Tyneside General Hospital, North Shields NE29
l.nelson@unison.co.uk
6:30pm Birmingham Against the Cuts open planning meeting, Unison Offices, 19th
Floor McClaren Building. B4 Planning meeting
Mon 4th
Save the Accord Centre, Parkhead Forge Shopping Centre, Duke Entrance 3pm
Tues 5th
5pm-6: 30pm Disabled People Against the Cuts (DPAC) Lobby of council house
meeting.
Other celebrations & protests as part of the campaign to save the NHS on its
birthday will take place in Stoke, Preston, Manchester, Birmingham,
Wolverhampton, South Tyneside, Bradford, London & South Sea, & more!
Wed 6th
7.30pm Brighton Stop the Cuts, King & Queen
7:30pm Handsworth Anti-Cuts Group public meeting, St Andrews Sports and
Community Centre
Thur 7th July
12 – Manchester Central Conf Centre, M2
Protest outside the NHS Confederation National Conference with Langsley
speaking! https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=101668313261415
7:30pm – Birmingham TUC meeting - rooms 3&4, Council House, B1
Fri 9th
Save Our NHS Day of Action. Nottingham SOS nottssos+doa@gmail.com
11th Sep – NSSN lobby TUC to actively develop national action against the
cuts! https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=222515987782045
Joint meeting of London NSSN, RMT, CWU, FBU - Trade Unions battle ConDem cuts:
Mon 18th 6pm Indian YMCA, 41 Fitzroy Square, W1T
Some of the strongest & most militant unions in London will come together to
discuss what we can do now to help get all our unions up for concerted action
to stop ALL cuts.
http://www.shopstewards.net/news.110.htm
JOIN AFFILIATE & GET INVOLVED
Email: info@shopstewards.net
Phone: 07952 283 558
http://www.shopstewards.net/index.htm
Friday, 24 June 2011
NSSN 45 - Nothing unaffordable about public sector pensions
‘There is nothing unaffordable about public sector Pensions”, wrote the
Torygraph earlier this week. Well yes they would know, given the huge and
obscene pensions and bonuses those who have caused the economic crisis in the
country have accepted, and continue to take, whilst expecting us to pay for the
mess. If this government gets away with it, millions of public sector workers
will pay in more to their pensions, to get less out and to wait longer to get
it - all to pay for a crisis caused by the bankers!
Also, the current pensions proposals plan to steal another £2.8 billion from
us pushing 3.5 million pensioners into fuel poverty. This is totally
unacceptable; we already have 2.5 million pensioners who cannot afford to
adequately heat their homes. Is that the kind of society we want to bring our
next generations into? Is that what we want for those who have contributed to
our lives, work and of building the very homes and hospitals we use and live
in? We don’t want or need further cut backs, but a better distribution of
our collective wealth, which a tiny, tiny minority sucks up. And they call us
irresponsible!
On Thursday 30th of June, there is an important opportunity to take a stand and
strike as just under a million workers who have been balloted so far, will be
taking action. This is the first National co-ordinated strike action against
this government.
Sadly the largest public sector union, Unison is not taking part nationally in
this but has agreed at this weeks conferences that they will prepare for
co-ordinated action, as many of its members asked why aren’t we on strike on
the 30th. This should lead to another national strike in the Autumn - in the
words of PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka "to turn 750,000 on strike on June
30th into 4 million." NSSN supporters will be giving out our leaflet on June
30th calling for a 24-hour public sector general strike. You can download it
from our website or email us to get copies.
If your union is on strike - what can you do?
Hopefully you will have discussed this with your reps & officials, to set up
picket lines, leaflet and recruit new members, get inactive members involved,
discuss with other local unions for support and solidarity. Join/set up local
and regional marches to show this government that we will not accept this and
more importantly show each other, and those not yet on strike, there is an
alternative to the ‘cuts’. If you need any assistance or some material let
us know.
If your union is not on strike - what could you do?
Attend picket lines of those on strike
Send messages of support
Donate to the respective hardship funds
Assist in organizing locally; get your workmates, family, and friends to attend
Arrange meetings for after the 30th – what next
Move a resolution in your next union branch meeting calling on your union to
ballot for strike action and urging them to co-ordinate the action with the
other unions. Also, support the NSSN lobby of the TUC on September 11th in
London calling for co-ordinated action across the unions
Not in a union or workplace?
You might want to take part in walkouts or local protests with others.
For those not in work link up with strikers through your anti cuts campaigns,
share information, consider what actions you could take. Join the picket lines
and the local rally’s and marches. Students will also be looking to walk out
and support picket lines.
Support and visits to picket lines is most welcome as the con-dems try to
divide us!
STRIKES & DISPUTES
Two bits of Good news for RMT, Arywn Thomas has won the ET against unfair
dismissal and has now been reinstated! Workers on the Heathrow express have
suspended strike action following a better offer. Congratulations to all those
who were involved and took action.
We would also like to congratulate UCU members will also be celebrating as UCU
Wales Vice President has had his disciplinary action withdrawn after members
took unofficial action furious at the actions.
http://www.shopstewards.net/news.98.htm
Earlier this week 34 cleaners took part in 2 days of strike action in protest
over unpaid wages from Ocean in the city of London.
SOUTHAMPTON City Council Unison & Unite workers strike against cuts in jobs,
conditions and services continues as talks failed at ACAS. Workers will be
striking on the 30th of June to link up their issues with those nationally.
http://www.soton-unison-office.org.uk/newsletters.htm
http://southamptonanticuts.wordpress.com/
Birmingham Unison announced it would also be on strike on the 30th of June
given the £300 million cuts budget with over 37% to be cut by 2015.
http://www.birminghamunison.co.uk/
http://birminghamagainstthecuts.wordpress.com/2011/06/22/mass-strikes-in-birmingham-on-30th-june/
NUJ Newsquest in south London will begin 4 day strike 27th – midnight 30th
June over redundancies.
Leeds Council UNISON will join GMB balloting over proposals for cutting up to
3,000 jobs over 4 years
NUT Forest Hill School took first day of strike action against compulsorily
redundancies.
DATES FOR THE DIARY
Sat 25th
Hampshire Stop the cuts & Hampshire Assoc of Trades Councils demo 11am
Oram’s Arbour, Clifton Road. Linking up the ongoing council strikes of Unite
& Unison members with Medirest .
Lewes March for the NHS 10.30
Nevill Green, BN7
Nuneaton Against the Cuts 10.30 meet outside specsavers for campaign activity.
Tues 28th - RMT demonstration outside Liverpool’s BT Conference Centre 08.30
Sir Roy McNulty the architect of the Governments “Rail Review” carve-up -
will be addressing a major railway industry conference.
THURS 30th JUNE – NATIONAL STRIKE Action against pension cuts!
Just a few rallies & marches on the strike day:
Aberystwyth Rally 12 Morian Centre, Queens Rd
Bangor 2 Meifod Hotel
Barnsley 9.45 March to Parkway Cinema
Birmingham at 12 Victoria Square
Bedford 10 Civic Centre
Bradford 10 Valley Parad Ground
Brighton 10.30 The level (opposite open market)
Bristol 11 College Green
Calerdale 10 Arden Rd, Social Club
Canterbury 10-2 Abbots Barton Hotel
Camberley 1pm Camberley station march. 2pm Rally@Theatre
Cambridge 12 Parkers pierce
Carlisle 12.30 Old Town Hall
Cardiff 11 Cathays Park & 12.15 Canton Bridge
Ceredigion 12 Morian Centre
Chatham 12.30 Command House, ME4
Chelmsford 11 High St
Chester 12.30 town hall
Chippenham 11 Town Hall
Colchester 12.30 Town Hall
Derbyshire 10.30 Market Hall Chesterfield
Doncaster 9.30 Council house, College rd
Dorchester 9.30 County hall
Dover 12 St Mary’s Church
Exeter 11 Corn Exchange
Glasgow 12 George Sq
Gloucester 10.30 Gloucester Park
Gravesham 9.30 Three Daws Pub DA11
Gwynedd Mefild 2 Hotel Bontnewydd
Halifax 10 Arden Social Club
Hastings 10.30 White rock hotel
Hertfordshire 10.30 Campus West, Uni
Huddersfield 10 St Pats Irish centre 12-12.30 rally Market X, HD1
Hull 10am Royal Hotel
Isle of Wight 10 St Georges Football PO30
Ipswich 10.45 Giles Circus, Princes Circus
Kirklees 10 St Patricks Centre
Lancaster 11 Market Sq
Llandrindod Wells 11am Pavilion, Spa Rd
Lincoln 1 Stags Head
Liverpool 11.30 William Brown St
Leicester 12 Victoria Park
Leeds 12 City Square
London 11 Lincoln Fields
Luton 12 Market Hill
Manchester 11 All Saints
Maidenhead 11-2 Walnut Tree & 4pm Outside County Hall
Maidstone 11 Village Hotel, ME14
Merthyr Tydfil 12.30 Civic Centre
Middleborough 4.30 Bottle sculpture
Milton Keynes 12 Campbell Park
Newcastle 12 Life Centre
Newbury 10 St Nicholas Church Hall
Newport 12 John Forest Sq
Norfolk 12 Outside Forum NR2
Norwich Noon Forum Amphitheatre
Northampton 12.30 Guildhall
Nottingham 11 Forest Recreation March to Albert Hall for rally
Oxford Noon Bonn Square 1.30 March
Peterborough 10am
Plymouth 10.30 Albion Rugby Club
Portsmouth 12 Guildhall, PO1
Preston 12 Flag Market
Powys 10.30 The Pavilion
Reading 11am RISC, London St, RG1
Rotherham 11am All saints Sq
Sheffield 12 Barker’s Pool to City Hall
Sheffield 11 Peace gardens to City Hall
Sittingbourne 11 Phoenix house, Central Av
Slough Queensmere Centre
Somerset 10 Taunton Rugby Club
Southampton 11 Guildhall
Southend 12.30 Victoria Circus
Staffordshire 11.30 Reardons, Adventure Place ST1
Swansea 11.30 Castle Sq
Swindon 10 Outside Swindon Library
Taunton 11 Rugby club
Telford 12 Southgate
Truro 1-1pm Lemon Quay
Wakefield 10 Outside Cathedral
Welwyn 10.30 Campus West, Roller City
Wembley 10 Torch Pub
Wigan 11-1 Market Place
Wolverhampton 10.45 Metro One
Worcester 11 St Peters Baptist Centre
Worthing 11 Steyne Gdns, BN11
Wrexham 11.30 Queens Sq
York 11.30 Parliament St & 4pm lobby Council
Tues 5th July East London NSSN – ‘All out together’ 7pm
Durning hall Community Centre, Earlham Grove E7
Join – Affiliate – Get involved!
info@shopstewards.net
http://www.shopstewards.net/
Torygraph earlier this week. Well yes they would know, given the huge and
obscene pensions and bonuses those who have caused the economic crisis in the
country have accepted, and continue to take, whilst expecting us to pay for the
mess. If this government gets away with it, millions of public sector workers
will pay in more to their pensions, to get less out and to wait longer to get
it - all to pay for a crisis caused by the bankers!
Also, the current pensions proposals plan to steal another £2.8 billion from
us pushing 3.5 million pensioners into fuel poverty. This is totally
unacceptable; we already have 2.5 million pensioners who cannot afford to
adequately heat their homes. Is that the kind of society we want to bring our
next generations into? Is that what we want for those who have contributed to
our lives, work and of building the very homes and hospitals we use and live
in? We don’t want or need further cut backs, but a better distribution of
our collective wealth, which a tiny, tiny minority sucks up. And they call us
irresponsible!
On Thursday 30th of June, there is an important opportunity to take a stand and
strike as just under a million workers who have been balloted so far, will be
taking action. This is the first National co-ordinated strike action against
this government.
Sadly the largest public sector union, Unison is not taking part nationally in
this but has agreed at this weeks conferences that they will prepare for
co-ordinated action, as many of its members asked why aren’t we on strike on
the 30th. This should lead to another national strike in the Autumn - in the
words of PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka "to turn 750,000 on strike on June
30th into 4 million." NSSN supporters will be giving out our leaflet on June
30th calling for a 24-hour public sector general strike. You can download it
from our website or email us to get copies.
If your union is on strike - what can you do?
Hopefully you will have discussed this with your reps & officials, to set up
picket lines, leaflet and recruit new members, get inactive members involved,
discuss with other local unions for support and solidarity. Join/set up local
and regional marches to show this government that we will not accept this and
more importantly show each other, and those not yet on strike, there is an
alternative to the ‘cuts’. If you need any assistance or some material let
us know.
If your union is not on strike - what could you do?
Attend picket lines of those on strike
Send messages of support
Donate to the respective hardship funds
Assist in organizing locally; get your workmates, family, and friends to attend
Arrange meetings for after the 30th – what next
Move a resolution in your next union branch meeting calling on your union to
ballot for strike action and urging them to co-ordinate the action with the
other unions. Also, support the NSSN lobby of the TUC on September 11th in
London calling for co-ordinated action across the unions
Not in a union or workplace?
You might want to take part in walkouts or local protests with others.
For those not in work link up with strikers through your anti cuts campaigns,
share information, consider what actions you could take. Join the picket lines
and the local rally’s and marches. Students will also be looking to walk out
and support picket lines.
Support and visits to picket lines is most welcome as the con-dems try to
divide us!
STRIKES & DISPUTES
Two bits of Good news for RMT, Arywn Thomas has won the ET against unfair
dismissal and has now been reinstated! Workers on the Heathrow express have
suspended strike action following a better offer. Congratulations to all those
who were involved and took action.
We would also like to congratulate UCU members will also be celebrating as UCU
Wales Vice President has had his disciplinary action withdrawn after members
took unofficial action furious at the actions.
http://www.shopstewards.net/news.98.htm
Earlier this week 34 cleaners took part in 2 days of strike action in protest
over unpaid wages from Ocean in the city of London.
SOUTHAMPTON City Council Unison & Unite workers strike against cuts in jobs,
conditions and services continues as talks failed at ACAS. Workers will be
striking on the 30th of June to link up their issues with those nationally.
http://www.soton-unison-office.org.uk/newsletters.htm
http://southamptonanticuts.wordpress.com/
Birmingham Unison announced it would also be on strike on the 30th of June
given the £300 million cuts budget with over 37% to be cut by 2015.
http://www.birminghamunison.co.uk/
http://birminghamagainstthecuts.wordpress.com/2011/06/22/mass-strikes-in-birmingham-on-30th-june/
NUJ Newsquest in south London will begin 4 day strike 27th – midnight 30th
June over redundancies.
Leeds Council UNISON will join GMB balloting over proposals for cutting up to
3,000 jobs over 4 years
NUT Forest Hill School took first day of strike action against compulsorily
redundancies.
DATES FOR THE DIARY
Sat 25th
Hampshire Stop the cuts & Hampshire Assoc of Trades Councils demo 11am
Oram’s Arbour, Clifton Road. Linking up the ongoing council strikes of Unite
& Unison members with Medirest .
Lewes March for the NHS 10.30
Nevill Green, BN7
Nuneaton Against the Cuts 10.30 meet outside specsavers for campaign activity.
Tues 28th - RMT demonstration outside Liverpool’s BT Conference Centre 08.30
Sir Roy McNulty the architect of the Governments “Rail Review” carve-up -
will be addressing a major railway industry conference.
THURS 30th JUNE – NATIONAL STRIKE Action against pension cuts!
Just a few rallies & marches on the strike day:
Aberystwyth Rally 12 Morian Centre, Queens Rd
Bangor 2 Meifod Hotel
Barnsley 9.45 March to Parkway Cinema
Birmingham at 12 Victoria Square
Bedford 10 Civic Centre
Bradford 10 Valley Parad Ground
Brighton 10.30 The level (opposite open market)
Bristol 11 College Green
Calerdale 10 Arden Rd, Social Club
Canterbury 10-2 Abbots Barton Hotel
Camberley 1pm Camberley station march. 2pm Rally@Theatre
Cambridge 12 Parkers pierce
Carlisle 12.30 Old Town Hall
Cardiff 11 Cathays Park & 12.15 Canton Bridge
Ceredigion 12 Morian Centre
Chatham 12.30 Command House, ME4
Chelmsford 11 High St
Chester 12.30 town hall
Chippenham 11 Town Hall
Colchester 12.30 Town Hall
Derbyshire 10.30 Market Hall Chesterfield
Doncaster 9.30 Council house, College rd
Dorchester 9.30 County hall
Dover 12 St Mary’s Church
Exeter 11 Corn Exchange
Glasgow 12 George Sq
Gloucester 10.30 Gloucester Park
Gravesham 9.30 Three Daws Pub DA11
Gwynedd Mefild 2 Hotel Bontnewydd
Halifax 10 Arden Social Club
Hastings 10.30 White rock hotel
Hertfordshire 10.30 Campus West, Uni
Huddersfield 10 St Pats Irish centre 12-12.30 rally Market X, HD1
Hull 10am Royal Hotel
Isle of Wight 10 St Georges Football PO30
Ipswich 10.45 Giles Circus, Princes Circus
Kirklees 10 St Patricks Centre
Lancaster 11 Market Sq
Llandrindod Wells 11am Pavilion, Spa Rd
Lincoln 1 Stags Head
Liverpool 11.30 William Brown St
Leicester 12 Victoria Park
Leeds 12 City Square
London 11 Lincoln Fields
Luton 12 Market Hill
Manchester 11 All Saints
Maidenhead 11-2 Walnut Tree & 4pm Outside County Hall
Maidstone 11 Village Hotel, ME14
Merthyr Tydfil 12.30 Civic Centre
Middleborough 4.30 Bottle sculpture
Milton Keynes 12 Campbell Park
Newcastle 12 Life Centre
Newbury 10 St Nicholas Church Hall
Newport 12 John Forest Sq
Norfolk 12 Outside Forum NR2
Norwich Noon Forum Amphitheatre
Northampton 12.30 Guildhall
Nottingham 11 Forest Recreation March to Albert Hall for rally
Oxford Noon Bonn Square 1.30 March
Peterborough 10am
Plymouth 10.30 Albion Rugby Club
Portsmouth 12 Guildhall, PO1
Preston 12 Flag Market
Powys 10.30 The Pavilion
Reading 11am RISC, London St, RG1
Rotherham 11am All saints Sq
Sheffield 12 Barker’s Pool to City Hall
Sheffield 11 Peace gardens to City Hall
Sittingbourne 11 Phoenix house, Central Av
Slough Queensmere Centre
Somerset 10 Taunton Rugby Club
Southampton 11 Guildhall
Southend 12.30 Victoria Circus
Staffordshire 11.30 Reardons, Adventure Place ST1
Swansea 11.30 Castle Sq
Swindon 10 Outside Swindon Library
Taunton 11 Rugby club
Telford 12 Southgate
Truro 1-1pm Lemon Quay
Wakefield 10 Outside Cathedral
Welwyn 10.30 Campus West, Roller City
Wembley 10 Torch Pub
Wigan 11-1 Market Place
Wolverhampton 10.45 Metro One
Worcester 11 St Peters Baptist Centre
Worthing 11 Steyne Gdns, BN11
Wrexham 11.30 Queens Sq
York 11.30 Parliament St & 4pm lobby Council
Tues 5th July East London NSSN – ‘All out together’ 7pm
Durning hall Community Centre, Earlham Grove E7
Join – Affiliate – Get involved!
info@shopstewards.net
http://www.shopstewards.net/
Friday, 17 June 2011
NO 44 Conference report & more
Results from the NUT, PCS and ATL ballots clearly show massive support for
strike action on the 30 June. ATL have never in the 100 odd years of being a
union taken strike action so their result is even more telling! It looks like a
sharpening mood against cuts and privatisation is developing. Under pressure
from his members, even Dave Prentis has stated that Unison will ballot for
strike action in the coming months!
As seven workers from Honda Swindon were leaving the National Shop Stewards
Network (NSSN) conference on Saturday 11 June, one car worker remarked: "I wish
we could have brought a coach-load!” This was a typical reaction amongst the
350 workers attending the best conference we’ve held so far, a regular event
that is rapidly becoming a feature in the calendar of the labour movement.
Alex Gordon, Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) president, reminded
delegates about the biggest ever trade union demonstration that was held on 26
March, showing what the TUC can do when it lifts its little finger. He urged
that attendees don’t squander that energy. The correct conclusions about the
way forward needed be drawn out – primarily, a general strike is needed. The
£81 million of cuts so far are only year one of the Tory programme.
Conference gave a very warm reception to Les Woodward from GMB Remploy who
reported on disabled workers fighting cuts & he appealed to the
"temporarily-abled" for solidarity.
The ‘Right to Strike' theme of the afternoon session was recognition that
whilst we are preparing for mass action, the bosses are too. The
representatives of the rich and powerful are ready to introduce even more
draconian laws to restrict strikes.
Frank Morris described his blacklisting from the Olympics site. Tube drivers
Arwyn Thomas and Eamonn Lynch outlined how they were sacked for participating
in legal industrial action.
John Hancock from the Prison Officers Association (POA) national executive
explained that POA is banned from striking, but that pressure is building up to
break those restrictions, especially because of the drive for privatisation.
Keith Gibson, who spoke at the NSSN conference two years ago about the victory
of construction workers at Lindsay Oil Refinery against all odds, gave us, in
his bold inimitable style, a vivid account of a recent battle at Saltend, near
Hull, where 400 construction workers were locked out. Despite a willingness of
the workforce to fight, the battle was eventually lost, leaving many questions
being asked of some trade union officials.
This theme was taken up in the many contributions from the floor, including by
Unite convener Paddy Brennan, who appealed to NSSN for assistance with current
problems at Honda. Unison member Kathy Smith also spoke, she had stood for the
NEC seat of her union colleague who was suspended from office by the right wing
union leadership and won! FULL REPORT, Motions & great video:
http://www.shopstewards.net/news.94.htm
The conference also included a rousing and in depth speech by Apostolis
Kasimeris, one of the leaders of the OASA bus workers union in Athens. Workers
in Greece were taking part in their 8th General strike and with bus fare
boycotts that linked trade unionists with the community. He clearly connected
the situations across Europe and the role of the EU & IMF and how they were
still making money on the backs of the workers despite having caused the
economic crisis. Full speech: http://www.shopstewards.net/news.93.htm
The energy and commitment of those attending to take a lead in the strike
action against cuts on June 30th and develop a wider movement in the coming
months is moving across Europe was clear. We have always been in a class war
but now we begin to flex our collective strength!
Join us! Affiliate - ONLINE: http://www.stopcuts.net/affiliate.htm
STRIKES & DISPUTES
SOUTHAMPTON City Council Unison & Unite workers strike action is escalating
action over wage cuts with members. Cleaners at Southampton Hospital also took
strike action on the same days this week and joined with Council workers at the
March against cuts on the
13th.http://www.soton-unison-office.org.uk/newsletters.htm
http://southamptonanticuts.wordpress.com/
RMT- Despite strenuous efforts by RMT, LU have refused to reach an agreement
that would reinstate Arwyn Thomas despite his successful appeal for “interim
relief” for unfair dismissal at the Employment Tribunal on the grounds of his
trade union activities. Strike action begins this weekend: 9pm on Sunday 19th
June then again on 27th June 28th June, 29th June, and 1st July.
http://tinyurl.com/3sbr9e2
NUT Shorefields Liverpool will strike on the 21st over plans to become an
academy.
Unite Fujistu – Defend Alan Jenney Deputy Chair of Combine over unfair and
unnecessary redundancy. Ballot closes 23rd June. Messages of support
support@ourunion.org.uk http://www.shopstewards.net/news.92.htm
UCU COLEG MORGANNWG Management has initiated disciplinary action against Guy
Stoate, President of UCU Wales and NEC member. On the day the disciplinary
action was announced over members of UCU at the college held a spontaneous
rally in support of Guy. http://www.shopstewards.net/news.96.htm
Jacqui Thomspon campaigner in Save Panticelyn School was arrested for breaching
the peace as she filmed council meeting in Carmthen. http://tinyurl.com/6lctls9
http://carmarthenplanning.blogspot.com/
DATES FOR THE DIARY
Mon 20th Waltham Forest Trades Council & Antic Cuts group public meeting 7.30pm
Harmony Hall, Truro Road, E17
Tue 21st SERTUC public services Open Meeting report on supporting action on the
30th June - 1.00am-1.00pm in the Council Chamber, 5th Floor, TUC Congress
House, Great Russell Street, London WC1B
Wed 22nd March & Strike against the privatisation at London Met University.
Over 198 job cuts proposed. Assemble at 2:00pm at Highbury Fields t march to
London Met, Tower Building, and 166-220 Holloway Road. Organised by UNISON, UCU
& London Met NUS. Lobby of Board at 4pm.
THURS 30th JUNE – NATIONAL STRIKE Action against pension cuts!
http://tinyurl.com/6jc4neg
Birmingham at 12 Victoria Square.
Bradford 10 Valley Parad Ground
Brighton 10.30 The level
Bristol 11 College Green
Cambridge 12 Parkers pierce
Carlisle 12.30 Old Town Hall
Chatham Noon Command House
Chelmsford 11 High St
Colchester 12.30 Town Hall
Dover 12 St Mary’s Church
Exeter 11 Corn Exchange
Glasgow 12 George Sq
Gloucester 10.30 Gloucester Sq
Halifax 10 Arden Social Club
Hastings 10 White rock hotel
Liverpool 11.30 William Brown St
Leicester Victoria Park
Leeds 12 City Square
London 11 Lincoln Fields
Luton 12 Market Hill
Manchester 11 All Saints
Middleborough 4.30 Bottle sculpture
Newcastle 12 Life Centre
Norwich Noon Forum Amphitheatre
Nottingham Trent Square
Oxford 1 Bonn Square
Plymouth 1 Plymouth Town Hall
Portsmouth 12 Guildhall
Preston 12 Flag Market
Sheffield 12 Peace Gardens
Tauntan 11 Rugby club
Worthing 11 Steyne Gdns
Join – Affiliate – Get involved!
info@shopstewards.net
http://www.shopstewards.net/
strike action on the 30 June. ATL have never in the 100 odd years of being a
union taken strike action so their result is even more telling! It looks like a
sharpening mood against cuts and privatisation is developing. Under pressure
from his members, even Dave Prentis has stated that Unison will ballot for
strike action in the coming months!
As seven workers from Honda Swindon were leaving the National Shop Stewards
Network (NSSN) conference on Saturday 11 June, one car worker remarked: "I wish
we could have brought a coach-load!” This was a typical reaction amongst the
350 workers attending the best conference we’ve held so far, a regular event
that is rapidly becoming a feature in the calendar of the labour movement.
Alex Gordon, Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) president, reminded
delegates about the biggest ever trade union demonstration that was held on 26
March, showing what the TUC can do when it lifts its little finger. He urged
that attendees don’t squander that energy. The correct conclusions about the
way forward needed be drawn out – primarily, a general strike is needed. The
£81 million of cuts so far are only year one of the Tory programme.
Conference gave a very warm reception to Les Woodward from GMB Remploy who
reported on disabled workers fighting cuts & he appealed to the
"temporarily-abled" for solidarity.
The ‘Right to Strike' theme of the afternoon session was recognition that
whilst we are preparing for mass action, the bosses are too. The
representatives of the rich and powerful are ready to introduce even more
draconian laws to restrict strikes.
Frank Morris described his blacklisting from the Olympics site. Tube drivers
Arwyn Thomas and Eamonn Lynch outlined how they were sacked for participating
in legal industrial action.
John Hancock from the Prison Officers Association (POA) national executive
explained that POA is banned from striking, but that pressure is building up to
break those restrictions, especially because of the drive for privatisation.
Keith Gibson, who spoke at the NSSN conference two years ago about the victory
of construction workers at Lindsay Oil Refinery against all odds, gave us, in
his bold inimitable style, a vivid account of a recent battle at Saltend, near
Hull, where 400 construction workers were locked out. Despite a willingness of
the workforce to fight, the battle was eventually lost, leaving many questions
being asked of some trade union officials.
This theme was taken up in the many contributions from the floor, including by
Unite convener Paddy Brennan, who appealed to NSSN for assistance with current
problems at Honda. Unison member Kathy Smith also spoke, she had stood for the
NEC seat of her union colleague who was suspended from office by the right wing
union leadership and won! FULL REPORT, Motions & great video:
http://www.shopstewards.net/news.94.htm
The conference also included a rousing and in depth speech by Apostolis
Kasimeris, one of the leaders of the OASA bus workers union in Athens. Workers
in Greece were taking part in their 8th General strike and with bus fare
boycotts that linked trade unionists with the community. He clearly connected
the situations across Europe and the role of the EU & IMF and how they were
still making money on the backs of the workers despite having caused the
economic crisis. Full speech: http://www.shopstewards.net/news.93.htm
The energy and commitment of those attending to take a lead in the strike
action against cuts on June 30th and develop a wider movement in the coming
months is moving across Europe was clear. We have always been in a class war
but now we begin to flex our collective strength!
Join us! Affiliate - ONLINE: http://www.stopcuts.net/affiliate.htm
STRIKES & DISPUTES
SOUTHAMPTON City Council Unison & Unite workers strike action is escalating
action over wage cuts with members. Cleaners at Southampton Hospital also took
strike action on the same days this week and joined with Council workers at the
March against cuts on the
13th.http://www.soton-unison-office.org.uk/newsletters.htm
http://southamptonanticuts.wordpress.com/
RMT- Despite strenuous efforts by RMT, LU have refused to reach an agreement
that would reinstate Arwyn Thomas despite his successful appeal for “interim
relief” for unfair dismissal at the Employment Tribunal on the grounds of his
trade union activities. Strike action begins this weekend: 9pm on Sunday 19th
June then again on 27th June 28th June, 29th June, and 1st July.
http://tinyurl.com/3sbr9e2
NUT Shorefields Liverpool will strike on the 21st over plans to become an
academy.
Unite Fujistu – Defend Alan Jenney Deputy Chair of Combine over unfair and
unnecessary redundancy. Ballot closes 23rd June. Messages of support
support@ourunion.org.uk http://www.shopstewards.net/news.92.htm
UCU COLEG MORGANNWG Management has initiated disciplinary action against Guy
Stoate, President of UCU Wales and NEC member. On the day the disciplinary
action was announced over members of UCU at the college held a spontaneous
rally in support of Guy. http://www.shopstewards.net/news.96.htm
Jacqui Thomspon campaigner in Save Panticelyn School was arrested for breaching
the peace as she filmed council meeting in Carmthen. http://tinyurl.com/6lctls9
http://carmarthenplanning.blogspot.com/
DATES FOR THE DIARY
Mon 20th Waltham Forest Trades Council & Antic Cuts group public meeting 7.30pm
Harmony Hall, Truro Road, E17
Tue 21st SERTUC public services Open Meeting report on supporting action on the
30th June - 1.00am-1.00pm in the Council Chamber, 5th Floor, TUC Congress
House, Great Russell Street, London WC1B
Wed 22nd March & Strike against the privatisation at London Met University.
Over 198 job cuts proposed. Assemble at 2:00pm at Highbury Fields t march to
London Met, Tower Building, and 166-220 Holloway Road. Organised by UNISON, UCU
& London Met NUS. Lobby of Board at 4pm.
THURS 30th JUNE – NATIONAL STRIKE Action against pension cuts!
http://tinyurl.com/6jc4neg
Birmingham at 12 Victoria Square.
Bradford 10 Valley Parad Ground
Brighton 10.30 The level
Bristol 11 College Green
Cambridge 12 Parkers pierce
Carlisle 12.30 Old Town Hall
Chatham Noon Command House
Chelmsford 11 High St
Colchester 12.30 Town Hall
Dover 12 St Mary’s Church
Exeter 11 Corn Exchange
Glasgow 12 George Sq
Gloucester 10.30 Gloucester Sq
Halifax 10 Arden Social Club
Hastings 10 White rock hotel
Liverpool 11.30 William Brown St
Leicester Victoria Park
Leeds 12 City Square
London 11 Lincoln Fields
Luton 12 Market Hill
Manchester 11 All Saints
Middleborough 4.30 Bottle sculpture
Newcastle 12 Life Centre
Norwich Noon Forum Amphitheatre
Nottingham Trent Square
Oxford 1 Bonn Square
Plymouth 1 Plymouth Town Hall
Portsmouth 12 Guildhall
Preston 12 Flag Market
Sheffield 12 Peace Gardens
Tauntan 11 Rugby club
Worthing 11 Steyne Gdns
Join – Affiliate – Get involved!
info@shopstewards.net
http://www.shopstewards.net/
Thursday, 9 June 2011
There and not there
What will the dissertation be about?
When will it be finished?
For whom?
Distribution
Is it a toolkit? Menu
Transmedia - still to online? Why what about liveness and engagement
Music - Orange Blossom
When will it be finished?
For whom?
Distribution
Is it a toolkit? Menu
Transmedia - still to online? Why what about liveness and engagement
Music - Orange Blossom
Friday, 20 May 2011
I have 3 days before I hand in my work. Will I be happy with it as it is? Not really, its doesnt have the flow and the less obvious side to it Its more obvious but at the same time it illuminates a little of what was going on, who was part of the it and thats important as an additional layer. It also uses other peoples art work to express that.. someone elses music and photographs, which add to it massively. I still ahve a desire for newspapers but cant seem to access those BL as I had hoped for I could try again but I do need to focus and make best of what I have than keep adding, at some point there has to be a point to go thats it, for now.
I try and add by accessing from here again and then go to the library for assistance - I couldnt get into anything from they sent me a as a link I needed I was given this week. What I've further realised and experienced is how much research, archive material costs... photocopies of pages at Newspaper library and having to wait 5 days for some things to be delivered etc. I need to add that to my write up in some way- I could also email felicity etc for photographs? Or bug the SP lot more for the photos and the old copies of the paper as I do have some time to pick some dates and do copies. I need to be specific - and forethink what I might need rather than ramble through some of it. I did pick dates when I was at the BL and that really helped - I need to write up those dates so that I don't loose that info too. A question I have to keep asking, what will this bring to the production of this project and my learning and development. They are different things and this is the practical piece of the project so that is the most important but proces, who is making, why and how will it be distributed have been, are also key.
The deadline is drawing near but i seem to be unreal around it... I am not awake thinking about it but perhaps the huge energy and space I gave to the 2 weeks work in progress installation and studio development took a lot out of me but also brought this project out to the academic space I am within, slightly more focused than last time. It meant I could show DS the work in the gallery and meet with SUZ muna, get access and also get to see her work directly and consider other projects and works.. The mug project is but one...
I want oer 50% and really I want over 60%! but I need to make sure that happens by what I write so they can see the relationship between the theory and practice, rather than randomly, and what is influencing each part of those and why this in the context of the MA for part of my life but is not jsut for academic use. What I got from being here - kit, skilled technicians, badly used and engaged with at the best but still, (on my part mainly - never know what I can ask or what I should be able to ask and who and for how long and for what?)
I want to show an alternative, and that you and I are part of that alternative not enough, or something I want to do, is show the the shocking events of the past but they are important as part of a process to express patterns of behaviour, by whom and for what purpose and why indeed, I need to do the work that I am doing - they are part of an ideology and ideolgical processes.
- Thinking - Ask bfi if they will have 'socialism on trial' ?
- Ask BL for archive of paper? and maybe LCC archive to get it accessible?
- Consider where a project on the 47 could be housed in the curriculum?
Context of that period - Torys, Miners, wapping, BT sold off, GLC and councils, 1982 laws - So much happened.
I try and add by accessing from here again and then go to the library for assistance - I couldnt get into anything from they sent me a as a link I needed I was given this week. What I've further realised and experienced is how much research, archive material costs... photocopies of pages at Newspaper library and having to wait 5 days for some things to be delivered etc. I need to add that to my write up in some way- I could also email felicity etc for photographs? Or bug the SP lot more for the photos and the old copies of the paper as I do have some time to pick some dates and do copies. I need to be specific - and forethink what I might need rather than ramble through some of it. I did pick dates when I was at the BL and that really helped - I need to write up those dates so that I don't loose that info too. A question I have to keep asking, what will this bring to the production of this project and my learning and development. They are different things and this is the practical piece of the project so that is the most important but proces, who is making, why and how will it be distributed have been, are also key.
The deadline is drawing near but i seem to be unreal around it... I am not awake thinking about it but perhaps the huge energy and space I gave to the 2 weeks work in progress installation and studio development took a lot out of me but also brought this project out to the academic space I am within, slightly more focused than last time. It meant I could show DS the work in the gallery and meet with SUZ muna, get access and also get to see her work directly and consider other projects and works.. The mug project is but one...
I want oer 50% and really I want over 60%! but I need to make sure that happens by what I write so they can see the relationship between the theory and practice, rather than randomly, and what is influencing each part of those and why this in the context of the MA for part of my life but is not jsut for academic use. What I got from being here - kit, skilled technicians, badly used and engaged with at the best but still, (on my part mainly - never know what I can ask or what I should be able to ask and who and for how long and for what?)
I want to show an alternative, and that you and I are part of that alternative not enough, or something I want to do, is show the the shocking events of the past but they are important as part of a process to express patterns of behaviour, by whom and for what purpose and why indeed, I need to do the work that I am doing - they are part of an ideology and ideolgical processes.
- Thinking - Ask bfi if they will have 'socialism on trial' ?
- Ask BL for archive of paper? and maybe LCC archive to get it accessible?
- Consider where a project on the 47 could be housed in the curriculum?
Context of that period - Torys, Miners, wapping, BT sold off, GLC and councils, 1982 laws - So much happened.
Monday, 16 May 2011
Ramblings..
Collaberation via the odd text and a breathless telephone call on the odd occaision is deeply limited. However, we have both got this far.
Today I heard this was the end of the work??? I had thought tomorrow.
Visiting the NPG as part of its Lates season made me think again about audiences, much of my paid work has been about access to arts and film, who comes in who can use the medium and issues around distribution.
I was an accessible product but I dont feel that an accessible, traditional model of narrative is it.
Multiscreen for space, giving profile to art? past and present relationship of artists - one is paid another does not want money in the equation.
Some notes which I picked out: From FREE handout you can pick up as entering TATE gallery space.
BURKE & Norfolk - Photographs from the war in afghanistan
My initial reaction was too pretty... in his explanatory piece about his work, its not about the medium but use of it and beauty is a tactic to draw people in???!.. people are 'tricked into engaging.. seduced"
Simon On JBurke
"Imperialism is what interests me more than anything. ... I immediately saw a cycle of imperial history right there.
"burke is a more complete photogprher ... no formal visual training" "felt I needed to go to afghanistan to walk in his shoes"
TATE FILM - Pere Portabella
page 3 - Both political and matieralist avant garde of the 1970's and 1980's. ..interroagates the indexical bond between image and ferent; his use of structural materialist devices to loosen this bond serves to focus the vieewier attention on thier role in the political and cultural processes of the circulation of meaning."
Relationship between Pere Portabella and Joan Miro makred by the political commitment that both creators sought through asestic rather than directly political rebellion"
Me - watching I feel better here and I feel worse int he TATE modern.. mooving imae. more art than traditional work. use process to deepen understanding of work and style and why that is different. we constructed this.
PG 7 - 'you cant understand liberation if you dont begin to understand yourself'
Today I heard this was the end of the work??? I had thought tomorrow.
Visiting the NPG as part of its Lates season made me think again about audiences, much of my paid work has been about access to arts and film, who comes in who can use the medium and issues around distribution.
I was an accessible product but I dont feel that an accessible, traditional model of narrative is it.
Multiscreen for space, giving profile to art? past and present relationship of artists - one is paid another does not want money in the equation.
Some notes which I picked out: From FREE handout you can pick up as entering TATE gallery space.
BURKE & Norfolk - Photographs from the war in afghanistan
My initial reaction was too pretty... in his explanatory piece about his work, its not about the medium but use of it and beauty is a tactic to draw people in???!.. people are 'tricked into engaging.. seduced"
Simon On JBurke
"Imperialism is what interests me more than anything. ... I immediately saw a cycle of imperial history right there.
"burke is a more complete photogprher ... no formal visual training" "felt I needed to go to afghanistan to walk in his shoes"
TATE FILM - Pere Portabella
page 3 - Both political and matieralist avant garde of the 1970's and 1980's. ..interroagates the indexical bond between image and ferent; his use of structural materialist devices to loosen this bond serves to focus the vieewier attention on thier role in the political and cultural processes of the circulation of meaning."
Relationship between Pere Portabella and Joan Miro makred by the political commitment that both creators sought through asestic rather than directly political rebellion"
Me - watching I feel better here and I feel worse int he TATE modern.. mooving imae. more art than traditional work. use process to deepen understanding of work and style and why that is different. we constructed this.
PG 7 - 'you cant understand liberation if you dont begin to understand yourself'
Tuesday, 10 May 2011
The editor is now in Liverpool..
Hmmm so now how do we work? Can we work by texts? Not really... so my hodge podge skills are going to have to pick up something big time. Need to spend 2 days this week and several days next week whilst also trying to write the 2000 word document which states where the project is at, why its 20 minutes rough cut or segment? Why documentary, why challenge of forms and content?
Considerations around collaberation
Within academic context
Work of Suz Muna - the big mug project - artist and trade unionist
work of Dave sinclair
Access to SP archives
Access to SP footage
Could I get footage from John Hamilton footage of film 'Socialim on Trial'?
Distribution strategy linking to GLA elections? Maybe so there is a deadline of March 2012? Link to festival deadlines? - Sheffield? LFF? Sundanace? ITVS?
Look at crowd funding versions and maybe link to 3-4 countries -
(oh and thank you to anna and students & Dave and Suz Muna)
Considerations around collaberation
Within academic context
Work of Suz Muna - the big mug project - artist and trade unionist
work of Dave sinclair
Access to SP archives
Access to SP footage
Could I get footage from John Hamilton footage of film 'Socialim on Trial'?
Distribution strategy linking to GLA elections? Maybe so there is a deadline of March 2012? Link to festival deadlines? - Sheffield? LFF? Sundanace? ITVS?
Look at crowd funding versions and maybe link to 3-4 countries -
(oh and thank you to anna and students & Dave and Suz Muna)
Friday, 6 May 2011
Hot and sweaty!
Nah none of that! Under some pink lights for a huge part of the day.. and ran round madly when i realised I had not enrolled onto the course so they were NOT going to let me in today... Now I am enrolled and I owe them..
BUT - We are here.
Up at 6am to work on a presentation which will be a good starting point for 2000 words which will accompony this and a DVD of the project.
Anna has been flexible and fair giving me time and space to incorperate this work and test out how my process works.. its an installation.. A messy hodge pode of de-constructed process.
Some things from today and late last night...
Purpose of art
types of documentary and ideas embedded within them..
Why do I want to engage - texture...
Collaberative process
Ideas of objectvtity
Whose memory and what does a mass mediation do to our memory
how do we hold onto them as people are engaged.
What will I do with the ideas
Visual memory helped
Liked Talking heads with images
Aural memory
History or relevance
Not that subliminal
Public memory
Possible onto youtube - these are the ingredients that make up a installation.
Your room, invite people, papers, banner, activist.
Feedback
Human connection..
EMAIL anna - for her group
BUT - We are here.
Up at 6am to work on a presentation which will be a good starting point for 2000 words which will accompony this and a DVD of the project.
Anna has been flexible and fair giving me time and space to incorperate this work and test out how my process works.. its an installation.. A messy hodge pode of de-constructed process.
Some things from today and late last night...
Purpose of art
types of documentary and ideas embedded within them..
Why do I want to engage - texture...
Collaberative process
Ideas of objectvtity
Whose memory and what does a mass mediation do to our memory
how do we hold onto them as people are engaged.
What will I do with the ideas
Visual memory helped
Liked Talking heads with images
Aural memory
History or relevance
Not that subliminal
Public memory
Possible onto youtube - these are the ingredients that make up a installation.
Your room, invite people, papers, banner, activist.
Feedback
Human connection..
EMAIL anna - for her group
Thursday, 5 May 2011
Feedback from Ben P
Being forced into sitting with people as they watch is actually a good process. I am more focused on what is being looked and why.
Ben P just popped in and ended up having to watch the very first skeleton version of the documentary. His comments:
Small pictures ok on this screen but no good for TV
Good interviewees with lots to say and articulate - but also used to being speakers. Is it meant to be talking heads or a more visual film.
Worry about the timing, if you never get it finished then it will no longer be relevant or timely.
Consider introducing characters more, they go straight into the story.
Good to see people in situation.. noting issue of illness and disability.
Consider what happened in popular - maybe slogan?
Can't see relevance of the past into the present except round the room.
Most of the above is in consideration. The version he saw was the first very basic one. I need to get rid of the cutaways off the timeline to then get just the film. So I can export it tonight and have it to watch here and at home before tomorrow. And work out what I wanted to present.
Ben P just popped in and ended up having to watch the very first skeleton version of the documentary. His comments:
Small pictures ok on this screen but no good for TV
Good interviewees with lots to say and articulate - but also used to being speakers. Is it meant to be talking heads or a more visual film.
Worry about the timing, if you never get it finished then it will no longer be relevant or timely.
Consider introducing characters more, they go straight into the story.
Good to see people in situation.. noting issue of illness and disability.
Consider what happened in popular - maybe slogan?
Can't see relevance of the past into the present except round the room.
Most of the above is in consideration. The version he saw was the first very basic one. I need to get rid of the cutaways off the timeline to then get just the film. So I can export it tonight and have it to watch here and at home before tomorrow. And work out what I wanted to present.
Monday, 2 May 2011
assemble or collect..
Is it a collage of photos or an assemblage?? oh la la
Assemblage (art)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Robert Rauschenberg, Canyon, 1959, Assemblage: oil, housepaint, pencil, paper, fabric, metal, buttons, nails, cardboard, printed paper, photographs, wood, paint tubes, mirror string, pillow & bald eagle on canvas, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.
Assemblage is an artistic process. In the visual arts, it consist in making a three-dimensional artistic composition from putting together found objects. [1] In literature, assemblage refers to a text "built primarily and explicitly from existing texts in order to solve a writing or communication problem in a new context".[2]
The origin of the word (in its artistic sense) can be traced back to the early 1950s, when Jean Dubuffet created a series of collages of butterfly wings, which he titled assemblages d'empreintes. However, both Marcel Duchamp and Pablo Picasso had been working with found objects for many years prior to Dubuffet. They were not alone. Alongside Duchamp, the earliest woman artist to try her hand at assemblage was Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven, the Dada Baroness. In addition, one of the earliest and most prolific was Louise Nevelson, who began creating her exciting sculptures from found pieces of wood in the late 1930s.
Assemblage (art)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Robert Rauschenberg, Canyon, 1959, Assemblage: oil, housepaint, pencil, paper, fabric, metal, buttons, nails, cardboard, printed paper, photographs, wood, paint tubes, mirror string, pillow & bald eagle on canvas, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.
Assemblage is an artistic process. In the visual arts, it consist in making a three-dimensional artistic composition from putting together found objects. [1] In literature, assemblage refers to a text "built primarily and explicitly from existing texts in order to solve a writing or communication problem in a new context".[2]
The origin of the word (in its artistic sense) can be traced back to the early 1950s, when Jean Dubuffet created a series of collages of butterfly wings, which he titled assemblages d'empreintes. However, both Marcel Duchamp and Pablo Picasso had been working with found objects for many years prior to Dubuffet. They were not alone. Alongside Duchamp, the earliest woman artist to try her hand at assemblage was Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven, the Dada Baroness. In addition, one of the earliest and most prolific was Louise Nevelson, who began creating her exciting sculptures from found pieces of wood in the late 1930s.
Saturday, 30 April 2011
Registering for The British Library.. more layers of privalage
Sitting outside the British Library and really only using the computer in there.. Decided I would dedicate the afternoon to register and try to browse round the building. Registering wasn't as hard. I had pre-registered online, and Anna Reading had given me a letter and I had the usual 2 forms of ID. Some people didn't get one without this and the woman speakign was there to be friendly but also check, what are you doing? Why for whom and your deadlines? It feels like a privalaged place, an archive of our history to a degree, and a resource, a specific resource for those who have access to ideas and the circulation and expertness to talk and decide about the past and present. Am I becoming one? I don't think so?!
It was a good thing to go and see, you can get around the building and cafe and seating area without a pass. Nice loos and some nice spots outside and inside to hang and work plus free BL wifi access. Always handy!
It makes sense now why motiroti and others decided to try to archive thier work there, to become the establishment or to enter into the collective archives for future use and relevance? Where are the moments, processes that show or express a little or more of us?
The arguements around the practice of how I am working & why raises itself. I can sit online at home but it a place for me to focus, enviroments effect me, influence me, encourage me and take me deeper.
Reminds me of why I'm doing this, for whom? Who? Guided by Anna.. still not makd it to the newspapers not really sure how the hell to = ASK - JUST ASK?
Consider layers, women, creativity, collaberation, distribution, process, context, site specific..? Not intentially but where it is situated and my relations here are political they became that by my role here. My participation. My work.. I choose.
I was in need of working out why I'm using the space - the university. What do I get from that closeness to the university, to the energy, to a set of possible people? And a space to observe how people students, academics respond to the space. I need to monitor useage, access, expectations, of mine of thier.
Engagement Color? Movement? Not just history?
Notices to our or the wider world, I'll speak to you and open to all the TUSC people. I could delve into relationships that already exsist and that I have.. It is all about people, thats how I am here, why I am here and what I would like.
This L47 wont be ready by the 20th May but a substantial amount of work and thought has seen the light. And its been important for me to touch the base of this.
Would like to should you again where we are at at a particular point., at this point in weeks time perhaps. That means booking a ticket or two and having a laptop to show others what it looks like right now.
Need larger squares at present they are too small and that will be difficult to see on any level - especially on a small screen. I wonder how Lisa feels about my non Reg... ? She sort of buzzed off it but I hope it hasn't made her feel like I am pushing her unintentially. Though a few times when I have said things, she has said but its for your MA... no its a collaberation, we are sharing this risk and reward. And this is a process that has to be acknowledged.. connect again.
Time, energy, archives.. Was also very good to meet up with Dave Sinc (Photographer) wanted him to know we were getting on with it. He will give us higher res versions for the screen as they are pixalated right now. He also has 3 boxes of old militants..
It was a good thing to go and see, you can get around the building and cafe and seating area without a pass. Nice loos and some nice spots outside and inside to hang and work plus free BL wifi access. Always handy!
It makes sense now why motiroti and others decided to try to archive thier work there, to become the establishment or to enter into the collective archives for future use and relevance? Where are the moments, processes that show or express a little or more of us?
The arguements around the practice of how I am working & why raises itself. I can sit online at home but it a place for me to focus, enviroments effect me, influence me, encourage me and take me deeper.
Reminds me of why I'm doing this, for whom? Who? Guided by Anna.. still not makd it to the newspapers not really sure how the hell to = ASK - JUST ASK?
Consider layers, women, creativity, collaberation, distribution, process, context, site specific..? Not intentially but where it is situated and my relations here are political they became that by my role here. My participation. My work.. I choose.
I was in need of working out why I'm using the space - the university. What do I get from that closeness to the university, to the energy, to a set of possible people? And a space to observe how people students, academics respond to the space. I need to monitor useage, access, expectations, of mine of thier.
Engagement Color? Movement? Not just history?
Notices to our or the wider world, I'll speak to you and open to all the TUSC people. I could delve into relationships that already exsist and that I have.. It is all about people, thats how I am here, why I am here and what I would like.
This L47 wont be ready by the 20th May but a substantial amount of work and thought has seen the light. And its been important for me to touch the base of this.
Would like to should you again where we are at at a particular point., at this point in weeks time perhaps. That means booking a ticket or two and having a laptop to show others what it looks like right now.
Need larger squares at present they are too small and that will be difficult to see on any level - especially on a small screen. I wonder how Lisa feels about my non Reg... ? She sort of buzzed off it but I hope it hasn't made her feel like I am pushing her unintentially. Though a few times when I have said things, she has said but its for your MA... no its a collaberation, we are sharing this risk and reward. And this is a process that has to be acknowledged.. connect again.
Time, energy, archives.. Was also very good to meet up with Dave Sinc (Photographer) wanted him to know we were getting on with it. He will give us higher res versions for the screen as they are pixalated right now. He also has 3 boxes of old militants..
Thursday, 28 April 2011
16.13 Why I write??!
I feel like I should write something.. Been here since around 12 and the time has just gone..
Dave sinclair - photographer, came in and that was good, so he could see what we were up to. He is still keen to do his live audio version with his photographs for the dockers and also with the 47. It would be good.
He said the thing he could see that was missing was Derek and Tony but also the issue of redundancies. I wonder if anyone has a copy of those redundancies.. and the tactics around that? Dave also has old copies of the militant too, which is brilliant.
Paula Roush also came in and said it was good I was doing this and that she might show me her protest sounds and work which related. She saw the December work which she liked. Funny as I dont recall her coming in...
Anyway today me and blutack go close and the walls got a bit more flyering.. which I think this helped. It needed some context, why now, what is happening now?
Dave sinclair - photographer, came in and that was good, so he could see what we were up to. He is still keen to do his live audio version with his photographs for the dockers and also with the 47. It would be good.
He said the thing he could see that was missing was Derek and Tony but also the issue of redundancies. I wonder if anyone has a copy of those redundancies.. and the tactics around that? Dave also has old copies of the militant too, which is brilliant.
Paula Roush also came in and said it was good I was doing this and that she might show me her protest sounds and work which related. She saw the December work which she liked. Funny as I dont recall her coming in...
Anyway today me and blutack go close and the walls got a bit more flyering.. which I think this helped. It needed some context, why now, what is happening now?
NSSN bulletin 39 - So what are you wearing Friday?
3:49pm Apr 28th
Subject: NSSN No. 39 So what are you wearing Friday?
At least we have a day off.. Anyway more good news in terms of steps towards national co-ordinated action as NUT voted unanimously at their annual conference for strike action against the attacks on pensions. The RCN is also threatening action against NHS cut with Unite's national health committee supporting coordinating strikes. We look forward to hearing about national but also local actions and disputes that will also use the 30th of June to make a collective stand to STOP the cuts!. http://www.facebook.com/l/69406cZ0X4bNXDi5WVDVNzP-g4g/www.stopcuts.net/news.37.htm
Today is also workers memorial day - Remember the dead but lets fight for the living! http://www.facebook.com/l/69406D6ksEfWyFtCfd2fYHYqHVA/www.shopstewards.net/news.76.htm.
Sunday is also International Workers Day - Mayday. With the huge and ongoing battles for democracy and against poverty across the globe there is no better day to look up from our own individual battles and see how many other workers
we have so much in common with and who we change the world with!
NSSN NATIONAL CONFERENCE
The 5th annual conference of the NSSN will be on Sat June 11th. We would also appreciate it if people could register for the conference in advance http://www.facebook.com/l/69406f4boLzZNJBoArYSBOP6ONg/tinyurl.com/6kdzycc
UPDATES
National union conferences will also be taking place and we have a bulletin we would ask all supporters to distribute. We are aiming to have fringe meetings as well. http://www.facebook.com/l/69406rt1etAZ1ivHvd820mnySPQ/www.shopstewards.net/news.73.htm
NUJ Journalists at Tindle Newspapers in Enfield, North London, are currently on strike until 5th May against cuts. Over one third of editorial staff that have left has not been replaced, and the remaining workers are facing increasing exploitation, with only 3 reporters producing 9 newspapers a week! strikegazadpres@hotmail.co.uk or FOC Jonathan: 07917 871 421
Thurs 28th
Nuneaton Against The Cuts
19.00pm at Bentley Rd Sports and Social Club, 22 Bentley Rd
Speakers Paul Riely RMT, Tom Sidwell from Unison and TUSC Steve Smith from PCS & Vanessa Gee nuneatonagainstthecuts@hotmail.co.uk
MAYDAY - International Workers Day!
Fri 29th
Dundee Mayfest 11.30 Hiltown Park, with anti royal wedding party from 1pm
Sat 30 April
Coventry May Day Rallyl11am meet opposite Council House to Sheldon Square (Coventry Against Racism and Coventry TUC)
11.30 Victoria Park, Leicester
Croydon Mayday 11am Croydon Trades Union Council march and celebration Elmwood Road, West Croydon to Ruskin House (speakers and music from 1pm)
Leeds Mayday Assemble 11am @ Victoria Gardens
Swansea No to Public Sector Cuts – Defend Jobs and Services! Assemble 12:00 at the Guildhall, marching to rally Castle Square
Sun 1st May
London Assemble 12:00 noon, Clerkenwell Green, London EC1
http://www.facebook.com/l/69406a8Re9nD31o8Ao0yDXxfFrg/www.londonmayday.org/home.php
Youth Fight for Jobs Jarrow fundraiser - 7 - 11pm sponsored by RMT and PCS young members' network at Slaughtered Lamb Pub, Great Sutton Street, EC1V
Ipswich - Demonstration 11am Giles Circus, Princes St & March to Alexandra Park, with family events on till 6pm http://www.facebook.com/l/69406c4eOzxPWM3LdZ3UqjJTDsg/www.ipswichmaydayfestival.co.uk
Mon 2nd May
Chesterfield May Day March and Rally - Market Place, Chesterfield 10am onwards
11th May - The Hardest Hit demo, disabled people from across the country will be coming to London to demonstrate their anger and lobby their MP about cuts in benefits and services by the current government along with raising their concerns about the welfare reform bill. Assemble 11.30am Embankment/Horse
Guards Avenue
Tuesday 17th May
Our Health Service Not for Sale demo – May assemble 5.30pm University College Hospital, march to Department of Health
Exhibition - Anniversary of Wapping
The Marx Memorial Library with UNITE and NUJ is hosting an exhibition to mark the anniversary of the Wapping / News International dispute of the 1980s. The exhibition starts on Sunday 1 May http://www.facebook.com/l/69406oeVuDaw05A0QtjZNupusVA/www.marx-memorial-library.org
Join – Affiliate – Get involved!
info@shopstewards.net
http://www.facebook.com/l/69406Whl_R-whGjLfc41poWoeiA/www.shopstewards.net/index.htm
http://www.facebook.com/l/69406qwzD_xF77o1BK0z8jD21GQ/on.fb.me/fNkaIo
NSSN Anti-cuts campaign:
http://www.facebook.com/l/69406vwZhYdH7jIKWvoGW5Rts5Q/on.fb.me/eolOEE
http://www.facebook.com/l/694062sMNU8Oxn1i5ALgBF9fu_g/www.stopcuts.net/
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Subject: NSSN No. 39 So what are you wearing Friday?
At least we have a day off.. Anyway more good news in terms of steps towards national co-ordinated action as NUT voted unanimously at their annual conference for strike action against the attacks on pensions. The RCN is also threatening action against NHS cut with Unite's national health committee supporting coordinating strikes. We look forward to hearing about national but also local actions and disputes that will also use the 30th of June to make a collective stand to STOP the cuts!. http://www.facebook.com/l/69406cZ0X4bNXDi5WVDVNzP-g4g/www.stopcuts.net/news.37.htm
Today is also workers memorial day - Remember the dead but lets fight for the living! http://www.facebook.com/l/69406D6ksEfWyFtCfd2fYHYqHVA/www.shopstewards.net/news.76.htm.
Sunday is also International Workers Day - Mayday. With the huge and ongoing battles for democracy and against poverty across the globe there is no better day to look up from our own individual battles and see how many other workers
we have so much in common with and who we change the world with!
NSSN NATIONAL CONFERENCE
The 5th annual conference of the NSSN will be on Sat June 11th. We would also appreciate it if people could register for the conference in advance http://www.facebook.com/l/69406f4boLzZNJBoArYSBOP6ONg/tinyurl.com/6kdzycc
UPDATES
National union conferences will also be taking place and we have a bulletin we would ask all supporters to distribute. We are aiming to have fringe meetings as well. http://www.facebook.com/l/69406rt1etAZ1ivHvd820mnySPQ/www.shopstewards.net/news.73.htm
NUJ Journalists at Tindle Newspapers in Enfield, North London, are currently on strike until 5th May against cuts. Over one third of editorial staff that have left has not been replaced, and the remaining workers are facing increasing exploitation, with only 3 reporters producing 9 newspapers a week! strikegazadpres@hotmail.co.uk or FOC Jonathan: 07917 871 421
Thurs 28th
Nuneaton Against The Cuts
19.00pm at Bentley Rd Sports and Social Club, 22 Bentley Rd
Speakers Paul Riely RMT, Tom Sidwell from Unison and TUSC Steve Smith from PCS & Vanessa Gee nuneatonagainstthecuts@hotmail.co.uk
MAYDAY - International Workers Day!
Fri 29th
Dundee Mayfest 11.30 Hiltown Park, with anti royal wedding party from 1pm
Sat 30 April
Coventry May Day Rallyl11am meet opposite Council House to Sheldon Square (Coventry Against Racism and Coventry TUC)
11.30 Victoria Park, Leicester
Croydon Mayday 11am Croydon Trades Union Council march and celebration Elmwood Road, West Croydon to Ruskin House (speakers and music from 1pm)
Leeds Mayday Assemble 11am @ Victoria Gardens
Swansea No to Public Sector Cuts – Defend Jobs and Services! Assemble 12:00 at the Guildhall, marching to rally Castle Square
Sun 1st May
London Assemble 12:00 noon, Clerkenwell Green, London EC1
http://www.facebook.com/l/69406a8Re9nD31o8Ao0yDXxfFrg/www.londonmayday.org/home.php
Youth Fight for Jobs Jarrow fundraiser - 7 - 11pm sponsored by RMT and PCS young members' network at Slaughtered Lamb Pub, Great Sutton Street, EC1V
Ipswich - Demonstration 11am Giles Circus, Princes St & March to Alexandra Park, with family events on till 6pm http://www.facebook.com/l/69406c4eOzxPWM3LdZ3UqjJTDsg/www.ipswichmaydayfestival.co.uk
Mon 2nd May
Chesterfield May Day March and Rally - Market Place, Chesterfield 10am onwards
11th May - The Hardest Hit demo, disabled people from across the country will be coming to London to demonstrate their anger and lobby their MP about cuts in benefits and services by the current government along with raising their concerns about the welfare reform bill. Assemble 11.30am Embankment/Horse
Guards Avenue
Tuesday 17th May
Our Health Service Not for Sale demo – May assemble 5.30pm University College Hospital, march to Department of Health
Exhibition - Anniversary of Wapping
The Marx Memorial Library with UNITE and NUJ is hosting an exhibition to mark the anniversary of the Wapping / News International dispute of the 1980s. The exhibition starts on Sunday 1 May http://www.facebook.com/l/69406oeVuDaw05A0QtjZNupusVA/www.marx-memorial-library.org
Join – Affiliate – Get involved!
info@shopstewards.net
http://www.facebook.com/l/69406Whl_R-whGjLfc41poWoeiA/www.shopstewards.net/index.htm
http://www.facebook.com/l/69406qwzD_xF77o1BK0z8jD21GQ/on.fb.me/fNkaIo
NSSN Anti-cuts campaign:
http://www.facebook.com/l/69406vwZhYdH7jIKWvoGW5Rts5Q/on.fb.me/eolOEE
http://www.facebook.com/l/694062sMNU8Oxn1i5ALgBF9fu_g/www.stopcuts.net/
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Tuesday, 26 April 2011
4.45pm in the DAG.. without people?
4.45pm in the gallery.. without air.. Am I mad? Its flown and I have heard these interviews 5 times today. Good to get that familiarity... but its also distant. Perhaps not contextualised.
Put an imac in one corner to show a few pictures from the 26th March demo.. and that seems to work.. it has colour, new, current, alive, fighting fresh!
A few tutors in Andrew, Daniel, Anna and another plus about 6 other people. Only one or two actually staying for the time, guess if they don't know its on and how long it is going on, that you can't make time.. we need time to engage.
One person from TUSC wanted to come in and another member of staff for next week. Next week is now possible, can I be here for that many days? Or maybe cut it 3 days including Friday and have a later start?
Lisa has changes now and will update for Friday next week. Possibly update before dave sees this on Thursday afternoon too. I have sent some additions and a tiny cut, she will re-order and maybe also re-size the images at some point in the future.
You know I need people to engage with and I have to a degree. I wonder if people think its cos I think I am brilliant rather than need and want thier energy and inclusion. It gives me the spirit and breath that makes me see what I am doing and whether it works.
Put an imac in one corner to show a few pictures from the 26th March demo.. and that seems to work.. it has colour, new, current, alive, fighting fresh!
A few tutors in Andrew, Daniel, Anna and another plus about 6 other people. Only one or two actually staying for the time, guess if they don't know its on and how long it is going on, that you can't make time.. we need time to engage.
One person from TUSC wanted to come in and another member of staff for next week. Next week is now possible, can I be here for that many days? Or maybe cut it 3 days including Friday and have a later start?
Lisa has changes now and will update for Friday next week. Possibly update before dave sees this on Thursday afternoon too. I have sent some additions and a tiny cut, she will re-order and maybe also re-size the images at some point in the future.
You know I need people to engage with and I have to a degree. I wonder if people think its cos I think I am brilliant rather than need and want thier energy and inclusion. It gives me the spirit and breath that makes me see what I am doing and whether it works.
Monday, 25 April 2011
Whose side are you on? RSVP
Whose Side Are You on?
(47 Working Title) (45 Mins approx)
A pre-rough cut of a documentary about some of those involved in the campaign against cuts in Liverpool in the 80's will be shown over the next three days. This Liverpool 47, as they became known, and the surrounding campaign is becoming more and more relevant as many Labour councils chose to implement huge cuts, despite local and national opposition. They argue there is no choice, this piece is a tiny contribution to this ongoing debate. In London, there are only a few council seats being contested, however across the country 180 anti cuts (TUSC) candidates are standing, arguing there is a choice.
It is a relatively small collection of interviews, with some of the councillors, workers and local people involved at the time. Under Thatcher, the Tories made huge local and national cuts, Liverpool city council was one of a dozen councils that had voted NOT to pass on Tory cuts but in the end only Liverpool & Lambeth stood firm.
This pre-rough cut is a starting point to show a little of how & why they fought the cuts and built more council housing in 4 years than the rest of the country, as well as so much more.
Dave Sinclair (photographer) will has also agreed for his photographs to be shown as part of this. He also is likely to be in for an hour too.
I will show this 2-3 times a day (contact me if you have a short amount of time and need to know the schedule):
The Digital Art Gallery,
Borough Road, SE1
Between Elephant & Castle and Borough Tube.
11am - 5pm Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday this week only!
(Non LSBU staff & Students need to contact me to get on a visitors list)
Look forward to seeing you over this week and please forward to anyone you think might be interested in this and RSVP if you are thinking of coming.
This project may take a year to fully complete but we thought it best to get some feedback in now and see what you thought.
Arti
(47 Working Title) (45 Mins approx)
A pre-rough cut of a documentary about some of those involved in the campaign against cuts in Liverpool in the 80's will be shown over the next three days. This Liverpool 47, as they became known, and the surrounding campaign is becoming more and more relevant as many Labour councils chose to implement huge cuts, despite local and national opposition. They argue there is no choice, this piece is a tiny contribution to this ongoing debate. In London, there are only a few council seats being contested, however across the country 180 anti cuts (TUSC) candidates are standing, arguing there is a choice.
It is a relatively small collection of interviews, with some of the councillors, workers and local people involved at the time. Under Thatcher, the Tories made huge local and national cuts, Liverpool city council was one of a dozen councils that had voted NOT to pass on Tory cuts but in the end only Liverpool & Lambeth stood firm.
This pre-rough cut is a starting point to show a little of how & why they fought the cuts and built more council housing in 4 years than the rest of the country, as well as so much more.
Dave Sinclair (photographer) will has also agreed for his photographs to be shown as part of this. He also is likely to be in for an hour too.
I will show this 2-3 times a day (contact me if you have a short amount of time and need to know the schedule):
The Digital Art Gallery,
Borough Road, SE1
Between Elephant & Castle and Borough Tube.
11am - 5pm Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday this week only!
(Non LSBU staff & Students need to contact me to get on a visitors list)
Look forward to seeing you over this week and please forward to anyone you think might be interested in this and RSVP if you are thinking of coming.
This project may take a year to fully complete but we thought it best to get some feedback in now and see what you thought.
Arti
Footage? SP said we can have some of thiers..
Will I be happy to have footge fromohter people? Or will I need to get my own cutaways..
The bus shoots might not be right.. some seems to work.. but I love time lapse...
TUC Lobby
TUC demo - unison, unite, rmt, housing, ma goldsmiths, pete and mike
Pete - 26th MARCH - http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSocialistParty
Student Demos - http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSocialistParty#p/u/4/ghDIFDWSQV8
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSocialistParty#p/u/6/X9qKu3z0Ens
Fire fighters - http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSocialistParty#p/u/5/hFbbnfy2ys4
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSocialistParty#p/u/40/c1bG3ZovkN8
TUSC
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSocialistParty#p/u/8/cK66RkVrlyo
Youth fight for jobs - barking
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSocialistParty#p/u/9/QcDqdnsMfGs
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSocialistParty#p/u/11/eUBiydgP-pY
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSocialistParty#p/u/80/PlS82Yo_nEA (without titles?)
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSocialistParty#p/u/149/91ezI4htoJU
Terry Fields 19809's
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSocialistParty#p/u/20/3yn6XzhuZeA
Who made this??
NSSN
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSocialistParty#p/u/27/kG-lB3LVnw4
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSocialistParty#p/u/57/pf07vHOYi7E
UNISON
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSocialistParty#p/u/73/2lr4XKBCRQs
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSocialistParty#p/u/133/Tm8D1ZhwDoI
The bus shoots might not be right.. some seems to work.. but I love time lapse...
TUC Lobby
TUC demo - unison, unite, rmt, housing, ma goldsmiths, pete and mike
Pete - 26th MARCH - http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSocialistParty
Student Demos - http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSocialistParty#p/u/4/ghDIFDWSQV8
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSocialistParty#p/u/6/X9qKu3z0Ens
Fire fighters - http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSocialistParty#p/u/5/hFbbnfy2ys4
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSocialistParty#p/u/40/c1bG3ZovkN8
TUSC
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSocialistParty#p/u/8/cK66RkVrlyo
Youth fight for jobs - barking
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSocialistParty#p/u/9/QcDqdnsMfGs
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSocialistParty#p/u/11/eUBiydgP-pY
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSocialistParty#p/u/80/PlS82Yo_nEA (without titles?)
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSocialistParty#p/u/149/91ezI4htoJU
Terry Fields 19809's
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSocialistParty#p/u/20/3yn6XzhuZeA
Who made this??
NSSN
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSocialistParty#p/u/27/kG-lB3LVnw4
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSocialistParty#p/u/57/pf07vHOYi7E
UNISON
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSocialistParty#p/u/73/2lr4XKBCRQs
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSocialistParty#p/u/133/Tm8D1ZhwDoI
Sunday, 24 April 2011
Parking the words
Watching ‘Can you dance’ with all its glitzy lights, ohh la la, carnival and cheese atmosphere, but still warmth for those who want to show themselves and their possibility. I wondered whether the largest amount of people who came into the DAG last time did so because it was a tad gaudy? (As what’s her name said, ‘an assault on your senses’? It was lots of colour lights, partly cos I didn’t know how to make them just white… and 3 projected screens plus 3 Imacs with still and moving image, moving from one element to another.
Not so understated it feels distant and unlinked or that its prenioius so ‘cerebral’ as Sophie calls me, that there is abstraction within and around it. Can’t touch it, as I can’t see it. (Feeling something of a breeze as I sit on the Downs in hardly clothes in the shade. It’s where there was a free space. I’ll move soon ‘cos I need, want to be warm but outdoors. It’s April and it’s lovely, it’ll be lovely for so long…
OH audience engagement. Flyers and conversations – this is a gallery – where will be if cuts continue? What is its future? AHRC ..Come in before its gone… stolen away again before we really every got it. Even if you think galleries are for them, whoever they are? (The Bourg..)
Our fees, some central government and a Hodge podge of other stuff fund this but ultimately by US! The new undergrad fees will be £8.5k….at LSBU and MA fees? No idea, they are already costly, especially those without virtually any contact time.
NEED TO DO?
1. Basic Flyer
2. More details as to why am I doing this
Evaluation or sign up sheet? Comments?
Oh I love writing and thinking and working out plans with this. You never know, I never know, what do I need to say or show…
· Rough CUT
· Cutaways
· Possible additions
· Students
· TUSC candidates
· Kingsley Abrahams?
· Dave Sinc and photographs
· KM – How you see life now? Biggest let down labour, Under 25 and skirt.
I want to show you how far we’ve come. And how far we have to go.. (Like I know? Like I can really see that?) It’s only a step in, touching upon so much that has happened, just touching but at the same time they gave us that. What else we need to have within it… young people, participation, housing and Lyn, …
Perhaps add the international and women’s element from KM? Or does it feel so flippant? But its light, with layers of what oppression looks like and how people are seen? And that’s important. I can’t tell you the whole story of the 47 but touch upon it and a little about those involved and what they did, how they did it, and wheat they mean to how they are how and live their lives.
I’ll have feedback for Lisa and me and that can be added by 5th May and then something more by the week of the 16th MAY. (CHECK ROXY??)
If I show it, even rough-cut version 2 into an academic space what happens…if I put it into an arty space like the Roy what happens? But it will always be a private screening… invited guests only. Already sets the tone I guess? Cllrs? RMT?
This seems like a long time ago but its so not. WAPPING – Marx exhibition (be good to go as a union group? _ link to mayday or another event. That just depends. (Weird when people decide to walk so close by where they have the whole park to wonder… nosey what is she writing, why? Why now? Why here?
In the cold shade, with no virtually no clothes on, she’ll move, but it’s been productive and I’m not scared by what I have to do… alone…or in association with others.
I’ll find a warm spot and sit in the sun, read and maybe call Tina & Karen. It’s nice to chatter. And I have taken my thoughts, my circular worlds down to take me somewhere else. I so need you words; I so needed to be here and there in my everyday writing you for me…. And it lifts and centres me (really am I going to put this shit in my blog… oh god, you do show yourself up?)
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