Statue sculptor to be announced at Mary Barbour Concert

The five shortlisted statues

The name of the successful sculptor chosen to create the statue of Mary Barbour will be announced from the stage of the Gala Concert scheduled for this Sunday, 21 February in Glasgow’s Old Fruitmarket, the Remember Mary Barbour Association (RMBA) said today.

Maria Fyfe, Chair of the Remember Mary Barbour Association said. “This concert is a part of raising the funds to commission the statue, so it seemed only right to announce the successful candidate here. At long last there will be a new statue of a woman of achievement - achievement not for herself but for the people of Glasgow. This concert will be both a celebration of the statues and of Mary’s life and work.”

In addition to the stars already announced, prominent Scottish actress Libby McArthur has joined the guest list to add drama to the variety of the concert. She will be delivering a speech from Julia Taudevin’s play, Mrs Barbour’s Daughters.

Compering the show is comedian and presenter, Susan Morrison, and the performers will include folk legends, Sheena Wellington, and Arthur Johnstone, rising singer and musician Siobhan Miller, Scottish legends The Whistlebinkies, Gaelic singing star, Maeve Mackinnon, harmonica supremo, Fraser Speirs, and folk-rock recording artists, The Wakes. A local Govan-based community choir – the Govan Allsorts, will bring Mary’s community centre stage!

Susan Morrison

Compere, Susan Morrison said “Too often we look at history and see the word hero linked only to men who did things in wars of dubious morality The women who stood with Mary fought for something greater. They fought for fairness, for justice and for their communities. They were kitchen table heroes and that is worth celebrating, to inspire a new generation of women to continue the fight.”

In addition to the maquettes of the statues, a new portrait has been painted of Mary Barbour, by Govan artist Daniel Fitzpatrick. He has donated the powerful and striking portrait to the RMBA. The portrait depicts her steely determination but also captures her warmth and compassion, and a series of limited edition signed prints are being created for sale - hopefully in time for the concert!! 

Mary Barbour by Daniel Fitzpatrick

Mary Barbour led the successful rent strike of 1915 and went on to play a leading role in the labour movement as a Glasgow Councillor and energetic social reformer. Following an extensive campaign to have her contribution recognised, five sculptors were shortlisted to create a statue of her to be placed in her community of Govan. So far each has created a maquette of a proposed statue . These were unveiled in November and have been toured across Glasgow for people to express their opinion. See them on the Facebook page here.

Details of the Gala Concert are as follows

Remember Mary Barbour Gala Concert , Sunday 21 February, Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow, 7.30pm, Tickets: £25, from the Glasgow Concert Halls box office. http://www.glasgowconcerthalls.com/Pages/home.aspx#  0141 353 8000. For further information  - www. remembermarybarbour.wordpress.com/ and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RememberMaryBarbour/

Acts announced for Mary Barbour Gala Concert

This release was featured in the Evening Times on the 19 January. It updates earlier news with some of the artists who have signed up to play in the GalaConcert. Get your tickets NOW!!

A galaxy of stars will play at the Gala Concert to raise money for a statue to Govan Rent Strike leader, Mary Barbour, it was announced today. The concert, which is scheduled for 21 February in Glasgow’s Old Fruitmarket, will feature a number of great performers for a night of entertainment, song and music. 

Compereing the show is comedian and presenter, Susan Morrison, and the guest

Arthur Johnstone

list will include folk legends, Sheena Wellington, and Arthur Johnstone, rising singer and musician Siobhan Miller, Scottish legends The Whistlebinkies, Gaelic singing star, Maeve Mackinnon, harmonica supremo, Fraser Speirs, and folk-rock recording artists, The Wakes.

A local Govan-based community choir – the Govan Allsorts, led by musician Lesley Robertson - have also been called in to bring Mary’s community centre stage! Further special guests are anticipated.

Susan Morrison

Compere, Susan Morrison said “It has long been the case that the role of women activists in the struggle for decent conditions has been overlooked. Its great that we are helping an important move to redress that, and that so many wonderful artists are keen to help.”

Maria Fyfe, Chair of the Remember Mary Barbour Association said. “This concert has taken off and looks like being a superb celebration of Mary’s life and work. Isn’t this a great way to raise much-needed funds, display the huge support for this project and have a great night out?”

Mary Barbour led the successful rent strike of 1915 and went on to play a leading role in the labour movement as a Glasgow Councillor and energetic social reformer. Following an extensive campaign to have her contribution recognised, five sculptors were shortlisted to create a statue of her to be placed in her community of Govan. So far each has created a maquette of a proposed statue . These were unveiled in November and are being toured across Glasgow from then until February. See them on the Facebook page here.

Details of the Gala Concert are as follows

Remember Mary Barbour – Gala Concert , Sunday 21 February, Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow, 7.30pm, Tickets: £25, from the Glasgow Concert Halls box office. http://www.glasgowconcerthalls.com/Pages/home.aspx#  0141 353 8000. For further information  - www. remembermarybarbour.wordpress.com/ and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RememberMaryBarbour/

The Carrying Stream - Celtic Connections 1

This is the first of a series of reviews of Celtic Connections concerts. I'm doing a couple of summary reviews for the Morning Star (and indeed did a preview piece here.) but I thought some of these concerts deserve a full review to themselves. Here is the first, of the opening concert

The Carrying Stream ****  Royal Concert Hall

The 50th anniversary of an association formed to promote and preserve Scottish Traditional music sounds a bit 'worthy', conjuring up images of bearded men in Aran jumpers! But the difference between the image and the reality of traditional music in Scotland is soon exposed. Celtic Connections' opening concert for 2016 was directed by young singer Siobhan Miller - Radio 2 Young

Siobhan Miller

folk singer of the year a few years back, and twice winner of the Scots Singer of The Year award at the Scottish Trad music Awards. And the TMSA is at least as concerned with nurturing new talent as preserving old. That is immediately obvious from the impressive opening from he National Youth Pipe Band, backed up by the amplified guitars of the house band!

The concert also varies between standards from the Scottish traditional music scene, like Shepheard, Speirs and Watson, and Adam MacNaughon and more recent innovators like Kris Drever, sparky Gaelic singer Mischa Macpherson and - youngest of the lot! - the Ceilidh Trail Band, just back from a tour 'to see how professional musicians can survive' as MC Mark Stevens put it. Any illusion that only Scots from the Highlands are part of the 'carrying stream' was also put to rest with slots from US singer Rayna Gellart and - even further out - Londoner Sam Lee!

Sheena Wellington

Stalwarts of the Scottish folk scene there were in plenty - Arthur Johnstone and Brian Miller, Sheena Wellington (reprising her Scottish Parliament-opening A Man's a Man), Barbara Dickson, Malinky and surprise (and welcome) guests, Aly Bain and Phil Cunninghame, but the real strength of the TMSA is its willingness to absorb and protect traditional acts while nurturing and developing new talent. It is that which enabled Siobhan Miller to get away with bringing Barbara Dickson on for only one song. It is that which led the packed stalls of the Royal Concert Hall to welcome every act with warmth and affection, and it is that which meant the packed stage could sign off with Freedom Come All Ye and The Parting Glass without a false start.

Looking Forward (and Remembering) - A tribute to Tony

Tony Benn (photo courtesy Sunday Mail)

300 plus people squashed into Glasgow's Mitchell Theatre on Sunday to celebrate a legend. As compère Susan Morrison pointed out, the word was in danger of overuse, as artists like Fraser Speirs, James Grant and Arthur Johnstone followed one another onto the stage. But in reality one legend dominated. Tony Benn himself, was the life being celebrated - to him went the accolade

Despite the last minute absence of Roy Bailey, taken ill on his way to the concert, the bill in the two concerts was crammed with talent. The first (spoken word) concert featured the acid sharpness of Tom Leonard, the pointed humour of Elvis McGonagall and the up-front politics of Attila the Stockbroker. Held together by the stories of Bruce Morton, it was a revelation to those who possibly hadn't experienced performance poetry before.

The main bill, however, was reserved for the evening concert. Curated by singer-songwriter,

Rab Noakes (photo by Alan MacMillan)

Rab Noakes and introduced by Scottish Labour leadership candidate, Neil Findlay MSP (who had the initial idea) a positive galaxy of musicians from Scotland, augmented by guests from South of the border served up a great evening. Ably compèred by Susan Morrison, the first half was introduced by Rab and Fraser's version of Sixteen Tons. Arthur Johnstone and Stephen Wright replaced Rab to give us some Woody Guthrie (Playboys and Playgirls) and Adrian Mitchell's Victor Jara. Appropriately, that introduced some more poetry from Elvis McGonagall, whose sharp analysis and humour made the politics more pointed - and converted not a few to performance poetry!  

Emily Benn

While all the show took place under the watchful eye of Tony Benn from the big screen, his granddaughter, Emily, who read from Letters to my Grandchildren, made further family input. She thanked the organisers, and called on everyone to continue the fight for democracy, equality and peace that Tony Benn had given his life to. Rab Noakes' main set - Incorporating the ever-coruscating Spin closed the first half.

The second half rang the changes with the Qyeen of NRNXPO - probably the first time many of the audience have been exposed to rap! Attila the Stockbroker put some political meat on the bones before the double act of Alastair McDonald and Sheena Wellington brought us back to some traditional material - No, Trident No (Alastair), Mrs Barbour's Army (Sheena) and of course the song closely associated with her - A Man's a Man for a' that.

James Grant

James Grant's set moved us into the current day with dark songs of loss - My Father's Coat in particular. And the finale gave us a different take on The Red Flag. By reverting to its initial tune (The White Cockade) Rab and the ensemble breathed a new, much more jaunty, life into the song.

With the now traditional Jarama Valley/Bandiera Rosa winding up the night, the whole day was one of tradition, mixed with development. Encouraging new experiences, while celebrating old successes. Surely entirely appropriate for an evening for Tony Benn?  

Stars and family gather in Glasgow to celebrate life of Tony Benn

Excitement is building ahead of the range of events arranged to celebrate the life of Tony Benn next weekend. Two major concerts and a couple of discussion groups are planned for Sunday 30 November in Glasgow’s Mitchell Theatre. The events will run from the afternoon into the evening, culminating in a grand concert, with the music curated by singer-songwriter Rab Noakes, and starring Squeeze’s Chris Difford, and Love and Money’s James Grant amongst a galaxy of other talent. Another appearance will be by Benn’s granddaughter, Emily, herself a political activist and Labour Prospective Parliamentary Candidate.

Rab Noakes said “It’s appropriate that a celebration of the life and work of Tony Benn should be based around music and song. He himself took part in many performances where his own writings were combined and interwoven with songs.”

And Tony Benn’s co-star in many of these performances – including Glastonbury  - legendary folk singer Roy Bailey will also sing. Other performers will be, the doyen of political singers, Arthur Johnstone, Alastair McDonald, Sheena Wellington, and harmonicist extraordinaire, Fraser Speirs. Broadening the musical diversity is Edinburgh-based rapper, NRNXPO’s Qyeen and comedy compere Susan Morrison will try and keep it all in order!

The evening concert will be preceded by a poetry, performance and presentation concert at 4.30pm.

This features poet Tom Leonard, performance artists Attila the Stockbroker and Elvis McGonagall, compered by Bruce Morton.

In addition to singing, Roy Bailey will take part in a discussion about Tony Benn, Music and Politics to kick off the day, and that will be followed by a discussion on peace and nuclear weapons led by CND activists, Stephen Griffiths and Arthur West.

Jim Lister, of organisers FairPley said “We have had to rearrange this day from the Concert Hall to the Mitchell, so we can use the fact that all the venues are in close proximity as we have sharp timetables to meet. That means it may well sell out sooner, so we advise everyone to get their tickets quickly.”

The day’s events have been made possible by TU sponsors; Aslef, GMB, UNISON, Unite the union and PCS. The original idea came from Neil Findlay MSP.

Tickets for these events are available from the GCH box office on 0141 353 8000 or http://www.glasgowconcerthalls.com/events/tony-benn-a-celebration-concert/

Tony Benn heads red thread through Celtic Connections

This is a copy of my article that was printed in the Morning Star on Saturday. Watch out for further comments on Celtic Connections events, as it is already shaping up to be rather a good Festival!

Last weekend saw the start of the Celtic Connections festival here in Glasgow. This innovative music festival with its roots firmly in the Scottish/Irish folk tradition is 20 this year! Since 1993 Celtic Connections has encompassed a huge range of material - Blues, Reggae, World, Jazz etc - mostly with an (occasionally tenuous) link to the Celtic diaspora.

There are often a number of events worth recommending to those of a left perspective. Tony Benn, Alastair McDonald, Arthur Johnstone, Sheena Wellington, Mark Thomas, Alistair Hulett and Dave Swarbrick are among those making the red thread glow through this year's festival.

Unusually, the music festival is throwing its schedule open to a film and Q&A session on Saturday 26 January, when former Minister and Labour MP,Tony Benn arrives to preview his film biography Will and Testament. 

Tony is back in Glasgow!

The hugely influential politician has been participating in the making of this film for the last two years (he is now 87). The preview will be followed by questions on his life, his politics and current issues in a session chaired by comedian Mark Thomas. Well-known singers Sheena Wellington, Arthur Johnstone and Alastair McDonald will also perform.

Tony Benn said 

“I am pleased to come back to Glasgow, the home of the UCS work-in, and many prominent trade union and socialist activists. It is great to be able to introduce this film at Celtic Connections. There is an affinity between folk and radical ideas, that I also see at Glastonbury.”

Sheena Wellington

Arthur Johnstone is having a busy Celtic Connections. In addition to the Tony Benn event both he, Alastair, and Sheena are appearing in Songs of Struggle on the 29 Jan. This concert celebrates solidarity through song. Along with Dave Anderson (ex- Wildcat) and new singer Siobhan Miller, it continues the collaboration started by 2011's UCS anniversary concert. It can also now be revealed that both folk-rock legend Rab Noakes, and harmonica virtuoso Fraser Speirs will guest!

Both these are organised by FairPley, who stage events particularly for not-for-profit groups. The Tony Benn event is backed by Unite the union, UNISONScotland and the STUC,

Arthur also features in the Red Clydeside concert on Friday 25 January. Songs of the late singer-songwriter and campaigner Alistair Hulett, whose suite revisiting Red Clydeside were featured on his 2002 album with Dave Swarbrick, are being performed by the political-song doyen Roy Bailey, Arthur, rising star Ewan McLennan, and other special guests, including Karine Polwart and Gavin Livingstone.

Arthur Johnstone said

Arthur Johnstone

“Jimmy Reid said during the UCS work-in that folk music has no meaning unless it expresses the lives and struggles of ordinary people. It is good that Celtic Connections is keeping that link prominent in the festival.”

Finally, the launch of the third volume of Songs by Robert Tannahill, the eighteenth-century Paisley weaver/poet takes place at the festival on January 31.

Links between folk music and people's struggle have been well-established over the years -especially in Scotland. Celtic Connections is one festival which is benefiting from the reignition of a spark linking new audiences to radical entertainment. Tickets for these events and many more can be obtained from http://www.celticconnections.com

Keep your culture on your left

After an enforced absence due to a family bereavement, the Captain leaps back into bloggery with news of some imminent cultural milestones, notice of another radical edge to next years Celtic Connections and a little nudge to radical groups and organisations to begin preparations for MayDay next year.

David Hayman marks the legacy of Bill Speirs

David Hayman

Later this week, on Thursday 29 November, the second annual Bill Speirs Foundation lecture is being given by Director and Actor (and good friend of Bill), David Hayman. This lecture is entitled Activate Your Humanity and Change the World. 

It is being hosted in the Deeprose Theatre (Room A005, Govan Mbeki Building) of Glasgow Caledonian University from 5.30pm. It will take the form of a lecture, followed by Q&A with David. There will be light refreshments afterwards, appropriately enough in the Govan Mbeki Garden Cafe! 

Entry is free, but ticketed, and a collection for the foundation will be taken. Tickets from http://billspeirs.eventbrite.com/. Any questions please contact Jaki Speirs on +44 (0)141 273-1610 or email jaki.speirs@gcu.ac.uk. 

This is the second in what is planned to be a series of annual events, marking the social, political, cultural and international legacy of former STUC General Secretary, Scottish Labour executive member, International campaigner, and 7:84 Theatre Company Director, Bill Speirs. It promises to be a great evening!

The Morning Star of Scotland

Another interesting event in the campaign to grow the left in Scotland is the launch of the Scottish edition of the Morning Star on Saturday 1 December at the STUC from 7.30 - 10.30pm. The Morning Star, as many on the left are aware, is the only left-wing daily paper in the UK. It is owned - not by multinational media empires, or even porn kings, but by its readers, like me, through a Co-operative (the People’s Press Printing Co-op). 

In recent years its sales here have been declining greatly, as the paper (along with other small-circulation dailies) has been refused access to a late night flight delivering the papers to Scotland. The lack of same-day availability has proved almost fatal, and led to a spiral of decline both in circulation and in coverage of Scottish issues

However, some of you may have started to notice it appearing on shelves in your local newsagents. Not only that, but these papers were currently dated! This is due to the Star management having taken two bold steps. Firstly, setting up a second printing source in Oldham, to ensure that the paper intended for Scotland and the North of England can access transport to these areas in time to get to us for the relevant day, and secondly appointing both a reporter on the staff with responsibility for Scotland (Rory MacKinnon) And a local journalist - the talented Malcolm Burns - who is keeping his eye on the scene in Scotland.

The Co-op funeralcare brass band

The event on Saturday is a Scottish Edition launch event. The St Andrew’s Weekend celebration is a mixture of speeches and musical celebration being organised jointly with the Scottish Co-operative Party. Again, it is a free event, but there will be a collection for the Star. Speakers are Richard Bagley (Editor of the Morning Star); Mary Lockhart (President of the Scottish Co-operative Party); Richard Leonard, (Political officer of the GMB), and Pat Rafferty, (Scottish Secretary of Unite the union). This part will be chaired by Agnes Tomie, (President of the STUC). 

Musical backing is being provided by the award-winning, Co-operative Funeralcare band, with some soloists also playing with prominent Scottish musician and composer, Eddie McGuire. Young performer, Marc Livingstone and evergreen singer Arthur Johnstone will complete the bill. For further information foster631@btinternet.com.

See you at both of these!!

Match This!

If you can’t get to Glasgow Caley on Thursday, and are in the Hamilton Area, you could do worse than to get yourself down to Hamilton Town House Library for 7.00pm. In a promising new library project, UNISON’s South Lanarkshire Branch and the local Leisure & Culture Trust are hosting an event with author Louise Raw. 

She will be promoting her new book, Strike a Light, telling how the women workers at Bryant and May in London's east end sparked the rise of new unionism and helped to build the modern trade union movement. 

Celtic Connections maintains its political cutting edge

It is good to see that the new programme for Celtic Connections, maintains the welcome radical edge started in last years festival. While a more detailed listing will come later, the return of Tony Benn, with a preview of his biographical film Will and Testament, 

particularly as he is joined by Comedian Mark Thomas to chair a Q&A afterwards, and with Scotland’s folk ‘royalty’ (though they wouldn’t thank you for that description), Sheena Wellington  and Arthur Johnstone, looks like a major highlight.

Sheena Wellington. The folk singers' folk singer

Arthur will also sing in Songs of Struggle. A collective series that emerged out of last year’s UCS Anniversary concerts. More detail later, but again a highlight of the programme. Concerts that also look good, include Red Cydeside, with Dave Swarbrick, and Scots in the Spanish Civil War, curated by Ian Macalman. More later!!

Prepare for MayDay

Finally, the potential for much of this cultural energy to re-emerge around next year’s MayDay celebrations in Scotland, looks hopeful. An early approach to a number of organisations from the Glasgow Friends of MayDay has started them preparing to stage events. 

The GFoMD also plan to build on last years successful MayDay programme, and in particular, are looking for bids from Trades Union Council’s outside Glasgow to see if we can’t develop the successful Concert into a short ‘tour’ around MayDay. Why not check what your TUC or campaigning group has planned, and get in touch with GFoMD via FairPley @ 0141 418 0562 or swright@fairpley.com or chrisbartter@btinternet.com 

Tales from the city - the first

As we are now able to, Doreen and I have decided to spend more time than usual in various parts of the eastern city at events arranged during August. Apparently they have a goodly number of them at that time, who would have thought it? I hope to keep up a regular blog of reviews.

Legends in tribute to the Legend

At the newly refurbished Assembly Rooms, the first event was Songs of Struggle, an extension of the successful concerts arranged to celebrate the UCS 40^th Anniversary. Some of Scotland’s greatest singers came together and put on a concert inspired by the birth centenary of political activist and folk legend - Woody Guthrie.

Alastair MacDonald

Alastair MacDonald kicked off the show with Irish traditional song Kelly, the boy from Killane. he followed it with a classic ‘Thurso Berwick’ (Morris Blythman) song Perfervidum Ingaenium Scotorum. It set the good size audience up for a sparkling evening. While there were a good number of classic left political songs, set through it were more unusual items. Sheena Wellington, who followed MacDonald, set a more laid-back tone with her a cappella songs (including her own Women o’ Dundee). Dave Anderson - fresh from his success in Oran Mor’s Summer panto - Alice in Poundland, revisited Wildcat’s play about the 84 Miners’ Strike with his version of Dead Liberty. The balance problem between the keyboard and voice didn’t lose too much of the context.

Arthur and Brian at the UCS
concert in the Old Fruitmarket

It was left, appropriately enough, to Arthur Johnstone, and Brian Miller to bring us to the specific Woody Guthrie songs of the night, highlighting Ramblin Round, (a nice version of this song by Bob Dylan can be heard here -  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76kx2CPXiyE ) and Do Re Mi.

The short tribute ended with the ensemble performance of This land is your land, and sent the pleased audience on their way with Guthrie’s So long (its been good to know you).

Short, though the concert was, it was a fitting tribute. With the Guthrie songbook hardly even pauchled, never mind plundered, his hundredth birthday has surely some more mileage yet?

And did those feet...?

It is probably taking a step too far to see Danny Boyle’s inclusion of suffragettes, trade unions and the NHS in his Olympic opening ceremony as a left ‘claim-staking’ of cultural events in the UK. (Mind you wasn’t it great that so many right-wing politicians and media made fools of themselves berating the ‘lefty propaganda’?). However, the left has certainly, in recent years evinced an increasing interest and involvement in cultural and artistic events.

A number of items at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival point to this revival of socialist and working-class interest in, and use of, cultural and artistic activities to reach people and to raise their profile in general.

Tony Benn

At the Assembly Rooms, produced/programmed this year by Tommy Sheppard (himself no stranger to radical ideas), old skool left Labour ex-Parliamentarian, Tony Benn will be taking the stage to introduce a forthcoming filmed biography - Will and Testament. This has been over a year in the gestation and covers, among many struggles, Benn’s involvement in the 1971/2 Upper Clyde Shipbuilders work-in. This was a struggle he remembered last year as he took part in the Gala Concert staged to mark the 40^th Anniversary in Glasgow’s Mitchell Theatre - many attendees will remember the film crew following Tony around.

Woody Guthrie

In addition a number of the other participants in that concert (and the subsequent Celtic Connections concert) are coming back together to mark another working-class anniversary - the centenary of the birth of Woody Guthrie, dust bowl poet and singer, communist and inspirer of many of today’s folk singers, most notably Bob Dylan. Arthur Johnstone, Alistair MacDonald, David Anderson and Sheena Wellington lead the line up paying homage to Guthrie.

While this might be seen as the product of successful concerts and the desire of a new producer/programmer to strike out in a new direction from his predecessor, in fact these events are the latest examples of might be seen as a resurgence of ‘socialist culture’ that seems to be taking hold.

MayDay

Previous events included the UCS 40^th Anniversary Concerts, and other highlights like the screening of Cinema Action’s films of the Work-in, but there are also the two years of cultural activity around Glasgow’s traditional MayDay march. Although low-key, these are increasingly being distinguished by the rise in the number of campaigning organisations staging events. Last year the programme featured Scottish Left Review, Cuba Solidarity, and the International Brigades Association as well as Glasgow’s Trades Union Council and the co-ordinating Glasgow Friends’s of MayDay.

Our Class, Our Culture

Also Scotland is seeing a series of increasingly respected Morning Star Our Class, Our Culture discussion sessions. These last have featured well-known artistic performers, writers and composers, such as Dave MacLennan, Alistair Findlay and William Sweeney, and have covered the contribution of different genres to working class struggle, and the impact of different artists - like Robert Tressell. 

Tressell also features at Edinburgh with a production of Stephen Lowe’s two-handed dramatisation of his Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, produced by Townsend Productions and Unite the union, and a South African Season also features, led by Athol Fugard’s Statements After an Arrest Under the Immorality Act and Woza Albert! from The Market Theatre in Johannesburg (at the (other) Assembly).

The awakening of trade unions to the profile-raising and appeal-broadening sides to this cultural activity is significant. The UCS and Tressell productions have been financed largely by Unite the union, and the other large player, UNISON has been running a number of interesting and innovative Mobilise sessions around Scotland - bringing singing, music, comedy and cartooning directly into the fight. 

A 'Golden Thread'

As someone who has long argued that the use of culture and the arts should be much more of a ‘natural’ element for trade unions, and the left in general, these developments are welcome. I don’t think I am alone, either, in seeing in the flashmob, and other theatrical stunts produced by UK Uncut and the Occupy movements, a practical application of this link. While it should not, (and cannot successfully) be separated from the need to have a clear political direction and a planned campaign, the use of music, drama, imaginative writing and all the entertainment of a well produced event needs to be increased. 

After all, as Boyle himself said his ceremony had  “a single golden thread of purpose - the idea of Jerusalem - of the better world, the world of real freedom and true equality…”. Maybe my original theory doesn’t sound a step too far after all! I suspect Woody Guthrie would have subscribed to Boyle's " ...belief that we can build Jerusalem. And that it will be for everyone”.