Manchester & Salford Anarchist Bookfair Talks (All talks take place in upstairs area)
Area A:
11.30am: ‘The Future Anarchist Society’
Anarchist Federation North host a talk on the future anarchist society.
12.30pm: Clousden Hill
An experiment in integrating new technology with co-operative living and working in the 1890s. It was also a site for testing equality between women and men by an internationally famous group of anarchist communists and socialists attempting to develop a modern market garden. Their story still offers insights into the problems of communal life and the relationship between ‘utopias’ and the wider world
1.30pm: 21st Century Anarcho-Syndicalism
Anarcho-syndicalism has always adapted to changing circumstances. A member of Manchester Solidarity Federation outlines how anarcho-syndicalism is adapting to the current rapidly changing economic and social climate.
2.30pm: Conspiracy/ WTF Capitalism
Plan C deliver a condensed version of the talk on conspiracy theories that was given at this year’s Fast Forward Festival
3.30pm: Spycops
Activists who are/ have been targeted by spycops talk about the issue. Plus an update on the state of the public inquiry on undercover policing.
4.30pm: In Defence of Youth Work
Discussion of anarchist approaches to youth work
Area B:
12.30pm: Unlikely Heroes
Walter Lewis will talk about background and stories from spending a year seeking out and visiting small scale, organic farmers and growers across England and Wales. Many working and living off grid and motivated by an environmental activism.…
1.30pm: Radical Birdwalk
The theme of the talk is largely based around the examples of mutual aid and solidarity (and other social traits that some might consider radical or subversive) that birds exhibit, that you can witness by birdwatching, and I try to frame these (as per Kropotkin in the book Mutual Aid) in direct contrast with the ways capitalism and other forms of authoritarianism have used observations of nature to rationalise oppressive and exploitative behaviour (principally social Darwinism). Plus there’s a bit about land rights
If weather good this talk will be a walk and leave main entrance at 2.00pm
https://www.facebook.com/events/504323233299883/
2.30pm: An Introduction to the IWW
In this interactive workshop, participants have the chance to learn some of the up-to-date techniques which the IWW uses for on-the-job action. The IWW is a grass roots union that has struggled for workers’ power around the globe since 1905. IWW members will introduce the union’s core concepts, principles and tactics, as well as victories the IWW has won recently in Manchester and further afield.
3.30pm: Subvertising and Détournement with the Brandalism Collective
‘Subvertising’ – the art of subverting advertising is growing in popularity as a means to reclaim public space from corporate messages.
In this session, we’ll look at some of the critiques of corporate advertising centred around consumerism, gender stereotypes, environmental justice, cultural values and the right to the city concept. We’ll also take a look at the some of the latest creative methods from around the world in taking back public space.
4.30pm: Personalities out of Politics, Issues into Politics!
There will be an update from the Zapatista Communities in Mexico, and information and debate on their most recent initiative as part of their long-term thinking.