Posts Tagged ‘organising’

Mummy, what did you do to stop the LibDemCons

Wednesday, July 14th, 2010

Well mum and her partner got themselves along to the Bristol bookfair 2010, met loads of radical historians, workers, artists, fighters and dreamers. They discovered ideas old and new, brought a shitload of books, and argued, laughed and listened at a bunch of workshops. They were last seen helping out at the community food co-op distro centre in Kingswood in 2024, some 5 years after the council was overrun and the south west autonomous federation set up. We reckon they lived happily ever after….

BOOKFAIR 2010 - CALLOUT NO.2

Dear campaign groups, networks, workers, activists, distros, and above all PEOPLE!

Your Bookfair needs you.

latest bookfair poster - to the printers this week
latest bookfair poster - to the printers this week

The third annual Bristol Anarchist Bookfair will happen on Saturday September 11th at Hamilton House, 80 Stokes Croft, Bristol. It is from 10.30am to 6.00pm and the bookfair collective wants you there.

The date of the event draws near, just nine weeks to go now. The deadline for applications for stalls & workshops is the 9th of August if you want to appear in the programme, as it needs to go off to the printers. (That’s one month away people!)

The sooner we get those applications landing on the doorstep of Bookfair HQ the sooner we can put time into those little details that make Bristol Anarchist Bookfair stand out as a major event in the radical diary of the South-West.

bookfair flyer back draft
bookfair flyer back draft

This event will not be a major success without radical groups, publishers and individuals in Bristol and Beyond holding stalls and workshops…so it’s over to you people now.

Please put it high up the agenda of your next meeting, hopefully you will agree to do something, and ideally both a stall and a workshop (or even a film/slideshow/talk/debate/recital/radical walk).

The original full call out is here and the booking form is available on the website - click on Stalls & Workshops.
For help or info e-mail us or contact 0772nine846five65.

Love & Rage
The Bookfair Collective

Draft Bookfair 2010 posters and upcoming events

Monday, June 14th, 2010

Here’s a couple of draft bookfair posters, and a 2 upcoming bookfair-related events.

Tuesday 15 June, from 7 to 9pm - bookfair collective organising meeting.
Regular collective meet to plan & organise this years bookfair. There’s plenty to do, so keen and willing anarchists who’d like to get involved are more than welcome! Come along and meet/join us, at Kebele social centre, 14 Robertson Rd, Bristol BS5 6JY.

Sunday 20 June, from 6pm - solstice eve party and bookfair fundraiser.
Organised by the Bastard Squad collective, its at The Croft, doors from 6pm, film at 6.30pm, four bands from 8pm. £5 quid on the door. Full details here. (more…)

Bookfair 2010 news, and J18 plus 10 discussion now online

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

The event we held at The Cube cinema on 1 February, ‘J18 and Seattle 1999 - reflections and strategies 10 years on‘, is now available to view online (its in 3 parts) - thanks to Bristol Indymedia! We thought it was interesting and worthwhile, respect to all those who came, watched and contributed (or just listened). We also produced a short pamphlet for the event, you can download the pdf and read it here 1999plus10_pamphlet (more…)

Bookfair organising and other upcoming events

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

Tonight, Tuesday 9 February, sees our second organising meeting for the 2010 Bristol anarchist bookfair. We have been checking out various venues, which we’ll be discussing further. Plus we have a couple of pencilled in potential bookfair dates - the 11 or 18 September. We’ll also be looking further at possible themes for the bookfair, and its format. Plenty of items for keen anarchists to get their teeth into. We do need more people to get involved in the bookfair collective - the more people means we can organise better and more varied events. The bookfair is a very public anarchist event and a great opportunity for anarchists in Bristol to engage with a wide range of people. It is essentially your event, so dont just expect us to organise it for you.

circle-a_red_star_textTonights meeting takes place at Kebele social centre, 14 Robertson Rd, Bristol BS5 6JY, from 7.30 to 9pm. In the near future we hope to take the organising meetings to other venues, and we’d also be happy to scome and talk about the bookfair with your group, campaign, or network. get in touch.

Following on from our well attended event at The Cube on 1 February about the J18/Seattle protests, we have plenty of ideas for other events covering various topics. Again we’d like to hear from other anarchists what they think needs discussing? For example, some of us think Bristol’s anarchists would do well to hold some sort of weekend ‘politics and strategy’ gathering, which would mix political debate with some forward planning and co-ordination around agreed strategies. What do you think?

Of course many of Bristol’s healthy mix of campaigns, groups and networks continue to organise ongoing activities, many but not all of which appear on the Bristol Indymedia newswire and calendar. Here’s a few upcoming: (more…)

Reflections and strategies 10 years on from J18 and Seattle 1999

Sunday, January 24th, 2010

The Cube cinema, 1 February 2010, 7.30pm:
J18 & Seattle 1999 - reflections & strategies 10 years on

The Bristol anarchist bookfair collective and Bristol Indymedia present an evening of films and discussion that look back to the global protests and counter-summit mobilisations of 1999, and consider where next for the movement of movements. This event is part of Bristol Indymedia’s monthly programme at The Cube, entry as usual costs £3/4 but nobody will be turned away for lack of money - just state what you can afford.

cube_1-feb_posterWe’ll be showing 2 short dramatic films, one each from J18 and Seattle, which should get your adrenalin pumping. There will be no ‘big name’ speaker, so there will be plenty of time for discussion and contributions. Scroll down for background reading links. (more…)

Activities of interest for local anarchists and radicals

Friday, January 8th, 2010

pooh_anarrky1Good to see Bristol’s anarchists and radicals kicking off the new year in busy style. This is gonna be an important year acoss the political, economic and social fronts, with a general election happening alongside the deepening economic crisis and the state trying to effect ever greater social control. Opportunities comrades, and lots of them. Theorise, organise, strategise, practice, build alternatives across the spectrum. Let’s do it!

Here’s an incomplete list of some upcoming events and activities. To keep up to date check out the websites of our friends and neighbours (on the right), keep an eye on Bristol Indymedia, and visit your local anarchist spaces such as Kebele (Saturday & Sunday cafes) and The Emporium/Classics Free shop (Stokes croft) for more info and networking: (more…)

Is the recession really over?

Friday, September 11th, 2009

Much spinning in the media in recent months trying to talk up recovery from the present recession, with headlines this past week that the recession really is over - based of course on the governments own data. We all trust the government and its advisers don’t we?

However whilst stock exchanges may be starting to fly again, and bankers make like they never nearly crashed the world’s financial systems last year, the reality of the situation may lie somewhere behind the hopeful headlines and spin.

For a more down to earth view check out Will Brown’s article below, ‘Can China Save The World Economy?’, and come and discuss the topic with him at the bookfair on Saturday (room 2, 4pm). You can also find some interesting articles/links on China here. Meanwhile our friends at East Bristol Debtors Alliance have issued an impassioned plea for the cancellation of all personal debt, because its literally killing a lot of people. They’ll be taking this discussion further on Saturday too (room 1, 12 noon), as well as looking at what we can do locally in solidarity with those who have bailiffs and other debt collecting scum at the door. (more…)

A common treasury for all?

Sunday, September 6th, 2009

‘But everyone shall put their hands to till the earth and bring up cattle, and the blessing of the earth shall be common to all; when a man hath need of any corn or cattle, take from the next store-house he meets with. There shall be no buying and selling, no fairs or markets, but the whole earth shall be the common Treasury for evey man.’ - Gerrard Winstanley (1609 - 1676). (more…)

Anarchist movement conference discussion

Sunday, September 6th, 2009

Contributions to the anarchist movement conference discussion

Early June saw the first attempt in 10 years to hold an anarchist movement conference in the UK. Around 250/300 people attended over the 2 days in London, including a few from Bristol. At Bristol’s anarchist bookfair next Saturday, one workshop (room 1, 3 to 4pm) will feedback and discuss the event. How we move the anarchist movement on to being a more relevant, dynamic and successful movement is a key question for many anarchists, whilst others question whether we actually have a defined anarchist movement anyway, and if we do need one how could it be structured, and to what purpose? Much to think about! To get the discussion moving, we reproduce here 2 comments circulated on the anarchist conference organising email list. Names have been removed, but the comments are otherwise unedited. Contributor A has been active in the London anarchist movement for a good 10 years, and spent time in prison abroad after a confrontation outside a summit. Contributor B has been active in London for at least 20 years and has been involved in organising a number of national events, as well as local groups. (NB: see here for more on the anarcha-feminist intervention).
(more…)

Bristol IWW goes public on 22 August

Friday, August 21st, 2009

The recently formed, but not yet fully ratified, Bristol branch of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) goes public this Saturday, with a meeting and social at the railway workers social club by Temple Meads station. This meeting is for all signed up, and prospective, IWW members in the area, and for all workers (employed or not) genuinely interested in the work of the IWW and resisting the attacks of the bosses. Sectarians and parasites not invited! (more…)