Essex Conference on Labour History

Essex Conference on Labour History

The sixteenth Essex Conference on Labour History will take place at The Labour Hall, Collingwood Road, Witham, CM8 2EE, (adjacent to Witham Railway Station), from 10.30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, 28th October, 2017.

The topics to be discussed include the traditional aims of the Labour Party, the centenary of the Russian Revolution and the Co-operative Party, and James Keir Hardie, founder of the Labour Party.

The conference is completely open and friends, relatives and acquaintances are welcome, whatever their political allegiances. Questions and other contributions will be invited from the floor, lunch will be provided by the Essex Labour Campaign Forum, with the cost included in the registration fee.

To register, please write, with the registration fee of £10 per person, to The Leys, 18 Park Hill, Harlow, Essex, CM17 (cheques payable to the Essex County Labour Party). Anyone not previously registered can pay at the door, but pre-booking is advisable to ensure enough food is provided.

Francis Beckett – ‘The Labour Party’s Traditional Objectives’
Francis King – ‘ Reflections on the 1917 Russian Revolution’
Stan Newens –  ‘ The Centenary of the Co-operative Party’
Barbara Humphries – ‘James Keir Hardie'

Celebrating 1917

Celebrating 1917
Saturday 4 November 2017 • Central London • 10:30am-5:30pm
A one-day conference to debate and discuss the legacy of 1917 on the hundredth anniversary of the Russian Revolution.

Meetings:

Why Celebrate 1917?

Dave Sherry, author of Russia 1917: Workers' Revolution and Festival of the Oppressed

John Molyneux, author of Lenin for Today

Sally Campbell, editor of Socialist Review

The Bolsheviks and 1917

Kevin Corr and Gareth Jenkins, contributors to International Socialism

Culture and Revolution

Cathy Porter, author of Alexandra Kollontai: A Biography

Roger Huddle, editor of Reminiscences of RAR

The Festival of the Oppressed

Judith Orr, author of Marxism and Women's Liberation

How the Revolution was Lost

Esme Choonara, author of A Rebel's Guide to Trotsky

The Revolution and its Relevance Today

Steve Smith, author of Russia in Revolution

Alex Callinicos, author of Imperialism and Global Political Economy

Amy Leather, national secretary of the SWP

Tickets are £10/£5 concessions.

To book your place at this conference phone 020 7840 5600 or see the link here

There are many other events and conferences taking place across the UK (and obviously also internationally) to mark the centenary obviously - for example in Preston on 13-15 October, in London on 21 October, in Glasgow on 28 October, and again in London from 9-12 November.

GROUP DISCOUNT OFFER For LSHG and friends : Philosophy Football's 1917 Centenary Night Out

From Mark at Philosophy Football...

Our 1917 centenary show at Rich Mix ‘Art out of Revolution’ is on Saturday 21st October, we've put a lot of thought into it and come up with something truly special. And there's a special tickets deal too, 5 for the price of 4, or 10 for price of 7 for LSHG, friends and SWP comrades to take up.  Hope so!  

The evening is presented by self-styled ‘sporting outfitters of intellectual distinction’ aka Philosophy Football. In association with the trade union RMT supported by Brigadista Ale and RnR magazine

We open and close with Liz Wheatley’s 'Funk the Revolution’ vinyl only DJ set.  Liz is plays jazz funk, soul and rare grooves with a weekly show on Urban Jazz radio. And then we premier a film version Tim Sanders’ graphic novel of the Russian Revolution 1917: Russia’s Red Year  with voiceover by Michael Rosen

We’ve commissioned music on the theme of ‘revolution’  by Calum Baird a singer-songwriter based in Edinburgh, Calum’s 2017 shows have included the Rivas-Vaciamadrid festival commemorating the 80^th anniversary of the Battle of Jarama and Berlin’s Festival Musik und Politik. And poetry too from Barbican Young Poet Eleanor Penny. 

On ’the revolution is dead, long live the Revolution!’  we have Richard Seymour author of Corbyn : The Strange Rebirth of Radical Politics. And on the art of revolution  Owen Hatherley  author of Landscapes of Communism : A History Through Buildings with Eldina Begic who founded the fashion label Comradettes and is currently completing a PhD at the University of the Arts London on ‘ How To Wear Utopia : A Dress Manual for the Socialist Future’, Pete Ayrton the editor of Revolution! Writing from Russia 1917 and Hugh Tisdale, a graphic artist and co-founder of Philosophy Football

Opening the second half Des Kapital :  Neve Mind the Cossacks featuring the music of Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Robbie Williams and more to explain 1917 (yes really, with audience singalongs!) and was one of the comedy hits at this year's Edinburgh and Brighton festivals fringes. Rosy Carrick has recently completed editing a brand new publication of Mayakovsky’s epic poem Vladimir Ilyich Lenin will be performing an entirely original interpretation of the poem accompanied by film and music. And to headline, the Trans-Siberian March Band, Balkan brass party-starters who provide a flamboyantly colourful mix of  high octane live performances and musical miscellany combining up tempo Russian drinking songs, Klezmer, Turkish  and Gypsy tunes with a hint of Latin and hiphop for good tuneful measure. For one night only, a special Shostakovich inspired TSMB set! 

A 1917 centenary night out like no other, we hope you’ll agree and want to bring a party to. The 5 for price of 4, 10 for the price of 7 tickets can be booked here  https://www.philosophyfootball.com/1917-event.html