News from the Working Class Movement Library

Announcements and information

Spring events at the Working Class Movement Library

We have a fantastic range of live events coming up in March and April at the WCML. We would love to see our friends and supporters at the library to celebrate the return of our in person activities. 

Follow the Library on social media @wcmlibrary to keep up to date. 
 

Live! Johnny Campbell sings Winter Hill Trespass

Wednesday 23rd March 2pm at WCML
Don't miss your chance to see folk singer, Jonny Campbell perform live in our beautiful building. Johnny writes and performs songs that celebrate and champion the achievements of his class and will be performing his most recent release, Winter Hill Trespass, celebrating Britain's largest mass trespass near Bolton in 1896. There are a limited number of tickets available to see Johnny perform at the library. You can buy your ticket here. 

Johnny's performance will also be recorded and made a available to view online later. 

 

Invisible Histories talk - 'Applied Pacifism' A fresh look at the Role of the Women's Co-operative Guild in World War Two 

Wednesday 30th March 2pm - 3pm at WCML

In the next of our 'Invisible Histories' events, friend of the Library, Steve Illingworth explores the role of the Women’s Co-operative Guild in World War Two. Inspired by research at the Co-operative Archive and the collections of the WCML, this talk will take a new look at the influence and work of the Women’s Co-operative movement during the Second World War. It will argue that the WCG, who famously introduced the white poppy in 1933, maintained a coherent pacifist policy throughout the conflict and gave vital support to the ‘victims of aggression’ both during and after the war.

The event will take place in person at WCML but will also be available online. 

Symposium: Trespassers will be celebrated 

Thursday 21st April 7pm - 9pm The Eagle Inn, Salford

April 2022 sees the 90th Anniversary of the Mass Trespass on Kinder Scout, the highest moorland plateau in the Peak District. It was organised by the Lancashire region of the British Workers’ Sports Federation and has become an iconic day of direct action in the long – and still ongoing – struggles and campaigns for popular access to open countryside and public space. 

To celebrate this anniversary, WCML is hosting a symposium on the 'Red' politics of the Mass Trespass in the 1930s and its resonance and legacy for the 'Green' politics of the climate emergency of the 2020s.  We are delighted to invite writer Anita Sethi, one of the organisers of the 50th anniversary  celebrations, Julian Batsleer and Chloe Jefferies and Dr Marc Hudson from Climate Emergency Manchester.  The panel will discuss the historic politics of land ownership and landscape belonging, and the contemporary politics of land and climate justice. 

 Free tickets will be available soon. 

You can find out more about the mass trespass of Kinder Scout and its history here and we hope to share some of the WCML collection relating to the event very soon. 
 

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