Going to an event? Want to look cool and make new friends? Then why not hand out stickers for www.off-grid.net! Get in touch a week or two before and we’ll try to arrange to send you a pile. For more info, or to send us info you want to see on this site, email us at news@off-grid.net
May
MAYDAY was International Workers Day, born out of the struggle for an 8 hour day in 1886. Over 100 years later our lives are still taken up by the world of work. Even more so now, as work has become more casualised (temporary contracts, flex time, part time, no time!) forcing us to adapt to the point where it’s hard to tell when, where or even if we are working. This leaves us in a situation where our lives are on hold, on call and at the mercy of the market.
Our leisure time too is filled with anxieties. The anxiety of not being able to have enough money to pay the rent, go to the cinema, a nice restaurant, shop for food, clothes, anything! In reality our work never finishes and when we’re not at work we still end up making some other person even richer.
Around Europe people call this new working and living condition “precarity”. The answer – set your own agenda. Here are a few events you might like to consider.
DATES:
HAVE I GOT SchNEWS FOR YOU ON TOUR@
EDINBURGH (6) venue T.B.C COVENTRY (9) 7pm Earlston Cottage Pub READING (13) 7pm International Solidarity Centre, London St. LEEDS (14)@ The Common Place (time TBC)
SHEFFIELD (15) Venue. TBC
5 – 8 WOMAD Cáceres, Spain www.womad.org
Buy this Festival shelter from Amazon
7 Direct Action Affinity Group training for DSEi and G8 10:30am The Institute for Autonomy, 78 Gower St,London WC1. (Nearest tubes: Russell Sq, Goodge St, Warren St, Buses: Tottenham Court Rd.)
Improve your skills and knowledge for the G8 in July and DSEi in September. A day of discussion,skill sharing and hands-on workshops with an emphasis on affinity group actions. Find out how to form a small group and work together to take effective action. Proposed sessions so far include: Affinity groups – how do they work? / Legal information for activists / Medic workshop / Lock-ons, tripods and other blockading techniques / Affinity groups on mass actions inc. padding and dearrest / Smart actions –
blagging your way into places / Covert actions / Security and Surveillance www.dsei.org
8 London Rising Tide film night presents ‘The End of Suburbia.’ ‘ www.endofsuburbia.com Plus The 2 minute comedy classic – ‘Hercubush’ … plus a short G8 Surprise! Free 6.30pm LARC, 62 Fieldgate St, E1 1ES. 07708 794665 london@risingtide.org.uk www.londonrisingtide.org.uk
9 “Facing Global Warming & Other Great Adventures” Joanna Macy’s talk uses experiential activities to harness heart as well as head. 6pm Wesley Memorial Church, New Inn Hall Street, Oxford.Donations between £2 – £5. jo@risingtide.org.uk www.joannamacy.net/html/schedule.html www.COINet.org.uk/macy
Action Medics group training days – for all your protester needs. 13-15 Dublin 20-22 Manchester June 3-5 London 10-12 Nottingham 24-26 Glasgow www.actionmedics.org.uk
12-15 Edinburgh Independent Radical Book Fair Assembly Rooms, George Street, Edinburgh. Talks, book stalls – over 70 radical, independent, academic publishers and small presses from Scotland and rest of UK, US etc Café with radical film screenings, exhibitions, information stalls, Indian Head Massage and homemade food and cakes! Organised by Word Power Books 0131 662 9112 www.word-power.co.uk
14-15 G8 Summit – independant/alternative media convergence, London “The convergence will be a great opportunity for independent journalists, media activists, techs, and artists from all over Europe to meet each other, find out what this summit is all about, and plan non-corporate media coverage.
www.indymedia.org.uk
14-16 Temporary Wild Zone – Anticivilization gathering, Barcelona
14-21 Hes Fes 07833794062. Gathering of home educating families. www.hesfes.co.uk
15 Cannabis Carnival marches to Central London. This follows the ban by Lambeth Council of the 2005 Cannabis festival in Brockwell Park. www.thecannabisfestival.co.uk
15 International Conscientious Objectors’ Day. Organised by War Resisters’ International
020-7278 4040 email info@wri-irg.org www.wri-irg.org
15 Sexual Freedom Coalition Conference & Celebration. The Commercialisation of Sex: – where has the generosity gone? 2pm – 6pm with after-party “This conference will provide inspiration on bringing back some reverence to sex, promoting the the richness of all its possibilities and deploring its trivialisation and exploitation in the British media. Sex is, after all, one of the few pleasures we have left to share with each other, that should cost nothing at all. The programme will offer a mixture of the political and the personal, with demonstrations and performances.” The Horse Hospital Entrance £10 / £5 concessions The Colonnade, Bloomsbury London WC1 (behind Russell Square tube station) www.sfc.org.uk
18- 22 Holidays in the Sun/Wasted Festival, Morecambe, Lancashire Punk Festival 02476 559992 www.holidaysinthesun.net
18-27 Be Nice to Nettles Week. Fuck cannabis saving the world, get clued up to the wonderful world of nettles www.nettles.org.uk
19- June 2nd Trident Ploughshares Devonport Disarmament Camp 0845 458 8368 www.tridentploughshares.org
20 Blockade The Base – Trident Ploughshares Regeneration Carnival. Meet Devonport Dockyard gates from 6.30am onwards Part of the Trident Ploughshares Disarmament Camp 0845 458 8368 www.tridentploughshares.org
20-22 Knockengorroch Festival, Spring (Ceilidh Gall Gallowa’) Galloway, SW Scotland www.geocities.com/goduha/ceilidh.html
21 Global Boycott Proctor and Gamble Day 0114 272 2220, max@uncaged.co.uk www.uncaged.co.uk/pg.htm
21 Conference: ‘Suspect Communities: The Real “War on Terror” in Europe’ London Metropolitan University, Holloway Road 9.30-6pm CAMPACC 020 7586 5892 estella24@tiscali.co.uk
23 ‘The Right to Dissent’ Discussion, readings, music and song celebrating the lives and culture of the peoples of Central and Eastern Europe. Harold Pinter and Craig Murray (former British Ambassador to Uzbekistan) in conversation with Jon Snow, also Tony Benn. 7.30 pm The New Players Theatre, Villiers Street, London WC2
25 – 1 May The Oxford Action Resource centre opening week Lots of events – Room 1 of the East Oxford Community Centre (EOCC), which is located on Princes St off Cowley Road. http://ocset.funpic.org
26 “Localise It” Local Sustainability Public Meeting. Find out about the Sustainable Communities Bill and how to end community decline. This bill will see greater power given to local communities and currently has cross party support in Parliament, 6000 individual supporters from across the country and over 50 supporting national organisations such as Friends of the Earth, the Women’s Institute, the London Wildlife Trust and Shelter. 7:00-9:00pm Assembly House, Theatre Street, Norwich NR2 1RQ 020 7833 9898 steve@localworks.org www.localworks.org
27-29 Introductory Permaculture weekend. Dial House, Near North Weald, Epping, Essex www.gb0063551.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/course
28-4 One World Summer Festival, Galloway, Scotland. Holistic health, food and activities. www.macrobios.com
29 Redbridge Green Fair, Melbourne Field, Valentines Park, Ilford, Essex 11.30am-7pm 0208 5545439 redbridgegreenfair@hotmail.com
29 Exhibition: Young asylum seekers explore how they have adapted to life in Oxford Modern Art Oxford Cafe, Pembroke Street, Oxford
30 Kingston Green Fair. Canbury Gardens, Kingston upon Thames. 11am-8pm. Family environmental event 020 8546 5202 www.kingstongreenfair.org.uk
30 g8bikeride planning meeting for all those interested in the London, Scotland bikeride 4 the g8 2pm RampART centre, Rampart St. London,E1 price 0207 394 9658 timorous29@veryspeedy.net www.g8bikeride.org.uk
June
1-30 June You Are Here but Why? A Festival of Mapping. As part of the 56a Infoshop Free Skool (see below), which runs through the whole of June 2005, The Map Room (is open…) will be running a Festival of Map and Mapping. Intended to be as freeform as possible, a call hereby made to anyone who feels like they would like to contribute something to the Festival’s events. Contact: Chris c/o 56a Infoshop, 56 Crampton St London SE17 3AE. winterwind@hellokitty.com www.56a.org.uk
1 Battle of the Beanfield 20th Anniversary – see SchNEWS 25 www.schnews.org.uk/archive/news25.htm
3- 5 Wychwood Festival, “World and Roots Festival” Cheltenham Racecourse, Gloucestershire www.wychwoodfestival.com
4 Strawberry Fair The Strawberry Fair is a local festival of music, entertainments, arts and crafts that takes place in Cambridge on Midsummer Common each year. Over its 30 year history, Strawberry Fair has evolved into one of the largest, free, open-air festivals of its kind in the country. And, believe it or not, it is completely free to attend. www.strawberry-fair.org.uk
4 Road Block National Networking Conference, Birmingham, ‘The Road Block national networking conference is a unique opportunity to meet with people from around the country who are opposing road schemes, learn from each other, and share strategies for defeating road schemes. The conference is for those actively fighting roads, and priority will be given to those in local groups.’ (suggested donation £10 per attendee) 01803 847649 office@roadblock.org.uk www.roadblock.org.uk
4 Launch of A Oes Heddwch? The Welsh Peace Project. Speakers from Seeds for Change, the Scottish Centre for Non Violence and others. Workshops on developing a conflict resolution course; supporting peace campaigners, and sharing experience between international volunteers. 10.30 – 4.30 Organised by Cynefin y Werin. 029 2082 1055 clare@wcia.org.uk
5 Camden Green Fair, London Green, Regents Park 12pm-8pm FREE 020 7974 2192 www.camdengreenfair.ik.com
5-19 London Sustainability Weeks 020 7359 0452 www.londonsustainabilityweeks.org
7 Local and global campaigning – Cynefin y Werin dayschool. Morning – Tetra mast seminar – Jay Griffiths, Journalist and author (Pip, Pip: A sideways look at time) and anti-tetra activist, Andy Warren, Local scientific advisor on Tetra. Afternoon – G8 Summit Organising workshop. Run by Seeds for Change (part of a UK wide series of workshops in the run up to the summit). No charge, though donations for refreshments and lunch appreciated. 10.30 – 4.30 Methodist Church Hall, Back Lane, Newtown 029 2082 1055 clare@wcia.org.uk
9 “Localise It” Local Sustainability Public Meeting. Find out about the Sustainable Communities Bill and how to end community decline. This bill will see greater power given to local communities and currently has cross party support in Parliament, 6000 individual supporters from across the country and over 50 supporting national organisations such as Friends of the Earth, the Women’s Institute, the London Wildlife Trust and Shelter. 7pm Charles Dickens School, Lant St, SE1 1QP (entrance on Toulmin St) 020 7833 9898 steve@localworks.org www.localworks.org
10-12 Weekend Of Resistance For Jeff Luers “June 2005 marks the five-year anniversary of the imprisonment of our friend and comrade: Oregon environmental political prisoner, Jeff “Free” Luers. Jeff was sentenced to more than 22 years in prison for burning three Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) at a car dealership in Eugene, Oregon, and on attempted arson charges. Jeff set fire to SUVs to call attention to climate change and to protest oil wars and environmental destruction. Jeff was motivated by compassion and a desire to protect life, not to harm it, despite what some might think of his tactics. Prior to his arrest, Jeff was a popular community activist in Eugene. He was well-known to law enforcement because of his involvement with national forest protection (starting an occupation of a controversial old-growth timber sale in 1998), anti-police brutality activism (documenting rampant police abuse in Eugene), free food programs in a local park and his teaching of self-defense to women. Since his imprisonment, Jeff has continued to be extremely active in prison and fight oppression with his words and inspiration.” www.freefreenow.org/june2005.html
11 Wheel Thing cycle powered festival, Bath
11 World Naked Bike Ride. Protest against oil and clothes dependancy. Go on, do it! www.worldnakedbikeride.org
11 Norwich’s 2nd annual anarchist bookfair. Over the last few years Norwich (the land of Alan Partridge) has built up a good anarchist scene with several active radical groups in the area. Things are going in a good direction here and we thought we’d build on the success of last year. We plan to iron over a few creases (ensuring that the directions will actually get you there for example!) and make sure this bookfair is bigger and better. 10am to 7pm 07941 657485. norwichanarchists@hotmail.com www.norwichanarchists.org
11 Reclaim The Future III Live bands, Sound Systems, Cabaret, Cinema, Food and Infostalls. Plus nice toilets, people friendly security etc etc. you know the score. More soon. Look out for the flyer to download.
http://rts.gn.apc.org 8pm till very late.
11 Pride in Canterbury. The first ever gay pride parade and party in Canterbury Kent. (darkest Toryland). Assemble 12 noon Westgate Gnds for Parade,then picnic/stalls in the Dane John Gdns. prideincanterbury@tiscali.co.uk www.prideincanterbury.org.uk
11/12 Deepdale Jazz Festival www.deepdalefarm.co.uk/jazzfestival
12 Wandle Valley Festival special events and activities all along the river Wandle. Two days of enjoyment for people of all ages – especially families.www.wandlevalleyfestival.org.uk
16- 26 Golowan (Feast of John) Festival Celebrating Cornish, Celtic, and international culture, with parades, street entertainment and market stalls www.golowan.com
18 Community Action Gathering Oxford House, Bethnal Green Rd., London E2 12 noon-6pm 0208 374 5027 info@hackneyindependent.org
18 Realfood – The Heart of England Vegan Festival. Stalls, food, speakers, Food demonstrations, comedians, creche, Trolley park, Book signings. Come along see what veganism is all about. 9.30am – 5pm. Birmingham Acadamy, FREE. 0845 458 0146, info@veganfestivals.org.uk, www.veganfestivals.org.uk
18-19 Leamington Peace Festival www.peacefestival.org.uk
19 Global Day Of Action For Burma (this will be the 60th birthday of Aung San Suu Kyi, the world’s only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize recipient.)
20- 21st Summer Solstice Stonehenge
24-26 Glastonbury Festival www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk All round guide to Glastonbury http://forums.virtualfestivals.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=37559
29 ‘Iraqi Petroleum Conference Time to rebuild and develop the old and gas fields in a country containing the second largest oil and gas reserves’ will be taking place. “Corporate Pirates have called a day of action outside this conference. The aim of the day is to raise awareness of the corporate plunder of Iraq and of the silent takeover and exploitation of Iraq’s natural resources. Replicating the success of the Windrush Action on April Fools Day we hope to bring out the pirates in force and invite you to join us for another swash buckling adventure. A week before Bush and Blair meet in Scotland for the G8, we are taking this opportunity to remind them of the violence of the corporate plunder of Iraq and urge groups and individuals to join us to expose the hypocrisy and lies behind why we went to war. We may not have stopped the war but we can stop their spoils of war and we can stop this event.”
30-July 3 Fusion Festival ex-soviet military airfield now biggest holiday camp in Germany – intersting venue!. The fusion motto is four days of holiday communism featuring music, theatre, performance, cinema and fine art, interaction and communication. www.fusion-festival.de
July
2 Make Poverty History demo, Edinburgh
4 Big Blockade at Faslane nuclear submarine base. www.tridentploughshares.org
6 Global Day of Action at the opening day of the G8 Summit www.agp.org www.dissent.org.uk For a comprehensive list of events from the 2nd July go to http://g8alternatives.movingpages.org/MoinWiki/DiaryofEvents?action=show
9- 10 Cornbury Music Festival, Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire www.cornburyfestival.com
8/9 Romsey Beggars Fair www.beggarsfair.com
8-10 Clogfest www.clogfest.demon.co.uk
9/10 Rhythms of the World www.rhythmsoftheworld.com
13-17 Buddhafield Festival www.buddhafield.com
13-17 Larmer Tree Festival www.larmertree.co.uk
15-18 Animal Rights Camp. www.ar2005.info
15-17 Guilfest www.guilfest.co.uk
15-17 Glade Festival www.gladefestival.com
15-18 International Animal Rights Gathering 2005 Four day event with workshops, speakers and and hands on demonstrations and training in all the skills you need to become an effective activist for the animals. More info and donations to help with event to: AR2005, BM Box 2248, London WC1N 3XX.
16-17 Ashton Court Festival www.ashtoncourtfestival.com
21 Ruigoord Landjuweel, Netherlands www.ruigoord.nl
21-24 Trowbridge Village Pump Festival www.trowbridgefestival.co.uk
22-23 The Wickerman Festival www.thewickermanfestival.co.uk
23-24 Truck Festival www.truckrecords.com
29-31 Hazards 2005 Campaigning & building workplace organisation “This year’s conference focuses on the importance of union safety reps in policing the workplace and promoting a safe working environment. We need to build the campaign for improvements in key areas like corporate responsibility, occupational health provision, tougher enforcement and most importantly, increased rights for safety representatives.
Help to build a mass campaign for better regulation, tougher enforcement, corporate responsibility and strong worker’s organisation.” University of Leeds 0161 953 4037 www.hazardscampaign.org.uk
29-31 Womad, Reading www.womad.org
28-31 Cambridge Folk Festival, www.cam-folkfest.co.uk
28-31 Resurgence Summer Camp, Gloucestershire. Discussion, crafts, music and dance with Resurgence magazine’s authors and readers www.greenandaway.org
31 Ambient Picnic “four music stages and activities for children & young people. There will also be the Healing area, Carbon Footpath, BAR and of course space for stalls; catering, craft, commercial and charity.”
www.ambientpicnic.co.uk
August
3 – 7 Big Green Gathering 01458 834629 www.big-green-gathering.com
5-7 The Big Chill www.bigchill.net
6 Pride in Brighton & Hove biggest gay festival in UK – Free! 01273 775939 www.brightonpride.org
7 Peace Cycle 2005 – Start Rally. Organised bike ride from London to Jersualem to raise awareness of the situation in Palestine and show solidarity with the Palestinian people. We welcome riders from all faiths, backgrounds, nationalities, ages and abilities. To join the ride for a day, a week or for the full 7 weeks to Palestine please go to our website: www.thepeacecycle.org The start rally will include speakers and bands. 1pm Coin Street Gardens, South Bank, London price info@thepeacecycle.org www.thepeacecycle.org
8-14 National Allotment Week 01536 266576 www.nsalg.org
8-14 One World Summer Festival, Hampshire www.macrobios.com
11-13 Cropredy, Oxfordshire. “A mix of 1960s-style pop festival and village fete” www.fairportconvention.com/crop/cropmenu.htm
12-14 Endorse it in Dorset Festival www.efestivals.co.uk
18-21 Earthwise Festival www.earthwise-uk.com
20-21 Beautiful Days, Escot Park, Devon. Music festival organised by The Levellers www.beautifuldays.org
24-30 WIT Music Festival for Women and Girls, nr Lampeter, West Wales. www.womenintune.org.uk
27-29 Westcountry Storytelling Festival, Aller Park, Dartington, Devon. Tickets (including camping): Adult £60/Child £30/Family (2+2) £125 01803 863790 info@weststoryfest.co.uk www.weststoryfest.co.uk
28- 29 Notting Hill Carnival – Free
September
1-10 Vegan and Vegetarian dolphin camp in Wales. A chance to see dolphins! cetaceadefenceuk@yahoo.co.uk
2-4 Off The Tracks Festival, Castle Donnington. 01332 384518 www.offthetracks.co.uk
9-11 Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens 25th anniversary
The principal anniversary event is a Celebration of City Farming and Community Gardening to be held at Mudchute Park and Farm, London. This event will be a gathering of members from all over the UK and will be a fun, family-friendly affair, with plenty of site visits, workshops, activities and social events. It will be a chance for everyone to celebrate the movement and its work. www.cityfarm.org.uk
13-16 Disarm DSEi arms fair September ExCeL Centre, London Docklands 07817 652029 disarm@dsei.org www.dsei.org
21-24 Robodock Festival Amsterdam www.robodock.org
October
20-23 Ladyfest Brighton www.ladyfestbrighton.co.uk
22 London Anarchist Bookfair, Holloway Road
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FOR MORE PARTY AND PROTEST DATES CHECK OUT
Festival Eye The most comprehensive UK festival listings magazine. For £3.50 or £5.50 inc.postage (cheques payable to Festival Eye) from Festival Eye, BCM 2002, London WC1N 3XX. www.festivaleye.com
Guilfin’s Something For the Weekend – a weekly info-burst, keeping you up to date with the latest festival, party, gigs dates, and all the upcoming campaigns. www.guilfin.net
London Free List Events and attractions in London that are either free or no more than £3 to get in. www.londonfreelist.com
Eroding Empire a monthly DIY punky bulletin listing gigs, actions, classifieds and events for the London (ish) area. Send stamps to receive copies c/o 56A Crampton St., London, SE17 5AE
For festivals in the UK www.festivals.co.uk
For actions around the world check out www.protest.net
OTHER STUFF
Party and Protest guide
Check out the info on regular events here
Find out what’s happening in your area here
Click here for protests camp
Radical bookshops and independent info distros here
Find out where the free parties are at www.guilfin.net/extra/freeparties.php3
To find about rock festivals in Europe check out www.thefestivalzone.com
For a comprehensive listing of folk, roots and world music festivals in the UK and Europe check out www.frootsmag.com/content/festivals
For a list of seriously hippy rainbow gathering type festivals send an SAE to Campscene Directory, 3 Rainbows, Stoodleigh, Devon, EX16 9QQ www.campscene-directory.co.uk
For more information on the Animal Rights calendar, contact Veggies, Sumac Centre, 245 Gladstone Street, Nottingham NG7 6HX. www.veggies.org.uk/calendar
For information on a wide range of weekend courses on renewable energy and sustainable development contact Centre for Alternative Technology Machynlleth, Powys, SY10 9AZ Tel: 01654 703743 www.cat.org.uk
For courses and events about sustainable lifestyles (everything from composting to fruit tree grafting to pond building) contact the Permaculture Association, London, WC1N 3XX 0845 458 4150 www.permaculture.org.uk
FREE PARTY HOTLINES – best to call after 10pm Saturday night
Underground Party Network 07092 230023 HDFK 07050 601945 Negusa Negast 020 7644 5170 Prank 07870 827511 Stinky Pink 07961 735663 Panik 07092 043044 Underground Sounds 020 7644 5601 Malfaiteurs 020 7644 5179 Iffe 07971 273481 Stonka 07984 580660 Audiophile 07754 537792 Random Sounds 07816 013733 United Systems 020 8959 7525 Adrenaline 07867 961469 Deep Cartel 07971 371227 Warped 07813 620336 Planet 101 07816 282063 Shock Wave 07816 357545 Storm 07976 914523 Unsound unsound666@hotmail.com Tinkerbell London and surrounding area 07930 866791
PARTY WEBSITES
HDFK www.headfuk.net Panik www.paniksystem.com Dead Silence www.deadsilence.co.uk Prank http://prank.freetekno.org Hekate www.hekate.co.uk Crossbones www.crossbones.co.uk Network 23 www.network23.org Nightstorm www.nightstorm.f9.co.uk Psychosis www.psychosis.cc Brighton Alliance of Sound Systems www.bass23.org
Nicked from www.partyvibe.com/freeparties.htm
SchNEWS, PO Box 2600, Brighton, BN2 0EF, England
email: schnews@brighton.co.uk
@nti copyright – information for action – copy and distribute