Sheffield Social Centre is once again without premises but may be involved in temporary spaces in the future ….

You can find the essays here:
http://libcom.org/files/92827843-Occupied-London-Revolt-and-Crisis-in-Greece%20(1).pdf

we will be primarily discussing Chapter 14: AN ECONOMY THAT EXCLUDES THE MANY AND AN “ACCIDENTAL“ REVOLT – Yiannis Kaplanis
but if you have time you could also read the more theoretical (and shorter) Chapter 13: THE GREEK ECONOMIC CRISIS AS EVENTAL SUBSTITUTION – Christos Lynteris
and if you have lots of time you could also read Chapter 15: THE GREEK DEBT CRISIS IN ALMOST UNIMAGINABLY LONG-TERM HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE – David Graeber

Note: although these are referred to as ‘chapters’ they are each self-contained essays.

As ever please feel free to read more or less however reading groups work best when everyone has read the same texts!
Please at least try to read Chapter 14 ‘AN ECONOMY THAT EXCLUDES THE MANY AND AN “ACCIDENTAL“ REVOLT’ as that will be our starting point.

If you have come across any good articles / short pieces that could make the basis of a discussion please bring them along as suggestions for future meetings.

Reading list

An essay about the current crisis of capitalism adapted from Paul Mattick’s book Business as Usual: The Economic Crisis and the Failure of Capitalism.
http://libcom.org/library/capitalisms-dismal-future-paul-mattick

and

The Crisis, Occupy, and other Oddities in the Autumn of Capital
http://libcom.org/library/crisis-occupy-other-oddities-autumn-capital

As ever please feel free to read more or less however reading groups work best when everyone has read the same texts
Please at least try to read the 1st of these 2 texts: ‘Capitalism’s Dismal Failure’  as that will be our starting point.

If you have come across any good articles / short pieces that could make the basis of a discussion please bring them along as suggestions for future meetings.!

You can find the article ‘Time to cut the anti-cuts campaigns?’ here:
http://thecommune.co.uk/2012/03/16/time-to-cut-the-anti-cuts-campaigns/#more-7734

Other articles to supplement this one are:

1. A brief article offering a bit of insight into labour party and their involvement in making cuts in Sheffield:

http://thecommune.co.uk/2012/02/16/sheffield-labour-council-targets-workers-and-the-vulnerable/#more-7709

2. an article in defence of unions that appeared in Freedom around June 30th last year:

http://www.freedompress.org.uk/news/2011/07/02/you-only-love-us-when-we-strike/

3. and a response to it published last month:

http://libcom.org/blog/do-we-only-love-unions-when-we-strike-response-defence-trade-unionism-21032012

As ever please feel free to read more or less however reading groups work best when everyone has read the same texts!

Please at least try to read the ‘Time to cut the anti-cuts campaigns’ as that will be our starting point.

If you have come across any good articles / short pieces that could make the basis of a discussion please bring them along as suggestions for future meetings.

The 4 pieces from the Reflections we will read are:

1. If you don’t let us dream, we won’t let you sleep? (p. 39)

2. The revenge of the remainder (p.46)

3. Fear and Loathing (p.56)

4. Some complications … and their political economy (p.85)

All 5 texts are available at

http://www.minorcompositions.info/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/occupyeverything-web.pdf

with Mason’s 20 Reasons being an appendix (p.91) to the collection.

However if you want the direct link to Mason’s blog piece it is here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/newsnight/paulmason/2011/02/twenty_reasons_why_its_kicking.html

obviously feel free to read more or less however reading groups work best when everyone has read the same texts!

Please at least try to read the ’20 reasons’ as the others are responses to that.

An Anarchist’s Story

This drama-documentary tells the story of Ethel MacDonald. A forgotten legend, her story ranks alongside the courage of ‘La Pasionaria’ and the legendary ‘Odette’. Whilst both these women sustained world-wide recognition, our Scots heroine dwindled into obscurity and remains forgotten to this day.
The film links her own personal drama to specific archive footage of Barcelona in disarray – an image Ethel MacDonald came to know so well.

Flyer can be downloaded here

Friday – 6pm-10pm
Saturday – 6pm-10pm
Sunday – 12pm-9.30pm
Facebook.com/blackroseart
Blackroseart@riseup.net
Queer – a collection of local artists work in response to LGBT history month. Expect vegan canapés on the opening night and drinks at the riverside pub to follow each evening.

Flyer can be downloaded here

The timetable was as follows…….

10.00-11.15
YOU’VE BEEN “FARMED”: SOCIAL MEDIA AND SECURE/NON-CORPORATE ONLINE COMMUNICATIONS
While we seem to end up living our lives more and more through little electronic boxes (like the one you’re probably reading this on) multinational corporations are cataloguing pretty much all of the information we exchange. Workshop on why this is a fairly bad thing, and how we can escape the clutches of the internet monopolisers.

CO-COUNSELLING
The political system we live under is designed to induce depression, disillusionment and despair in each and every one of us. That way we’re easier to oppress and less likely to kick up a fuss when met with injustice. Co-counselling is an accessible tool used by many to combat the psychological ills doled out by capitalism.

HUNT SABBING
Bloodsport is alive and well in the countryside, so every week or so a dedicated bunch of Sheffield hunt saboteurs journey out to put themselves in the way of the hunters intent on killing innocent animals. Stories of their activism, and how to get stuck in.

11.30-12.45

WORKPLACE RIGHTS (AUDIO RECORDING: click here)
In these days of cuts, greed and privatisation we need to be wary of those whose desire to make money means they are willing to screw us over in the chase for every last penny. A representative of Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), a worldwide industrial union that represents all kinds of workers, came along to explain rights and how to hold onto them.

LaDIYFEST PRESENTS: RIOT GRRL RETROSPECTIVE FILM ‘DON’T NEED YOU’
An interactive timeline of women’s history with the LaDIYfest crew, including a chance to get creative and contribute to the Riot Grrl zine.

YOGA
Some relaxing postures to allow your mind to drift away from the madness of the world we live in.

GROW OUR OWN
We are by and large utterly disconnected from the food that sustains our lives until it reaches our tables. Local food-growing tutor Richard Clare was on hand to explain the whys, wherefores and wonders of seeing your food from soil to plate.

ANARCHA-FEMINISM
A discussion on the crossovers between anarchist and feminist ways of thinking, and why it’s a fusion of ideas that needs to be spread.

ALSO DURING THE MORNING: Recycled art and recycled puppet-making for all, tool-sharpening, bike-fixing.

12.45-1.45

MIDDAY MEAL BREAK
Wonderful food served up by the frightfully righteous and notoriously culinary

1.45-2.45

FILM: THE PIPE
Rossport on the west coast of Ireland has for the last decade or so been the site of continuous resistance to Shell’s ecocidal plans to build an enormous gas pipeline through the pristine and beautiful coastline. This documentary depicts the struggle of those who have fought those plans, followed by a discussion facilitated by Sheffielders who are part of it.

LUDDITE UPRISINGS: TECHNOLOGY POLITICS THEN AND NOW
In 1811-12 Artisan cloth workers (Luddites) in the Midlands and the North rose up against factory owners who were imposing new machines and putting them out of work. The Luddites only broke machines that were ‘hurtful to commonality’. What can the Luddites teach us about how to successfully resist anti-democratic technology practices, such as GM crops, today?

SQUATTING AND AUTONOMOUS SPACES (AUDIO RECORDING: click here)
How groups in Sheffield are actively challenging the absurd abundance of empty buildings by reclaiming and redefining so-called private property. Squatting makes use of unused buildings to meet real needs such as for a home or a social space. It’s necessary, and you can get involved.

FREE SOFTWARE CLINIC
Most people find themselves unnecessarily reliant on expensive software to run their computers, unaware that free, collaboratively designed programs are easily available and also much nicer to use.

CIDER AND WINE-MAKING
Why waste money on expensive chemically drinks when you can make it yourself using ingredients picked nearby? The lovely folk from Abundance were in attendance to show the ropes.

3.00-4.45

DISCUSSION: CUTS, CRISIS, CAPITALISM (AUDIO RECORDING: click here)
Guest speakers from UK Uncut, the Anarchist Federation, and Sheffield Save our Surestart, to chat about the current state of capitalism, and how to respond to its latest crisis and the cuts being imposed on us.

CREATIVE WRITING
Words flowing to see how we can break down the distinction between art and political action.

ALSO DURING THE AFTERNOON:
Recycled art and puppet-making for all, anarcha-feminism stall, tool-sharpening, bike-fixing and other stalls.

4.45-6.00

PLENARY (AUDIO RECORDING: click here)
As part of the ongoing project to set up a permanent social centre in Sheffield, and to round off a packed day, coming together to discuss what we can learn from the history of autonomous social centres both here and abroad, as well as hearing about what other groups such as LaDIYfest and the Temporary Autonomous Arts (TAA) collective are organising in the near future, to galvanise our collective enthusiasm for creating spaces like this one and talk about how we can make a permanent version a reality.

6.00-8.00
FOOD
More delicious grub to finish off the day.
8.00-late AFTER-PARTY BENEFIT GIG
Red House, 168 Solly St. S1 4BB
Line-up:
Toein’ In The Dark
Christine Moon
Mental Block
DJ

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There are photos, more details, and audio recordings of some of the workshops in a report about the Free School on Sheffield Indymedia website

Here’s a list of some of the other activities during the weekend……

Free shop all weekend!

Hot food!

Fun!

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FRIDAY 8th OCTOBER: Opening Night

4.30pm Urban Scrumping competition

Meet at the free school with a bike to provide food for the weekend and discover for yourself the sources of free food around our city!

8pm Samba

Witness and participate in the frantic joy of a samba band.

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SATURDAY 9th OCTOBER

10am-6pm Drop-in bicycle counselling

Turn up with your rusting piece of metal with two wheels attached/cherished means of ecologically-sound transport and get advice from people with a bit of mechanical know-how on how to keep your bike on the road.

10am An introduction to non-hierarchical decision-making

Discuss the reasons you might want to pursue consensus-based models of group decision-making, and learn some of the techniques that enable us to do so effectively.

11am Yoga

If your brain needs some lead-in time before intellectual engagement, learn some relaxing ways to take your mind off the doom and gloom of our growth-obsessed economic system.

11am Sharpen your tools

Come and grind some life into old rusty chisels or bring a tool of your own to get sharp – basically, skill up for an oil-free future.

12midday Organising in the modern workplace

Discover and share experiences of forwarding radical politics through our workplaces. Work is becoming increasingly casualised with union membership at an all-time low. Activists share their experiences of both unionising and forming rank-and-file support groups in the service and care work sectors. Discuss ways to resist pay cuts, bad bosses and poor conditions in an increasingly hostile environment.

1pm Film showing: Psywars

This is the UK premiere of a new film by a Canadian director, a deep, richly illustrated history of the nature and history of propaganda. If it you want to understand how we are manipulated into believing the things we do, watch this film.

2pm Environmental craft for kids and adults

A chance for radical children (and grownups) to get messy and creative making things.

2pm A (brief) introduction to permaculture

Permaculture – a design system for creating beautiful edible landscapes; a map showing the route to a sustainable future. Find out what all this means by coming to this workshop.

3pm More yoga

In case you missed it earlier, or just want to decentralise your mind a bit more.

3pm What is a social centre?

Share your views on what an autonomous social centre could be, what purposes it could serve, and why (or whether) it’s something worth putting a lot of energy into making happen.

4.15pm How can we bring about radical change in our society?

Discover the approaches of different groups operating in Sheffield with a broadly common aim of creating more communal, fulfilling and sustainable ways of living, and discuss how we can help support each other by focusing on our shared objectives.

6pm How to light a Vapalux (or similar brand) … paraffin lamps for beginners!

Evening Get-together

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SUNDAY 10th OCTOBER

10am-6pm Drop-in bicycle counselling

As on Saturday.

11am Non-violent direct action against the coal industry

Taking the example of the rampantly destructive coal industry, find out about the merits of taking non-violent direct action, why it is an effective means of resisting many forms of corporate misbehaviour, and how you can do it yourself.

11am Sharpen your tools

Come and grind some life into old rusty chisels or bring a tool of your own to get sharp – basically, skill up for an oil-free future.

11am Anarcha-feminism – the ins and outs thereof

A conversational workshop on the dovetailing of feminist and anarchist political thought, and the relevance of such a combination in our persistently patriarchal society.

11am Online security for activists

A tutorial on the basics of keeping your online ongoings secret from the prying eyes of the modern ‘security’-obsessed state.

1.15pm A lunchtime chat about GM food
Although what we’ll be eating for won’t be genetically modified, some people’s Sunday lunches will consist of food that’s undergone that exact process. “Why’s that so bad?” I hear you wonder. Well, come and join in with this informal discussion to find out.

2pm Collaborative artwork

Recycling found objects and natural materials to create something beautiful.

2pm Environmental craft for kids and adults

As on Saturday.

2pm Open-source bootcamp: Installing Linux on your laptop

Open source programmes are communally-created and free for everyone. Find out how to install them on your computer and enjoy a life beyond Microsoft (or Apple).

2pm Queer theory

A chance to discuss the relevance of queer politics and how it is an intrinsic part of the fight against discrimination.

3pm Community organising: A Sheffield Community Union? – lessons from SeaSol

A group discussion about how we can forward an anti-capitalist, equality-based future by building our local communities. Seattle Solidarity (“SeaSol”) is a volunteer network of working people who believe in standing up for people’s rights. Through direct action tactics it supports strikes and struggles, builds solidarity, and organizes to deal with specific job, housing, and other problems caused by the greed of the rich and powerful. Session to discuss the lessons of SeaSol and the possibility of setting up a similar initiative in Sheffield.

5pm A closing plenary: How can we create and maintain an anti-capitalist social centre in Sheffield?

Together we’ll reflect on a weekend of skill-sharing and idea-exchanging, and try to work out where we go from here…

7pm Film showing: Winstanley

The Diggers were a bunch of 17th century radicals who stridently retook common land from greedy lords and blew a raspberry at authority that has echoed through the ages. This film depicts the life and philosophy one of the most prominent Diggers, Gerard Winstanley, and provides a worthwhile reminder that their are plenty of people around who see the accumulation of money for money’s sake as a useful endeavour.

Evening A bit more fun to unwind

Hello there.

You might have noticed that our everyday lives involve being bombarded from all angles by people whose primary desire in life is to make money. This can have one or two downsides: the creation of a culture in which happiness and well-being are measured in pounds and pence, the systematic sacrifice of planet earth in the name of business, and the life of a person coming to be quantified in terms of their financial worth instead of their intrinsic value as a thinking, breathing human being.

For a weekend in October people in Sheffield will be coming together to push back against this tide of consumption and money-making by creating a space for the free sharing of skills, ideas, knowledge and entertainment.

Between the 8th and 10th of October, in reclaimed space in our city centre, come along to the Sheffield free school to learn the ins-and-outs of consensus decision-making, what anarchism can mean in practice, get help fixing your bicycle, discuss how to take direct action against the perpetrators of injustice, discover how to live (nearly) for free, or maybe even come and share a skill of your own.

The free school is being organised by members of the Sheffield Social Centre project, which aims to establish a permanent space for non-hierarchical, anti-capitalist and non-discriminatory activity in Sheffield.