Why Vote?

 

        Spirit of Revolt is probably Scotland's largest collection of Anarchist and Libertarian Socialist history, memorabilia, letters, pamphlets, periodicals, serials, photos, posters and a myriad of documents on the everyday struggles of the ordinary people, mainly Glasgow Clydeside, but lots of material from further afield including other language material. Spirit of Revolt is entirely run by a small group of unpaid volunteers and we welcome volunteers who can give an hour or two a week to help out and at the same time learn about archiving. So if you are interested in archives and history from below and have those couple of hours spare, why not get in touch, contact us HERE or contact us through info@spiritofrevolt.info

         One of our aims, beside collecting and preserving our history is to make it freely and easily accessible to all. To this aim we digitise as much as possible and make it freely available on our website https://spiritofrevolt.info We also produce a "Read of the Month" here on this blog and on our website. You can also read selections from our collections on our twitter account, https://twitter.com/RevoltArchives

         We rely entirely on donations from comrades, friends and associates, and are not supported financially by trade unions, or businesses. So if you like what we are doing and think it is worth while doing, why not support us by the price of a pint our a couple of coffees a month. On off or monthly direct debit no matter how small would be very much appreciated. DONATE HERE.

 For September's "Read of the Month" We bring you Why I Won't Vote.

READ ON LINE HERE.

Visit ann arky at https://spiritofrevolt.info  

Our History.

 

 

         Spirit of Revolt Archives of Dissent, Glasgow/Clydeside is an Anarchist, Libertarian Socialist Archive and has been in existence since 2011. It was formed by a group of unpaid volunteers, this film tries to explain the reasoning behind the formation of the project, its aims and some of the volunteers involved.
         At present we have 49 collections catalogued and on the website with others waiting to be catalogued and posted to the website. These collections contain thousands of historical documents, pamphlets, leaflets, serials, letters, photos, posters and a myriad of memorabilia, related to the struggle of the ordinary people, lots of this already free to read on line. We are not associated with any political party of trade union, and rely completely on donations from comrades, friends and associates. If you think what we are doing is a worth while cause and important enough to continue, why not make a one off donation or a monthly direct debit, the price of a pint or a couple of coffees a month would make a tremendous difference

DONATE HERE

Film Introducing Spirit of Revolt Archive.

Visit ann arky at https://spiritofrevolt.info    

History.

 

           For the May “Read of the Month”  Spirit of Revolt brings up another wee gem from the past, by J. Britz. A small pamphlet, Crisis in the Communist Party. This is from our Les Foster Collection, T/SOR/36/23/13, well worth a read. Of course one of the reasons we do this “Read of the  Month” is not just to bring you these priceless pieces from the past, but to encourage you to browse through the anarchist and libertarian socialist history of Glasgow and Clydeside. A rich well of the struggles of the ordinary people for that better world for all. We can always lean from our history, and it is essential that we record and make easily available that history. I think it was George Orwell that said, I paraphrase here, “The best we to destroy a people is to destroy their history”. So delve, enjoy, learn, spread the word.

READ online, “Crisis in the Communist Party HERE:

Visit ann arky's home at http://strugglepedia.com  

Spirit of Revolt And Free Events In Glasgow.

        Spirit of Revolt prides itself in being the largest archive in Scotland of anarchist and libertarian-socialist artifacts, memorabilia,documents, etc. We record and preserve the struggles of the ordinary people's battles outside the party political and trade union circle, mainly from the Glasgow/Clydeside area. Though the contents cover a much wider area. Our aim is to make this often hidden history, easily accessible to the public at large. We work hard through a band of dedicated volunteers to get as much of this material up on line for easy access so that you don't have to visit a particular building. What is not yet on line you can access at the Mitchell Library through Spirit of Revolt.

      Two up and coming FREE events from Spirit of Revolt are:

    First: Spirit of Revolt - Show case, in conjunction with Govanhill International Festival and Carnival, Saturday August 10th. 11:00am-15:00pm. 21 Nithsdale Street Glasgow G41 2PZ. 

details: https://www.facebook.com/events/1920330724735435/

     Second: Spirit of Revolt regular Show and Tell, this one will be on that great series of Glasgow events known as "Workers "City", Monday September 16th. 12noon-2:00pm. held in the Blythswood room on the 5th. floor of the Mitchell Library

 

       All this requires money to sustain and grow this important archive. To this end we put on outreach events, exhibitions and pop-up displays when ever possible. This is never quite enough  to guarantee our financial security. We are extremely grateful to the small band of friends and associates who have signed direct debits, this gives us a guaranteed amount to work with each month. I should add that we are not attached to, nor receive any funding from, any political party or trade union.

     We are asking all those who are interested in preserving these struggles of the ordinary people, to look at our website, https://spiritofrevolt.info and who think we are doing a decent job to that end, to see  their way to donating a one of, or monthly direct debit of say the price of a couple of coffees. This would make a tremendous difference to the sustaining and ongoing building of this hidden history.

     To make our appeal a wee bit more alluring we will be offering a free CD and booklet, "Writers for Miners" post free with every direct debit.

      

Details of the CD and booklet:

The “Writers for Miners” Events, 1984

        In 1984-85 events known as “Writers for Miners” took place on consecutive Saturdays in Glasgow’s 3rd Eye Centre to raise funds for striking coal miners at local pits in one of the most significant industrial disputes in world history.

With 140,000 out on strike the Thatcher Government planned to break the power of the NUM union, the most well organised group of workers in the country. With 11,291 arrests and lasting 1 year it unleashed massive state repression, brutality and violence. The other unions largely did not show solidarity and the strike failed, opening the door to the destruction of working class communities, job insecurity and privatisation.

        Performers, poets, visual artists and others decided to support the striking miners in Scotland and formed artists-in-Solidarity which organised fundraising for the miners’ families by holding events. This CD is a recording of those events. James Kelman explains, “Radical history is marginalised by the State and events of this nature should be recorded otherwise they are forgotten. The STUC offered to part-fund the project but on this occasion failed to come up with the money. We still went ahead. It was hoped that a selection of songs, poetry and prose-readings might be produced eventually in the form of a couple of albums (all proceeds to the miners’ strike fund). It didn’t happen, for one reason or another…The original project was launched in support of the miners and their families. Those days may have gone but solidarity and comradeship haven’t. All proceeds from the sale of the Writers for Miners album will go toward the Spirit of Revolt (S.O.R.) Archive, in appreciation of the crucial work carried out by the S.O.R. volunteers in the preservation of radical history”.

      In 1984, those involved were,

Norman McCaig, Freddy Anderson, Hamish Henderson, Duncan Maclean,

Kathleen Jamie and Robert Alan Jamieson, Donald Saunders, Peter Nardini,

Rab Noakes, Nancy Nicolson, Alasdair Gray, Jeff Torrington, Agnes Owens,

Carl MacDougall, James Kelman, Archie Hind, Donald Saunders, Tom

Leonard, Edwin Morgan, Edward Boyd, Danny Kyle, Tom McGrath, Jeff

Torrington, Agnes Owens, Archie Hind.

       There are 20 tracks on the CD, Where will you get such a fabulous collection of performers on one CD?

      You can contact us at our donate page, https://spiritofrevolt.info/donate/ or contact us at   info@spiritofrevolt.info Set up your Direct debit, send us your address and we will forward the CD and booklet. In anticipation we thank you for your support.

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk

Common Cause.

 

         We volunteers at Spirit of Revolt always try to get what is in our archive out to the general public. We do this among other ways, with exhibitions, on line cataloguing, and displays at various events. Why do we do this, well we believe that the grass-roots history of the ordinary people is extremely important. It is a powerful history of our past struggles from which we can learn much. It is also a history that would be lost, leaving a large gap in our true story. Without our true history we are a false people.

     Another way we try to get people interested in what we hold in the archive is the spot on our website called, "Read of the Month". Here we select a pamphlet, paper, small book or whatever, and put it on Read of the Month in the hope that it will raise you interest, pushing you to explore much deeper. 

      This month it is a small magazine covering community and industrial struggles from South Wales, Common Cause, No.2, 1978. Have a look, and if you like what you see, perhaps you can let your curser slide along to the "Donate" button and give a little to help us to continue doing what we are always trying to do, preserve and make easily and freely available, our history of struggle.

Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk