It is that time of year again, when we at
Spirit of Revolt stand with cap in hand asking for your donations.
Spirit of Revolt was formed in 2011, by a small group of volunteers, with one thing in mind, the history of the ordinary people matters and is very important in defining who we are. Since that day when we got our first collection we have built up a fabulous array of material from people who struggle for all of us. The number of collections now numbers 40, with more being processed. The number of documents goes into the thousands from leaflets, serials, letters, posters, booklets, pamphlets, photos and lots of other memorabilia. All this material is open to the public via the Mitchell Library, but we also have put an incredible amount on line for you to peruse at home, on your phone, laptop or whatever, and will continue with this process.
We are in no way attached to trade unions or political parties, nor do we receive any funding from these organisations. We collect material of the struggles of the ordinary people, mainly from the Glasgow Clydeside area but some of material comes from further afield.
I think it was George Orwell who said, ( I paraphrase here) "The best way to destroy a people is to destroy their history"
Without our history we are a people without a culture, without a past. In the case of the ordinary people that is far from the truth, we have a long history of struggle of which we can be very proud. What Spirit of Revolt collects and stores is a history that is not usually preserved, we owe it to those people of past struggles that we should remember them and learn from them.
Why not take a look at what we do, browse the labyrinth of collections, be proud of your history and learn more about that history.
If you like what we are doing and think we are doing a decent job, why not make a small donation, a one of, or a direct debit, and help us to continue doing what we do, preserving your history.
To tempt you, for a limited period, we are offering a free CD to anyone who arranges a direct debit of £5 or more. This is a unique CD with an array of names you will not see on any other one CD. Think of it as giving us the price of a couple of coffees once a month.
Free CD and booklet.
Spirit of Revolt is anarchist/libertarian-socialist archive dedicated
to preserving and making easily accessible to the public at large,
Glasgow/Clydeside grass-roots history of struggle. We are not connected
to any political party or trade union nor do we receive any funding from
any of these organisation. We are a volunteer group who give our time
freely, however in a capitalist society funds are a necessary evil to
survive and grow. We rely on our various outreach programs to raise
funds, and the much appreciated supporters who have signed a direct
debit to help sustain this project, to them, a great big thank you.
In an endeavour to increase our funds and help secure the project, we
are, for a limited period offering a CD and booklet, Writers for
Miners, to anyone who signs up a direct debit for £5 or more, to Spirit
of Revolt. It will be free delivery in the UK, further afield we would
have to look at the cost. Have a look at our website
https://spiritofrevolt.info,
if you like what we are doing and think we are doing a good job, then
the price of a couple of coffees a month would be much appreciated.
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.
Where will you get such a fabulous collection of performers on one CD?
You can make you donation from our donate page:
Visit ann arky's home at
https://radicalglasgow.me.uk
