A Hundred Years Of Opposition To War
A Hundred Years Of Opposition To War Speakers - Lindsey German (Stop the War Coalition) and Daniel Blaney (CND)
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Art and War
Resistance and Recovery
‘A Colour Chart for Killing’ Jude Hutchen, the artist behind one of the festival exhibitions, A Colour Chart for Killing, talks about her work and art and war resistance. Her exhibition is showing in Bristol Central Library, College Green, Bristol BS1 5TL 1 April – 3 May. ‘The Art of Recovery’ Al Johnson is a sculptor, and director of Art for Bravo 22 a programme for recovery through the arts. Al will talk about her role and the development of The Art of Recovery a sculpture project for wounded, […]
Commemorating War 1
In Britain and Ireland
Shot at Dawn. Evolution of a Memorial Andy De Comyn (the public artist behind the Shot at Dawn Memorial) looks at the concept and creation of the Shot at Dawn memorial. He explains how the idea evolved beyond being a simple commemoration to a forgotten group of men. Revisiting the Fallen in Ireland, 1918-2018 Mary Muldowney of East Wall History Group, Dublin, discusses how Irish commemoration of World War 1 has changed in 100 years, through the lens of war memorials. Her paper will also examine […]
England Arise! A Drama
The story of a political conscientious objector
A reading of the play 'England, Arise!' a drama telling the story of Arthur Gardiner's refusal to fight in the First World War on political grounds, inspired by and drawing on Cyril Pearce's book 'Comrades In Conscience'. Performed by Mick Martin and Cyril Pearce and followed by a Q&A with writer/director Mick Martin (www.bentarchitect.co.uk) and Cyril Pearce.
Paying for Peace or Paying for War?
With 'Conscience - Taxes for Peace not War'
War tax resisters Robin Brookes and Diana Warner talk about their campaign, with Lois Bibbings . They explain that we all pay for war through our taxes. Since 1916 conscientious objectors (COs) have had the right to refuse military service, often doing some alternative service for society such as farming or war victim relief. Citizens are no longer conscripted to fight, but are made to pay for deliberate killing through their taxes. They ask - isn't it high time that COs have the right to divert […]
Internment and internee stories from England and Germany
Three talks on internment in Yorkshire, North East England and Berlin
Time Stood Still: The Internment of Civilians at Lofthouse Park Camp near Wakefield, 1914-18 Claudia Sternberg talks about Lofthouse Park Camp which held nearly 3,000 German and Austrian-Hungarian civilian and military prisoners during the First World War and was in use until the last officers left Yorkshire in December 1919. This talk focuses on the experience of the civilian internees and shares some of the official and personal stories that were brought to light in the collaborative British […]
Researching Conscientious Objectors
‘Joining up the dots’ between CO projects across the UK
Researching Conscientious Objectors with Valerie Flessati and Cyril Pearce This session with Cyril Pearce will be an opportunity for anyone who has been researching or telling the story of the First World War resisters, locally or internationally, to share their discoveries. As the First World War centenary draws to a close this is an opportunity to ‘join up the dots’ between CO projects across the UK, and further afield, and to look at the ‘big picture’. Valerie and Cyril will also look forward […]
Bristol Radical History Group Book Launch
This book launch will include talks by some of the authors and time for questions and answers. Both booklets will be available to buy at the festival. Refusing to Kill: Bristol's World War I Conscientious Objectors by Remembering the Real World War 1 Lois Bibbings, Jeremy Clarke, Mary Dobbing, Colin Thomas This A4 colour booklet reflects the work of a community history project undertaken by Remembering the Real World War 1, with support from researchers around the country as well as descendants […]
Conscientious Objector Stories From Around England 1
Burton on Trent, Oxford and Herefordshire
Being a CO in Burton-on-Trent Karen Hunt speaks about the Mid Staffordshire Appeals Tribunal and what the records reveal about life on the Staffordshire home front. Amongst the Appeals papers were a group of men from Burton-on-Trent who refused to take part in the Great War either as combatants or non-combatants. Their unequivocal stand as COs led to court martials and imprisonment. Karen explores the particular local home front from which this small group of brave men emerged and the political, […]
Women Campaigning for Peace in World War 1
Two short films with Q&A
Alison Ronan presents two films she has worked on and will be at the screenings to speak about them and answer questions. These Dangerous Women Documentary about the women who tried to stop World War 1. In 1915 1300 women from warring and neutral nations got together in the Hague to find a way towards peace. (24 minutes) Women's Peace Crusade The Women's Peace Crusade swept like wildfire across Britain from 1916 -1918. This film tells the story of the North West women who took part in […]