WOMEN AGAINST PIT CLOSURES
INTERNATIONAL CELEBRATION
WEEKEND PROGRAMME

FRIDAY 1ST OCTOBER

2pm Registration starts for weekend residential participants
8pm 'HERE WE GO AGAIN' Social (All Comrades Welcome). With the Angel
Brothers - chilled out Anglo Asian dance grooves; they've played
WOMAD, they've played Cambridge and now they will be at Wortley Hall
to get the celebrations going - lets bhangra boogie the night away!

SATURDAY 2ND OCTOBER

9 - 10am Day registration
10.00am TO FIGHT IS TO WIN: Welcome by Brenda Procter WAPC Chairperson
10.05am WAPC speaker - Betty Cook
10.15am Royston WAPC introduce the play `Cornbeef & Maggie' based on
their book, `United By The Struggle'
10.20am Royston High School Players perform `Cornbeef & Maggie'
10.50am Doreen McNally - `Women of the Waterfront'
11.00am Shirley Winter - Joint Vice-President `United Campaign to
Repeal the Anti-TU Laws'
11.10am Poem by Jean Gittins
11.15am Sheila Abdulla - The Struggle for Reproductive Rights
11.25am Malkiat Bilku - Hillingdon Hospital Dispute
11.35am Anne-Marie Sweeney pays tribute to the role of Asian women in
TU struggles and introduces her film
11.45am Film: `The Women From 10 Downing Street'
12.25am Anne Scargill introduces our Cuban comrade sisters
representing the Federation of Cuban Women
12.30am Alicia Gonzalez Gutierrez - FMC Department of Foreign
Relations
12.40am Ivette Vega Hernandez - National Committee of FMC & Director
of Muchachas (A paper devoted to young women)
1-2.30pm LUNCH BREAK
2.30pm THE FIGHT GOES ON ... Welcome by WAPC Rose Hunter chairing the
afternoon session
2.35pm Ruth Winter - President of the Fire Brigades Union
2.45pm Helen John - Greenham Common/Menwith Hill
2.55pm Sue Taylor - Sheffield Committee to Defend Asylum Seekers
3.05pm 1984/85 Chair of WAPC Ann Lilburn introduces our comrade sister
from Palestine:
3.15pm Nehal Muhanna - Activist from Gaza
3.35pm Banner Theatre perform `Burning Issues'
5.05pm Haifa Zangana - Act Together Women's Action for Iraq
5.20pm Bridget Bell WAPC introduces our comrade sister from Ireland
5.30pm Bernadette McAliskey
6.00pm Afternoon session closes with song `Women of the Working Class'

SATURDAY SOCIAL "UNITED BY THE STRUGGLE"

9pm - 12 midnight WAPC welcomes loyal supporters and comrades from the
trade union movement ... with an evening of song, dance and music and
fireworks !!!
Singer songwriters: Pauline Bradley ... "Through her songs, the
bravest will never be forgotten." Survivors' Poetry
Dave Rogers "An inspiration to everyone who believes in social justice
and peace" (Tony Benn)
Lizzie Shirley protest songs from around the world by ... "a born
performer" (South London Press)
North Staffs Miners Wives Action Group with their songs of struggle
...
Omar Puente & Cubania Cuban Music which will "stop at nothing to make
the party really get up and dance."
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) `Lighting Up The Sky' with Ken Cameron,
Ruth Winter & Chris Woods on behalf of Region No 7

And more to be announced

SUNDAY 3RD OCTOBER

9 - 11am Workshops: Cuba, Palestine, Defend Asylum Seekers, Future,
Networking/WAPC Website, Singing Workshop, and more ...
11am - 12noon Concluding session: Together We Are Strong.

Please note that some of the above workshops will also be held on
Saturday .

PLUS MORE WORKSHOPS ON SATURDAY:

Children's workshop with the ACTION SPACE MOBILE ARTISTS. Adults
welcome too!

'Recording Our Struggles Workshop' with film-maker Anne-Marie Sweeney.
'Sharing Photographs' workshop

More to be announced ...

CAMPAIGN STALLS

Justice for Mineworkers, NUM, Barnsley Stop The War Campaign, Cuba
Solidarity Campaign, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, European Social
Forum, Respect and Left Bookstall ....

For information about weekend or day registration contact WAPC at the
following email address:  nwapc2003@yahoo.com.

SPEAKERS SHARING STORIES OF STRUGGLE:

Bernadette McAliskey * Alicia Gonzalez Gutierrez & Ivette Vega
Hernandez (Federation of Cuban Women) * Ofelia Delgado Padron (Havana
Health worker) * Naeema Abu Hmaid, activist from Rafah, Palestine *
Malkiat Bilku (Hillingdon Hospital Workers) * Doreen McNally ((Women
of the Waterfront) * Sheila Abdulla, Vicky Knight (NEC member of the
FBU) * Shirley Winter (Magnet Dispute and Vice-President United
Campaign to Repeal Anti-Trade Union Laws) * Welsh Women's Aid *
Greenham Common speakers * Act Together (Women's Action for Iraq
speaker invited).

THEATRE

Banner Theatre present `Burning Issues' a new show to mark the
twentieth anniversary of the 1984/85 Miners' Strike.

`Cornbeef & Maggie' a play about Royston WAPC based on their book
`United by the Struggle' and performed by the Royston High School
Players.

FILMS

`The Women from 10 Downing Street' - Anne-Marie Sweeney pays tribute
to the outstanding role of Asian women in the Trade Union struggles of
the 20th century.

`We Are Not Defeated' -a film about women's role in the Great 84/85
Miners' Strike, by the North Staffs Miners' Wives Action Group.

SONGS/MUSIC:

`Here We Go Again!'
Social on Friday evening with Angel Brothers - Anglo /Asian dance
grooves to bhangra & boogie the night away!

`United by the Struggle'
Social on Saturday evening with Pauline Bradley, Cuban & Irish Bands,
Lizzie Shirley, NSMWAG and more singing comrades plus the FBU
`Lighting Up The Sky' - firework display.

WORKSHOPS

Future networking/WAPC Website * Making History & Writing It * Defend
Asylum Seekers Campaign * Singing Workshops * Banner-making.

RECORDING OUR STRUGGLES:

Film director Anne-Marie Sweeney will be filming the weekend for WAPC
and recording interviews with women.

PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION

We are asking all women to bring along their photos of struggle -
preferably copies - for a big collective exhibition.

Walking & Talking in 26 acres of woodland/garden
with breathtaking views.

WAPC International Celebration weekend is residential for women only.
Day registration is available to all comrades and includes food, but
you will need to book in advance. Stall space available for left
groups/campaigns.

For more information including a booking form contact WAPC:

E-Mail:  nwapc2003@yahoo.com

Proceeds from the weekend go to our 84/85 victimised miners and their
families c/o the justice for Mineworkers Campaign.