@ rampART (www.rampart.co.nr) this Tuesday (17th), 8pm
16 rampart street, london E1 2LA
Films and discussion on GM crops trials in the UK and the previously sucessful campaign to stop them. Plus update on the biotech industries latest attempts to push this shit down our throats.
This month a controversial experimental genetically modified potato crop is due to be planted in the UK by the German chemical giant BASF (offshoot of the infamous AG Farben). The trials are the first GM crops to enter British soil in nearly 3 years, after public opposition forced a u-turn in government and corporate plans for patented crops.
The potato trials are a poorly disguised test of public opposition, so to make sure that opposition is adequately expressed, a national rally is taking place on Sat 21st April. Come along, learn about the history of the anti-GM campaign and find out about transport from London. For more info, contact rally@mutatoes.org (0113 262 9365) or check out the website www.mutatoes.org
>> Thursday Cinema (19th April), from 8pm sharp
> Regeneration Game (75min), by Mike Lane, an activist and filmmaker from Liverpool
We live in a city that has third world conditions in many of our communities and in this day and age, in the 21st century, that is fundamentally wrong. This documentary film is about ordinary people like ourselves, people who had their lives adversely affected by our civic leaders within the Liverpool city council, and by various local and central government agencies and rich property developers. It is also about people and how they empower themselves, how they stood up and said no, about local democracy or the lack of it. Community activists always knew that regeneration funding would be redirected away from Liverpool poor areas and put into the pockets of the rich.
The specific examples looked at in this documentary are:
1) How the council has colluded with local land developers in order to take away from the people of Liverpool council housing and land in order to providecheap land for the developers so they can build houses for sale.
2) The council together with property developers is stealing property from home owners through compulsory purchase orders supposedly to enable the widening of the Edge Lane corridor.
3) the attempt of council together with property developers to destroy a business in the heart of Liverpool in order to help one of the Britain's richest man, the Duke of Westminster, to become richer.
> The Battle of Broadway Market (60min), a documentary by Emily James
At the end of November 2005 an occuption was started by local residents at 34 Broadway Market to prevent it being knocked down for luxury flats. Over the next few months support multiplied and the news travelled around the world. It's a story that brings in corrupt property developers, an incompetant council, rampant gentrification and the question of just what sort of community we want in 21st century London.
>> OTHER NEWS
> rampART anniversary postponed
We're sorry to have to annouce that the rampART anniversary events we were planning for next month have now been postponed as there is a really bad clash with a very interesting (and quite similar) sounding event taking place in a squatted space elsewhere in London.
We're hoping to find new dates in June for the anniversary after the G8 - details next week hopefully.
Check out the 'competition' on www.randomartists.org
Temporary Autonomous Art:london
Free Entry - Wed 16th Saturday 19th May
Info lines 07050 614804 / 07092 805720
>> COMING SOON
> Barcelona Pirate Universary
Coming next week (probably Thursday 26th but TBC)... a presentation from Pirat University, an open space, free and experimental education project based in an autonomus squated space in Barcelona. Some of the activities include 'the nothing workshop', pirat history and unconsious hacking, sexual recycled toys workshop, opensource sewingworkshop, alternative medicine, pirate TV and others. (for more information www.universitatpirata.org)
They will also be presenting info and films about other grassroots projects taking place in Barcelona.
Details in next newsletter.
>> WISH LIST
Help. We still need a nice big fuse box / consumer unit.