In this series of events we will trace how we got the vote and try to find out whether there is a viable alternative to representational party democracy.  Therefore, in a broad  selection of events, we will find out about Thomas Spence, The Chartist, The Reform Acts and the Suffragettes. Searching for democratic alternatives we will look at anarchism in the 19th Century, election by lottery in Athens and participatory democracy from Anglo-Saxon Britain to the Internet.

Bristol Radical History Group are chuffed to welcome Dorothy Thompson, Owen Ashton, Steve Poole, Leon Rosselson, Robb Johnson, The Blue Sequoias, David Goldblatt, Roy Norris, Chris Chalkle, Les James, Keith Armstrong, Tony Dyer and some other familiar faces.

But there is more! If you are suffering from election fatigue already accomplished trouble maker Ian Bone will teach us how to subvert democracy with such shenanigans as the Vote Nobody campaign and The Bristolian. We will also be holding our own mock election in the dark and satirical tradition of The Mayor of Garrett.

Talks, walks, gigs and films. Check it out.

BRHG will be giving a short talk on the suffragette Theresa Garnett who attacked Winston Churchill on Temple Meads station 100 years ago last year (see http://www.brh.org.uk/autum2009/suffragette.html)

So if you missed our recreation of the event last year, come and find out why Thersea attacked Churchill and what happened after this famous incident.

All this will be at the Boat House, Redcliffe Wharf on Saturday 20th February, 1-4pm.

At 7pm on Sunday 14th February our friend Paul Tickell has his latest documentary shown on Channel 4. This is Episode 4 in the series The Bible: A History and is titled The Daughters of Eve.

Bristol Radical History Group Election Special

The Struggle for Democracy in Britain

Recent British histories arrogantly claimed that the ‘we’ brought democracy to the Empire and ultimately the world in the 19th and 20th Centuries. Despite centuries of struggle to wrestle power from an elite few, the vote in Britain is still seen as a gift from the rulers to the people to help bring ‘us’ into the modern age. These days, the establishment of western style ‘democracy’ is used by Britain as a context for invasion, war and occupation.

In April this year through the media of public lectures, debates, history walks and other events, Bristol Radical History Group will be critically examining the British history of democracy and enfranchisement. Tracing a path from the English and French Revolutions via the Spencerites, the Chartists and the Suffragettes to New Labour we will be trying to answer the following questions:

• How was the vote for everybody achieved?
• Who wanted democracy and who didn’t?
• What was the composition of the movements that fought for the vote for all?
• What did these movements actually want?
• What were the alternatives?
• What did we end up with?
• Is democracy historically necessary for capitalism to exist?
• Does ‘democracy’, as we know it, have a future?

Join us in uncovering the hidden history of democracy and enfranchisement in Britain. A perfect antidote to the misery of ‘election fever’.

18/01/2010 Bristol Feminist Network Present: Women And The Media – Representation, Misrepresentation, No Representation.

01/02/2010 Bristol Anarchist Bookfair Presents: J18 & Seattle 10 Years On – Histories and reflections on these movements and the strategies for today’s acrivists.

22/02/2010 Cop 15 – What Now? – Short films and discussions on what the outcome of Copenhagen Climate Summit means for the World and activists.

01/03/2010 Bristol Radical History Group Present: The 43 Group – Talk from a member of the anti-fascist group that helped keep fascism at bay after WWII. Find out more >>

05/04/2010 Bristol Radical History Group Presents: Democracy? – With an election upon us we ask what is the nature of democracy and are there any better alternatives.

03/05/2010 Constantine’s Sword -  Why are intolerance, violence & war so deeply ingrained in religion? Can war ever be holy? See this film to find out.

07/06/2010 The Gleaners And I – Agnes Vardas classic film looks at The Gleaners, those who live on the margins and waste of our capitalist society.

View Bristol Radical History Walk October 2009 in a larger map.