Wednesday 22nd May 2013. 19.00.
The Warehouse Café Building, 54-57 Alison Street, Birmingham B5 5th
‘Obey’ is a film based on Chris Hedges’ (2010) book, Death of the Liberal Class.
Obey discusses the current political, social, economic and environmental crises the world now faces and suggests the need for rebellion to fight against these crises.
There will be a discussion afterwards about the implications of this film in general and for activists in Birmingham.
‘The Ragged University is the concept of free education and self learning – everybody is a Ragged University sums it nicely. The Ragged project is something which is delivering free, fun and informal talks in pubs, cafes and libraries around the country. The idea is simple – anyone can do it. In fact that is how the Ragged Schools started, as did many other free education like the Chautauqua.
With a few ales and chewing ears off, we discussed the theory of taking the origins of the Ragged Schools and update them using available infrastructure (i.e. pubs, cafes, restaurants, businesses) and available technology (internet, libraries, books, open access learning). Whatever your passion, if you love a subject, the idea is to create a space to share insight into that. There is no money involved, there is no registration nor accreditation. Just plain old pleasure in learning and a confidence with knowledge comes power, however it is only power when it is shared…’
UK Free University Network (FUN) Sustaining Alternative Universities
Collaborative Research Conference 1-2 December 2012 Oxford, UK
Free University Network Conference: ‘Sustaining Alternative Universities’
An RSA animate of David Harvey’s work on the crisis of capitalism
An inteview with David Harvey that questions him about his book – A Brief History of Neoliberalism: http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2006/lilley190606.html
25 minute talk by David Harvey, 2009 :
18.30 @ The Birmingham & Midland Institute. Margaret Street, B3 3BX Birmingham. Meeting to discuss and plan the group and next event – details below.
12:00 until 16:00 @ The Birmingham & Midland Institute. Margaret Street, B3 3BXBirmingham. We are meeting on Saturday 27 October 2012 to have a discussion on Paolo Freire’s work, Pedagogy of the Oppressed.
The discussion is mainly to situate this writing in our current context and talk about how we can engage in critical learning and teaching today.
We are meeting to have the discussion between 2-4pm but if you would like to join us before that – from 12 noon we are meeting to discuss plans for workshops/events/classes and films we hope to set up in the coming months in the Free uni.
Please come along, bring friends and share your thoughts! The book is freely available in pdf at the link below.
Our only rule about reading it is that you come ready to discuss education and learning experiences critically – whether you have read some of the book or all (or very little!) We look forward to seeing you there!
http://69.195.71.185/_media/resource/freire_pedagogy_of_the_oppresed.pdf
Info, of, about September 2012 meetings & events
28th September
Symposium – MSFAC residency @ Edible Eastside, a response to Cathy Wade’s ‘Beyond The Pale’ . MSFAC – an investigation into the nature of territories, boundaries, walls, communities and areas.
26th September
We met to watch a film at the M.A.C. (Midlands Arts Centre) at 6pm and had a short meeting afterwards to finalise plans for our event in October which will be an afternoon of films and discussion on the crises of capitalism and the effects of the marketisation of education and how we can create new spaces to live and learn. We watched a documentary called Nostalgia for the Light (part of the human rights film festival)
Trailer for the documentary:
Noam Chomsky talks of the long standing hostility of the rich to truly educating the public so they don’t realise they are victims of an economic system they need to replace with one that truly serves the public.
A.S.Neil talks about freedom and his SummerhillSchool in England. Summerhill is often said to be the first school based on freedom and democratic ideals.
From the website of The Really Open University
Article – Communiqué from an Absent Future
http://wewanteverything.wordpress.com/2009/09/24/communique-from-an-absent-future/
BRE(A)D @Brum 