We have decided to bring this blog to life again and, starting today, will be using it to share news about the Class Work Project and adjacent projects, plus (hopefully) some quality writing. Please get in touch with us if you wish to contribute.
Workshops and qualitative research on Migration and Class - building solidarity and equitable resource redistribution
The Class Work Project is currently developing a new workshop that will touch the class and social issues around the experiences of migrants with the UK left. The idea to create this workshop came from two of our workers who are migrants to the UK. Both have felt that they are not included in the discourse around class while also being marginalised by the class system. They are using their experiential expertise to assemble a series of workshops we hope to roll out next year.
This new project aims to think about how we isolate many from class discourse and how to give words to the contemporary class issues of migrants within a UK context.
This project is still in its research stage. Due to its complexity, we expect it will take a while to develop it fully while giving justice to the UK migrants' experiences. In the past weeks, we have interviewed people willing to share their observations on the above issues. We learnt a lot from these conversations, which gave us a better understanding of what must be included in this workshop.
Some of the interesting takeouts from these conversations were the common tropes highlighted in their experiences by people from various migrant backgrounds: extracting these will be crucial to developing a workshop intending to describe such diverse experiences. One of these tropes (and the one we are interested in perhaps more than in some others) was a different perception of poverty between people from migrant backgrounds and those born in the UK. Another one was the feeling of being left out from the discussions around the issues of class that are taking place in the left spaces. But these are just two brief examples. There are more, and certainly more is coming!
We are still seeking to interview more people about it, so if you are considering contacting us, please don't leave it too long! Your feedback will be more than appreciated.
We are interested to hear from people with migration experience who worked with the widely understood UK left on both paid and voluntary terms. The general frame for this workshop is the condition of migrants in left/activist/community groups framed in the context of class, and, similarly to our Exploring Class Workshop, we aim at improving the general cooperation, understanding and redistribution of resources with this workshop.
If you wish to speak with us about it, please email zosia(at)theclassworkproject.com.
The Class Work Project is coming to the Anarchist Bookfair in London!
On 7th October, the Class Work Project will stall at the Anarchist Bookfair in London. You are invited to come and say hi and, if you are so inclined, indulge in some radical retail therapy.
The Bookfair will take place across several venues in East London, with an easy walking distance between them. With over 70 stalls showcasing books, zines and campaigns, the bookfair also includes an engaging series of talks, films, workshops, a kids programme, and two after-parties headlining bands and DJs.
The Class Work stall at Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Rd, London E1 6LA will be open from 10am to 5pm.
The Bookfair is organised in coordination with Antiuniversity Now, an initiative set up to reignite the 1968 Antiuniversity of London to challenge academic and class hierarchy and the exclusivity of the £9K-a-year-degree by inviting people to organise and share learning events in public spaces all over the country. Beginning on 1st October, this year's Antiuniversity will see a myriad of events held in venues across London. Everyone is welcome!
Lastly, if you would rather spend the first weekend of October in southwest England, also on Saturday 7th, Dorset will host its 4th Radical Bookfair. Check them out, the programme for this event looks fantastic!