Resist-Action-Change
This year’s annual Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) History and Archives Conference explores acts of conscience which can and do bring about change. The day features keynote speakers who will talk about their experiences, Q&A panels and workshops.
Resist-Action-Change programme
Saturday 3 December 2011, 9.30am - 4.30pm, £10 / £7.50
This year's conference explores the different ways in which people are meeting current challenges. Keynote speakers in the morning will prepare the way for practical afternoon workshops. The workshops will include exploring archive material and using it as a springboard into new and innovative ideas which can be put into action by individuals and groups. There will also be two panel round up sessions.
Keynote Speakers include
Clare Summerskill - Clare is an actress, writer, stand up comedian and community activist. She has been described by Radio 4's Woman's hour as 'A lesbian Victoria Wood' and appears regularly on the LGBT comedy and cabaret circuits. She has worked as an actress for many years mainly in community theatre with touring companies such as Forest Forge, Hampshire: Remould, Hull: Age Exchange, London and Interplay, Leeds. For the past few years she has been performing her own one-woman comedy shows in theatres around the UK and acting with her own theatre company, Artemis in national tours of 'Gateway' To Heaven' and 'Hearing Voices' amongst other productions.
Gateway To Heaven is a play that was funded by The Arts Council and toured twice to theatres around the country in 2006 and 2007. It was a piece based entirely on memories of older lesbians and gay men and was then commissioned by Age Concern to be made into a DVD which is available for free by contacting mail.order@ace.org.uk. Visit http://www.gatewaytoheaven.co.uk/ for further details about the play.
Gateway To Heaven is "An immaculately performed play about the history of lesbians and gays, taken from the experiences and memories of ordinary people." New Statesman
Tim Bennett-Goodman - Tim has worked in the field of arts and culture for thirty-five years in the voluntary sector and local government, for an MP and most recently for the Greater London Authority. He worked on the project team for the Rich Mix centre in Bethnal Green, London E1 from 2002-4 and for Central Arts Trust in Waltham Forest from 2004-5. From 2005-8 he was Chair of Apex Arts (the Arts Council for Waltham Forest), and was made an Honorary Life Member on retiring. He is currently a trustee/director of Voluntary Action Waltham Forest. Now working as a freelance arts consultant, he also reviews fiction and theatre for a monthly online LGBT magazine http://www.polarimagazine.com/ He has lived in the London Borough of Waltham Forest since January 2004. He is actively involved in River Cultures and the Walking proud project.
Rowland Jide Macaulay - Rowland Jide is the Director of RJMM.CO.UK, also the founding Pastor of House Of Rainbow Lagos Nigeria and London United Kingdom. Rowland Jide is of Nigerian parentage born in London, an ordained minister since 1998. He is openly gay, a dynamic and an inspirational speaker, poet, pastor, teacher and preacher and spends part of his professional time mainly in Nigeria and the United Kingdom. Rowland Jide's focus is spiritual activism with a major link with the inclusion and reconciliation of sexuality and spirituality, immigration adviser, human rights in all aspect, especially the right to religion for lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender and Intersex people. He self publishes, writing for various Christian and secular Journals.
David Equality Watters - Since graduating from The Institute of Education, University of London, David has gone on to train with LEAP, as a mediator, is a qualified facilitator for The Pacific Institute and director of NBI Associates (http://www.nbiassociates.co.uk/), a personal and professional development company who provide Engaging, Enjoyable and Interactive Workshops which can optimize individual, team and business potential.
He is a writer and speaker on social inequality issues, is a key player in the Equal Love Campaign UK (http://www.equallove.org.uk/) and author of the forthcoming book, Never Blend In which features key voices from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community and which aims to inspire and encourage those who may lack self-esteem or who question their validity.
David is currently promoting a youtube campaign "Give 'em Hope" ( http://www.nbiassociates.co.uk/Give--em-Hope-Campaign.html and ( http://www.facebook.com/groups/226577107352368/) and is asking individuals, couples and groups to make and share videos telling about the benefits of living with personal authenticity.
Workshops
The workshops will last for 45 minutes and people will be able to do two during the course of the afternoon, with each workshop running twice.
THEME 1: Teaching and Learning
Workshop A - Working with historical records to develop learning materials / packs - TBC
Workshop B - Facing history in ourselves – tackling sensitive issues and planning strategies for delivery to groups - Carl Fazackerley, Southwark City Academy
THEME 2: Developing Community Projects
Workshop C - Starting and running a successful community project - Ajamu and the rukus!federation
Workshop D - Saving and caring for community collections - surgery and advice - Stefan Dickers - Bishopsgate Institute and the Lesbian and Gay Newsmedia Archive (LAGNA)
