An evening using archival films looking back at crofting and farming in Scotland to frame a discussion about the future of farming, extractivism and agroecology.
‘Land Makar’, 1981, 31.32 mins, filmed by Margaret Tait for Ancona Films, National Library of Scotland’s Moving Images Archive
The ‘Land Makar’ of the title is ‘a poet of the land’. Margaret Tait described this film as ‘A landscape study of an Orkney croft, with the figure of the crofter, Mary Graham Sinclair, very much in the picture, and enriched throughout by her vivid comments.’
‘They Made The Land’, 1938, 19.41 mins, directed by Mary Field for Films of Scotland, National Library of Scotland’s Moving Images Archive
The struggle to live from the land and the work of the various departments of agricultural research and animal breeding. One of a group of seven documentaries made for the 1938 Empire Exhibition, under the supervision of John Grierson.
The concept of extractivism - the process of extracting (mining, drilling, felling or otherwise trading) high-demand natural resources from the Earth to sell on the world market - is more widely known in countries of the Majority World. However, extractivism has shaped the landscape and (post)industrial communities in Scotland and the UK over the last few centuries.
In January 2020 CHE will host two events on a short history of extractivism in the UK and beyond, using archival films from the National Library of Scotland and the British Film Institute about coal mining and industrial agriculture. We will announce a full programme with information on how to book soon, but here is some provisional information: save the dates!
Event synopsis: How do we create a hospitable environment within a hostile environment? With the uncertainties of Brexit, we are falling into a new era of instability. To soften a hard landing, we work together to move into a phase of renewal, turning leaves into mulch to stimulate new growth. We celebrate migration, and embrace a world on the move as our ecosystems continue to unravel. How can we actively nurture and strengthen old and new networks of solidarity and mutual support?
if you will bring any children (age & numbers) who will take part in the creche
about any dietary requirements you may have (there’ll be a light vegetarian / vegan lunch)
any other access needs you may have
Bus passes will be available on request.
Programme
Wee Talks: 21 images X 20 seconds.
Sapna Agarwal: The Dispersal and Displacement of the Coconut Seed
Talk synopsis: Sapna will talk about the oppositional pulls climate activism can bring to a woman of colour who is a second generation immigrant – the tedium and necessity to represent and some of the questions that raises.
Sapna Agarwal is a community organiser and educator. Much of her work is informed by her status as a second-generation immigrant, woman of colour, parent. It is currently focused on climate activism and she is the coordinator of Wee Rebellion, the families group of Extinction Rebellion Scotland.
Ali Fleabite: Palestinian liberation struggles and the transformation of Jewish identity and practice.
Talk synopsis: Resituating Jewish narratives, symbols, ritual and practice to emphasise their commonality with liberatory ideas and struggle and evolving a progressive, anti-occupation Judaism from a Zionist orthodoxy.
In 2003, Ali Fleabite spent 4 months doing Palestinian solidarity activism in the West Bank and Gaza. Subsequently they have been involved with, communicated with, and visited, Jewish organisations and communities within the Palestine solidarity movements, many individuals and communities, and a homegrown chosen family of progressive Jews in Glasgow, from 2005 onwards.
Alvaro Huertas: When my Growth Days came to an End.
Talk synopsis: Exploring the end of the illusion of unlimited growth as a parallel story between the personal and the global, from a career in academia to working in solidarity projects.
Alvaro Huertas-Rosero is a scientist by formation, holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Glasgow and has worked as a lecturer in Chemistry and Physics (primarily Quantum Theory). He now spends most of his time raising his child and working for migrant solidarity and food justice in Glasgow.
Annie Lord: Graft
Talk synopsis:Graft uses hand drawn illustrations and photographs to explore borders, boundaries and unions between plants and people and weave together several story lines including the birth and regeneration of Edinburgh’s Botanic Gardens; the cultivation of the Bramley apple, and the formation of symbiotic and parasitic relationships.
Annie Lord is a performer and visual artist based in Edinburgh. Her work explores material processes, cultural and geological histories and the ways in which they shape the present. Recent work has examined the botanical origins of celluloid film and the art of apple tree grafting. You can follow Annie on Twitter and Instagram.
Nayab Khalid: Even dreams must fall to rules. A simple love story
Talk synopsis:Through narrative fiction, I tell a story about immigration, culture and society. The beliefs and values my characters orient themselves by are mirrors. They might clash because of their differences, but their similarities are what truly drives them apart.
Nayab Khalid is trying to rekindle her love for fiction and performance. Her stories often involve elements of science fiction and fantasy, but in this one instance she has found the real world strange enough.
Jonathon Shafi: Deconstructing Fortress Europe
Talk synopsis:Building solidarity beyond the EU
Jonathon Shafi works for Common Weal. He has played a long-standing role in anti-cuts and anti-war in Glasgow and a founder member of the Radical Independence Campaign.
World Spirit Theatre: Theatre and Raising Awareness: solidarity, community, creativity, borders, social movements and arts
Talk synopsis: Showing images from our recent production ‘Where are you are really?’, World Spirit Theatre present the communities we have engaged with, responses we received from the communities and challenges of using theatre as a method of raising awareness.
World Spirit Theatre uses Theatre of the Oppressed methods to create plays and discussion around migration, working with people with direct experience of migration.
Short film
Kotryna Ula Kiliulyte: Amateur Botanist film screening (5mins 59 sec) followed by Q&A.
Kotryna Ula Kiliulyte is a Glasgow based artist working with moving image, photography and objects. Her practice explores themes of migrations, ecology, histories and future projections. She holds a BA and Mlitt from Glasgow School of Art, and exhibits and works internationally.
Performance
Joyous Choir – songs about hope, solidarity, sisterhood and women’s rights.
Maryhill Integration Network’s Joyous Choir consists of women from many different backgrounds who come together every week to share songs from their own cultures. Its members include refugees or asylum seekers who have made Scotland their home to escape conflict or danger in their home countries.
For directions to the venue, have a look atthis map.
We are grateful to the Network for Social Change for supporting this event.
Event synopsis: How do we create a hospitable environment within a hostile environment? With the uncertainties of Brexit, we are falling into a new era of instability. To soften a hard landing, we work together to move into a phase of renewal, turning leaves into mulch to stimulate new growth. We celebrate migration, and embrace a world on the move as our ecosystems continue to unravel. How can we actively nurture and strengthen old and new networks of solidarity and mutual support?
Scotland has a variety of environmental problems, including flooding, soil erosion, water quality and biodiversity loss. What these problems have in common is that they could be ameliorated by a relatively simple intervention: maintaining and encouraging wetlands. We might try to do this for ourselves, but much better would be to encourage beavers to do the job. They’re good at it, they’re highly motivated and very persistent, and they’re cheap with it. But beavers and beaver wetlands would not be a free lunch: there would be costs and conflicts, albeit these could usually be mitigated.
Dr Richard Horobin is a biologist, consultant and Honorary Research Fellow in the School of Chemistry at the University of Glasgow.
There’ll be a Members’ Meeting following the talk, open to everyone who’s interested, with a special focus:
Should we re-emphasise the ecology and natural science aspects of human ecology at CHE? If so, how should we go about this?
There’ll be plenty of space but to help us keep track of numbers, please rsvp by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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