Speakers Corner Project
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A must for us:
Quote:Speakers Corner is the spiritual home of public debate and free speech and to celebrate this historical landmark, Bishopsgate Institute and On the Record are collaborating on Sounds from the Park, a project that will illustrate the locations eccentric history since it started in 1866.“I have been a member of Speakers’ Corner audiences since 1960 when I first visited as a tourist. I mingled with the crowd, listened to great speakers and enjoyed the wise-cracks of hecklers and the speaker’s repartee. It’s great that this oral history project has now been funded – the spirit of Speakers’ Corner must be celebrated and preserved to help inspire a new generation of budding orators and keep this unique place of public debate and free speech alive. I am happy to be part of this exciting project.”
Reinhardt Wentz, member of the project Steering groupSounds from the Park aims to collect 20 oral history interviews with diverse speakers, listeners and orators. An exciting programme of learning workshops and public events will culminate in an exhibition, a radio show and a permanent archive of Speakers’ Corner oral histories and memorabilia at Bishopsgate Institute.
The project will provide a new perspective on social and political developments in 20th century Britain. Platforms at Speakers’ Corner have included women’s suffrage, pacifism, socialism, LGBT rights, national liberation and religion alongside comic, often eccentric, speakers who entertained the crowds.
“This fascinating project will uncover and preserve the stories of orators, listeners and hecklers who were at Speakers Corner during its heyday helping to make it a unique example of free speech, controversial debate and public entertainment. It deserves a comprehensive, accessible archive and now this will be achieved.”
Sue Bowers, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund LondonSounds from the Park was awarded £41,100 from the Heritage Lottery Fund and £2,814 from the Barry Amiel and Norman Melburn Trust. This volunteer-led project will preserve and celebrate the heritage of Speakers’ Corner from 1866, when the Reform League tore down the gates of Hyde Park, to the present day.
If you wanted to get involved in this exciting project, On the Record are looking for volunteers from all walks of life, and people with memories of Speakers’ Corner to help them archive material, carry out oral history interviews, conduct historical research, produce a radio show and curate an exhibition. You could also be invited to join the project steering group. If you are interested contact Laura Mitchison at info@on-the-record.org.uk or telephone 07787243656
Hopefully the 80s generation of Party members who are now either detached or semi-detached from the SPGB will be contacted about this.
I went to the introductory meeting this morning. Plenty of Hyde Park habitués there exchanging reminiscences. Looks like an interesting and worthwhile project. I don't think there is any danger of us being ignored, as one of the volunteers involved in the project is a Party member and our Archives Dept has been in contact with the organisers to offer them access to our archive of photos which they have accepted. Some interest was expressed in other speaking places in London (Tower Hill, Lincolns Inn, etc) which have died out.There will be two free training days on Tuesday 18 December and Tuesday 29 January from 11am to 4pm at the Bishopsgate Institute to which people are urged to "bring old photographs, documents, articles and recordings of Speakers' Corner or anything else you might have for the archive" and "learn about archiving, cataloguing and conservation from specialist staff at Bishopsgate Institute". Comrade Richard Headicar was said to be coming to the one in January.
There is an entry for Tony Turner on their blog on 21 June here:http://soundsfromthepark.tumblr.com/
Part 2 on Tony Turner has now appeared today (28 June) on their blog. See: http://soundsfromthepark.tumblr.com/
"Turner also became the first member of the Socialist Party of Great Britain (SPGB) to promote the equal importance of men and women in establishing socialism. " Many readers of the 1904 Declaration of Principles will be surprised at the above statement
The first part ends by noting that some used to refer to us as "Tony Turner's party". This still lives on. We received a cut-off form back from an enquirer on 23 May who said that she had come into contact with us "Many many years ago in the days of Tony Turner — things haven't got any better in fact they are worse!"
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