Summer School 2014
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I'll be booking Fircroft College in Birmingham for 2014's Summer School in the next day or so. Already there's not much availability for dates, and I want to avoid clashing with other popular events people are likely to go to. I won't book it for the weekend 18th – 20th July, as this is when the Tolpuddle Festival is, but does anyone know of any other events to avoid a clash with? I tried looking for when Marxism 2014 is, but there was nothing on the SWP website. Are there any other dates to avoid, although already the only options are 13th – 15th June and 20th – 22nd June!?
Apart from events scheduled for predictable dates, I don't think any other events will be published almost a year in advance. It is thoughtful to ask, see if anyone else has any comments.
Not wishing to put any spanner in the works, Mike, but some members have expressed reservations about returning to Fircroft for a variety of reasons including alleged inferior accommodation. meagre breakfasts and the alcohol ban.Without wanting to cause you or anyone else any additional work are there any viable alternatives to Fircroft or Harborne Hall? If it is the question of cost then the Party should consider increasing its subsidy which may not only result in better facilities but enable more folk to attend in future. Kent and Sussex Branch are placing an item on the ADM agenda to this effect.
Mike Foster wrote:I tried looking for when Marxism 2014 is, but there was nothing on the SWP website.I wouldn't bother about not clashing with this as it is not likely to be what it used to be. Members in London who don't go to our summer school should be able to cover any residual event the SWP may organise.
Marxism Festival 2014 (SWP) is likely to be even more poorly attended than Marxism Festival 2013. The International Socialist Network (ex-SWP) are likely to have their own festival up and running by then.
I definitely prefered harbourne to fircroft. I'm wondering though have you ever enquired about Warwick University, I've heard the facilities are excellent. http://www.warwickconferences.com/
Thanks for the suggestions – I'll enquire at Warwick University and Harborne Hall. Warwick might be more difficult to get to by train and looks more expensive. The B&B rates there are at least £78 per night in September (the website wouldn't let me check rates in June or July), which is twice as much as Fircroft before taking into account the use of conference facilities. Harborne Hall will probably work out more expensive than Fircroft (it was £400 more last time), and there were some issues with the accommodation. My personal preference is for Fircroft, despite the alcohol ban and breakfasts.I'm in favour of increasing the subsidy. Up to now, I've been able to work within the existing subsidy while also ensuring that anyone who wants to go has a place. So, even if there is no increase we can still work with existing arrangements.I won't bother trying to avoid a clash with Marxism, based on the helpful posts above.
It seems that Warwick University would be too expensive as a venue, and Fircroft and Harborne Hall are likely to be more-or-less the same cost (within a couple of hundred pounds, at a guess). Any other views as to which venue people prefer?
We once held the Summer School at Ruskin College, in Headington on the outskirts of Oxford. Don't know if they still do this or how much it would cost.
Mike Foster wrote:It seems that Warwick University would be too expensive as a venue, and Fircroft and Harborne Hall are likely to be more-or-less the same cost (within a couple of hundred pounds, at a guess). Any other views as to which venue people prefer?Who says Warwick University would be too expensive as a venue? The Party has the money and should be prepared to shell out on hiring a better venue and encouraging and assisting, where necessary, those who'd like to attend. Summer School should be treated like any other propaganda venture. It really is time we started thinking 'outside of the box' and the EC should be prepared to make a definitive decision to this end at its next meeting.
Hear, hear.Some of the most important features of summer school for attracting numbers, aren't yet features of summer schoolIt should be in a university.It should be in London.
I don't think summer school needs to be in London. Summer School has been held in the Midlands partly because it's a central location potentially easier and cheaper for more people to get to. Also, having it away from London helps to broaden the Party out from having the majority of its events in the capital. If summer school was held in London, presumably there would be more people who'd just attend as day visitors (as someone who lives in London might be less likely to bother with booking accommodation). So, I think it would turn out more like a day school, with some attendees doing it as a residential weekend. This would give it a different feel to when we've all been staying in a bubble like Fircroft or Harborne Hall. So, I don't have any objections to a summer school held in London. But, as it would have a different feel to those held in Birmingham, it should be in addition to, and not instead of.I'm not sure if summer school needs to be in a university. Surely we can go with any venue with meeting rooms, meals, accommodation, transport links etc?Warwick university would be a great venue, but we'd need extra funding confirmed before booking there, as pointed out by gnome. I've been able to work within the current subsidy (£50 per pesron, on average) without turning anyone away from summer school who's wanted to attend but can't afford to. Despite advertising summer school more widely each year, the tendency has been for it to be attended more by a hardcore of regulars recently. So, the advertising hasn't led to an increase in new attendees, who instead have usually heard about summer school by word-of-mouth. So, I'm not sure how many extra people would attend if the subsidy was increased. Maybe if we advertised it with a much bigger subsidy in future we'd get more attendees. If we did get a significant amount of more interest, we'd need a larger venue than Fircroft or Harborne Hall (unless people fancy sharing rooms).Personally, I'd say that any major changes to summer school in terms of cost, subsidy, format etc should start in 2015. This would give us more time to agree these changes, as I really need to book a venue for 2014 before the end of the month before availability goes. Anyone new coming in to the organising of summer school would also have an easier introduction if we followed the tried-and-tested format for another year, before starting something new the next.I'll ask for discussion of summer school to be put on the next EC agenda.
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