Watch… Two Days, One Night (Cornerhouse)..another brilliant film from Belgian brothers; the Dardennes. Sandra has just returned to work after being ill with depression only to find that the management have asked the staff to vote for a bonus or for her job. She has the weekend to persuade them to vote again, only this time for her to keep her job. It is capitalism writ large. As she visits her colleagues we see how the management have sought to turn them against each other. Most of them are poor working class people, many are from non-European backgrounds, including Arabic and African. It is heartbreaking as we watch her children as they watch their mother on the verge of a mental breakdown. Luckily she has a husband and a union rep who believe in her, that she can convince her colleagues to change their minds and even at the lowest point of her own misery she offers her friend sanctuary in her home from an abusive husband. This film reminds us of the importance of solidarity at work and that in the end people are more important than profit.
Highly recommended.

Go to a talk…about political theatre at the WCML on 10 September at 2pm. Mike Harris, writer, discusses his own work which has included touring theatre, community and radio drama and the “Great Tradition” of committed political theatre by which I think he means the Red Megaphones and Unity Theatre. The WCML has the archives of both these organisations. Big difference here is that these organisation were created by communists and had a political strategy, so it will be interesting to hear his take on political drama today. Further info see

Support the right to protest….at the Kedem picket in Manchester. Only last week we were commemorating the Peterloo Massacre when 13 people were killed as they demonstrated for the right to vote. But in Manchester in 2014 the head of the council Richard Leese and the police are trying to stop people protesting about the massacre in Gaza. Tight limits have been imposed on the picket at Kedem. So if you want to support the protestors sign this petition
see

Support… a family in need of sanctuary in the UK. Abiola Famaminwa is a biomedical scientist from Nigeria, she has 3 children, her husband Samuel was a well known journalist in Nigeria who died in suspicious circumstances in Borno State. He is just one journalist of many who are persecuted in Nigeria. Abiola fled to the UK to protect herself and her children and she is now facing deportation back to Nigeria. Support the campaign by signing the petition, write to her MP and make a donation if you can. There is a social for the family on Saturday 30 August 12-6pm, further info see

Find out about the architecture of Manchester….the Modernist Society and the Modernist Magazine have organised a talk on 4 September at Manchester Central Library, From the North: TV in Manchester. They say: This talk will not focus so much on the creative output of the television companies based in Manchester namely the BBC, ABC and Granada but more a narrative relating to the places these television companies inhabited and how their development in the second half of the 20th century symbolised and mirrored Manchester’s wider shift from an industrial to post industrial economy along with the changing nature of television. Further info see