Local Democracy for Everyone is a series of free events in Huddersfield from 5th to 7th February 2015, for anyone who is interested in local democracy.
Radical Heritage Trail
Saturday 7th February 2015
1.30pm to 3.30pm
Venue: Meet at the Harold Wilson statue in St. George’s Square, Huddersfield
Discover Huddersfield’s rich heritage of radical politics in this free guided walk.
Starting from the Harold Wilson statue in St George’s Square, this free guided trail will visit town centre sites that are associated with the Luddites, Chartists, the early days of the Labour Party, the anti-war movement during World War One and lots more.
The walk will be led by Cyril Pearce, author of ‘Comrades in Conscience’ which tells the story of Huddersfield’s conscientious objectors, whose opposition to the Great War earned Huddersfield the reputation of being ‘a hotbed of pacifism’.
The walk will last up to two hours and you’ll have an opportunity to drop in to the Media Centre at the end for a hot drink and to see the conclusion of the “We’re not in Westminster any more” event which will bring together advocates for redesigning local democracy.
This event is being run in collaboration with Discover Huddersfield and Huddersfield Local History Society.
PechaKucha
Friday 6th February 2015
7pm to 8pm
Venue: Café Ollo, The Media Centre, Northumberland Street, Huddersfield
Join us for PechaKucha Night from 7pm to 8pm at The Media Centre in Huddersfield to hear about people’s passions and interests – or share your own. Each speaker will talk for 6 minutes 40 seconds each, following a “20 slides for 20 seconds” format. The evening includes some of our local democratic history. Free admission. Licensed bar. Everyone welcome. This event is being run in collaboration with The Media Centre.
Democracy of Print
Saturday 7th February 2015
10am to 12 noon & 1pm to 3pm
Venue: The Media Centre lobby, Northumberland Street, Huddersfield
Join in making a printed banner inspired by Huddersfield’s radical heritage. From the Luddites and the Chartists to the present day, printmaking has played an important part in the development of democracy. Now it’s your turn!
Local artist Amy Hirst will be helping us to make a printed banner to capture our conversations about local democracy as part of the “We’re not in Westminster” conference on 7th February. You can drop in to add yourself to the banner and make your own campaign badge to take home.
National Voter Registration Day
5th & 7th February 2015
Our Local Democracy for Everyone events are happening in the same week as National Voter Registration Day. Many local organisations are campaigning to get people registered to vote this week – especially younger people who are massively under-represented on the electoral register.
You can drop in to register to vote at many venues across Kirklees on Thursday 5th February, including at Kirklees Libraries (it’s late night opening in Huddersfield), at Customer Service Centres and at a special mobile hub outside Huddersfield Bus Station. Or visit the elections outreach team in the lobby of The Media Centre on Saturday 7th February, from 10am to 12 noon & 1pm to 3pm.
You can find out more about all these events at:
Local Democracy for Everyone – What’s on
Election Tales 