Skip to main content

Bradford and Sheffield get their old Speakers' Corners back



Successful pilot this week means that street philosophers, ranters and persuaders will have the public's ear next year. And a hunt through shrubberies may find the a lost old 'speakers' stone'
Share 8




inShare0
Email

The 'scientists' soap box' on London's South Bank last year. Now Bradford's muscling in. Photograph: Anna Gordon for the Guardian


The city of Bradford has a great political tradition and no shortage of contentious issues, so all looks very promising for its latest democratic initiative.

A group of local people and organisations are reviving the old Speaker's Corner which was every bit as lively and thought-provoking as the one in London until the Second World War.

Bradfordians, like everyone else, sometimes have a habit of grumbling and grousing without actually doing anything about their grievance. A short and – ideally – well-heckled session in the bracing Pennine air should be antidote to that. Past great campaigners earned their spurs at the old soapbox area, including a vigorous local activist called Joe Corina whose grandson is a keen enthusiast for a revived version.

Evidence that it will work was provided on Tuesday when, as part of a local Democracy Week, a pilot version was set up outside Hand Made in Bradford on Tyrrel Street and loads of people from pensioners to children pitched in.

You can read more about that here, and shortly enjoy some examples on film. They're going to come from an excellent modern addition to the traditional soapbox – a video booth at Hand Made in Bradford which recorded 60 second clips from speakers, more comfortably indoors, away from the rain.

This was organised by Iain Bloomfield, artistic director of Bradford's excellent Theatre in the Mill who is using them in a sound piece which aims to give an impressionistic view of the city by its citizens. He says:


The project ties in with The Speakers' Corners initiative but also with our ongoing mission to tell the stories about this city that go untold and to give voice to those who otherwise wouldn't have. An idea of what that looks like can be seen in our Black History Month programme here.


The overall initiative is the idea of the Speakers' Corner Trust, a quietly energetic group which is promoting similar ideas in ten UK towns and cities as well as in Berlin, Prague and Nigeria. Yorkshire has a second front-runner in Sheffield which had several Speakers' Corners for locals to vent their views in times gone by. There's even a blue plaque commemorating the one at Attercliffe public baths, where people used to sound off in the days when few homes had bathrooms.

Sheffield has a Democracy Week going off at the moment too, and you can have a crack at soapboxing yourself tomorrow, Friday 19 October, in Hallam Square between midday and 1pm. Be brief - there's a 6o second limit to get everyone in. A trail go on Tuesday went well, with subjects ranging from tax injustice to a hole in Darnall car park. Council leader Julia Dore was going to give the event her blessing but unfortunately had a sore throat.

Bradford's Speakers' Corner should be up and running on a regular basis next year, with the blessing of the city council whose leader Coun David Green joined the first speakers on Tuesday. A search is meanwhile under way in Lister Park for the old 'speaker's stone', a good and much more solid Yorkshire version of a soapbox, which is said to have been moved and hidden there in the 1940-s when the old corner closed down.

All pictures are courtesy of Peter Bradley from the Speakers' Corner Trust - the top three from Bradford and the others from Sheffield.

Popular posts from this blog

Study Abroad USA, College of Charleston, Popular Courses, Alumni

Thinking for Study Abroad USA. School of Charleston, the wonderful grounds is situated in the actual middle of a verifiable city - Charleston. Get snatched up by the wonderful and customary engineering, beautiful pathways, or look at the advanced steel and glass building which houses the School of Business. The grounds additionally gives students simple admittance to a few major tech organizations like Amazon's CreateSpace, Google, TwitPic, and so on. The school offers students nearby as well as off-grounds convenience going from completely outfitted home lobbies to memorable homes. It is prepared to offer different types of assistance and facilities like clubs, associations, sporting exercises, support administrations, etc. To put it plainly, the school grounds is rising with energy and there will never be a dull second for students at the College of Charleston. Concentrate on Abroad USA is improving and remunerating for your future. The energetic grounds likewise houses various

Best MBA Online Colleges in the USA

“Opportunities never open, instead we create them for us”. Beginning with this amazing saying, let’s unbox today’s knowledge. Love Business and marketing? Want to make a high-paid career in business administration? Well, if yes, then mate, we have got you something amazing to do!   We all imagine an effortless future with a cozy house and a laptop. Well, well! You can make this happen. Today, with this guide, we will be exploring some of the top-notch online MBA universities and institutes in the USA. Let’s get started! Why learn Online MBA from the USA? Access to More Options This online era has given a second chance to children who want to reflect on their careers while managing their hectic schedules. In this, the internet has played a very crucial in rejuvenating schools, institutes, and colleges to give the best education to students across the globe. Graduating with Less Debt Regular classes from high reputed institutes often charge heavy tuition fees. However onl

Sickening moment maskless 'Karen' COUGHS in the face of grocery store customer, then claims she doesn't have to wear a mask because she 'isn't sick'

A woman was captured on camera following a customer through a supermarket as she coughs on her after claiming she does not need a mask because she is not sick.  Video of the incident, which has garnered hundreds of thousands of views on Twitter alone, allegedly took place in a Su per Saver in Lincoln, Nebraska according to Twitter user @davenewworld_2. In it, an unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of the customer recording her. Scroll down for video An unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of a woman recording her A woman was captured on camera following a customer as she coughs on her in a supermarket without a mask on claiming she does not need one because she is not sick @chaiteabugz #karen #covid #karens #karensgonewild #karensalert #masks we were just wearing a mask at the store. ¿ o