Type | Collective |
---|---|
Industry | Community, environmental, social justice |
Founded | 2005 |
Headquarters | Nottingham, United Kingdom |
Website | mischiefmakers |
The Mischief Makers are a group of activists and artists based in Nottingham, UK, who formed early 2005 as a creative response to the G8 Summit, held at Gleneagles Hotel, Scotland, in July that year. The collective uses creativity to support community, environmental and social justice campaigns, and activist groups. The group's aim is "to inspire people and empower them to identify challenges and take action in their local environment". [1]
Early 2005, a benefit event in aid of the tsunami disaster was organised in various venues around Nottingham. Two local artists made Geisha-like costumes and performed an interactive theatre piece on the streets, trying to get the public to interact with the costumes and the "wish fishes" to engage with the issues related to the disaster. Afterwards, the costumes were altered and used as an interactive way of engaging with people on the issues of debt, poverty and climate change as the Summit of the G8 was approaching.
During the spring of 2005, various kimono-making workshops asked people to "join the geisha of gaiety on a passionate mission of peace and progression, when 8 men think to meet undisturbed, unruffled and untroubled to decide upon the worlds future". [2] A "Geisha Bloc" took part in the Make Poverty History march in Edinburgh on 2 July, and others took their costumes to the camp in Stirling for direct action planned to disturb the summit.
List of earlier actions
Nottingham Against Incineration and Landfill stepped up its campaign mid-2005 after the proposed expansion of Eastcroft Incinerator was announced. The expansion has been controversial as Sneinton, the most affected area, has been dealing with various health problems as a consequence of the nearby incinerator. The Mischief Makers have supported the NAIL Campaign on numerous occasions with bannerdrops, awareness raising, fundraising and during demonstrations and protests with costumes, puppets and performance.
About the campaign: "NAIL (Nottingham Against Incineration and Landfill) was originally set up in 2002 by a group of local environmental campaigners. We decided to form a pressure group, when a woman who developed breast cancer approached members of Nottingham Greenpeace. She claimed that there was two other ladies, who shared her office for many years overlooking the incinerator plant, had also developed cancer, one of whom had died. They were believed that their condition was caused by their prolonged exposure to pollution from Eastcroft incinerator. The group developed and was joined by local residents of the Eastcroft Incinerator. We have since gained growing support, since the expansion announcement." [10]
List of actions
In October 2005, a new piece called 'The Solidarity Sisters' was developed to support the work of the No Borders Network, whose aim is to spread the message of solidarity with refugees and those seeking asylum in the UK.
One Solidarity Sister explains: "We have appeared in these costumes a couple of times in Nottingham and in Sheffield. We dress in little white dresses, with one of us in lederhosen and hats and bags. It's about showing solidarity. It's more a sort of universal image. On the bands and the skirts there's lots of images of people holding hands. It's about spreading equality, friendship and acceptance. We look a little bit like aid nurses. Like it's about having a helping hand. Being there to support people. The dresses were made from reclaimed fabrics. They were used for car seat padding. It's good to be reusing stuff." [18]
About the No Border Network: "The no border network is a tool for all groups and grass root organizations who work on the questions of migrants and asylum seekers in order to struggle along with them for freedom of movement, for the freedom for all to stay in the place which they have chosen, against repression and the many controls which multiply the borders everywhere in all countries". [19]
List of actions
The Art and Activism Caravan was a project initiated by the Amsterdam-based youth organisation European Youth For Action in which The Mischief Makers took part. Its idea was to "support and connect youth, campaign, community and activist groups, their actions and campaigns with creative forms of activism.". [23] Also known as the 'AA Caravan' a group of around 10 people traveled from Greece via Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Serbia and Hungary to the environmental youth Ecotopia gathering in Slovakia. The Caravan worked intensively with numerous groups over a 3-month period.
List of groups involved
List of actions
The Camp for Climate Action, also known as the 'Climate Camp' was held in Barlow, Selby, North West Yorkshire, to push for action on the issue of climate change. Over 600 people came together for 10 days to follow workshops, share skills and take action. The camp was set up near Drax power station, the largest coal fired power station in Europe and the biggest single contributor to CO2 emissions in the UK. The Mischief Makers made a giant ostrich puppet which was taken on the 'kids march' to Drax Power Station on Thursday, 31 August 2006, and seized by the police. Chief Inspector Barry Smith told the BBC "a giant home-made ostrich had been seized by police, and found to be containing tools which could have been used by demonstrators to chain themselves to fences". [27] More coverage from the Climate Camp can be found on UK Indymedia. [28]
In September 2006, the Mischief Makers started to support the work of unions and other group opposing the cuts and privatisation of the UK's National Health Service (NHS). To add a creative element to the trade unions' work, a giant syringe was built [30] and included in a "2000 people strong demonstration" [31] through the City of Nottingham on 23 September.
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located 110 miles (180 km) north-west of London, 33 miles (53 km) south-east of Sheffield and 45 miles (72 km) north-east of Birmingham. Nottingham is the legendary home of Robin Hood and to the lace-making, bicycle and tobacco industries. The city is also the county town of Nottinghamshire and the settlement was granted its city charter in 1897, as part of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Nottingham is a tourist destination; in 2018, the city received the second-highest number of overnight visitors in the Midlands and the highest number in the East Midlands.
The Independent Media Center, better known as Indymedia, is an open publishing network of activist journalist collectives that report on political and social issues. Following beginnings during the 1999 Carnival Against Capital and 1999 Seattle WTO protests, Indymedia became closely associated with the global justice movement. The Indymedia network extended internationally in the early 2000s with volunteer-run centers that shared software and a common format with a newswire and columns. Police raided several centers and seized computer equipment. The centers declined in the 2010s with the waning of the global justice movement.
Nottinghamshire is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. The county borders South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. The largest settlement is the city of Nottingham (323,632).
Worksop is a market town in the Bassetlaw District in Nottinghamshire, England. It is located 15 miles (24 km) south of Doncaster, 15 miles (24 km) south-east of Sheffield and 24 miles (39 km) north of Nottingham. Located close to Nottinghamshire's borders with South Yorkshire and Derbyshire, it is on the River Ryton and not far from the northern edge of Sherwood Forest. Other nearby towns include Chesterfield, Gainsborough, Mansfield and Retford. The population of the town was recorded at 44,733 in the 2021 Census.
Carlton is a town in the Borough of Gedling, Nottinghamshire, England. It is to the east of Nottingham. The population at the 2011 Census was 6,881. It was an urban district until 1974, whose wards had an estimated population of 48,416 in 2015. Owing to the growth of residential, commercial and industrial in the wider Gedling Borough, City of Nottingham, Borough of Broxtowe, Rushcliffe and Ashfield District, as well as the Amber Valley and Borough of Erewash in Derbyshire which have become quite urban around Nottingham, Carlton and Gedling, as well as Netherfield form a contiguous urban area.
The North Midlands is a loosely defined area covering the northern parts of the Midlands in England. It is not one of the ITL regions like the East Midlands or the West Midlands.
The 31st G8 summit was held on 6–8 July 2005 at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Scotland and hosted by Prime Minister Tony Blair. The locations of previous G8 summits to have been hosted by the UK include: London ; and Birmingham (1998). It is the first G8 summit to be held in Scotland. A sixth UK summit was held in Lough Erne in 2013; and a seventh UK summit was held in Carbis Bay in 2021.
Sneinton is a suburb of Nottingham and former civil parish in the Nottingham district, in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire, England. The area is bounded by Nottingham city centre to the west, Bakersfield to the north, Colwick to the east, and the River Trent to the south. Sneinton lies within the unitary authority of Nottingham City, having been part of the borough of Nottingham since 1877.
Nottinghamshire Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing the shire county of Nottinghamshire and the unitary authority of Nottingham in the East Midlands area of England. The area has a population of just over 1 million.
Carlton Town Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Gedling, Nottinghamshire, England. Founded in 1904 as Sneinton Football Club, its early years were marked by considerable local success, leading to the club being described by the Manchester Courier in 1909 as "the leading amateur football club in Nottingham". Its reputation declined for several decades afterwards, with the team participating in obscure county divisions until the 1995–96 season saw the club join the nationwide league system. Carlton currently competes in the Northern Premier League Division One East at the eighth tier of the English football pyramid.
The Carnival Against Capital took place on Friday 18 June 1999. It was an international day of protest timed to coincide with the 25th G8 summit in Cologne, Germany. The carnival was inspired by the 1980s Stop the City protests, Peoples' Global Action and the Global Street Party, which happened at the same time as the 1998 24th G8 Summit in Birmingham. The rallying slogan was Our Resistance is as Transnational as Capital.
The Camps for Climate Action are campaign gatherings that take place to draw attention to, and act as a base for direct action against, major carbon emitters, as well as to develop ways to create a zero-carbon society. Camps are run on broadly anarchist principles – free to attend, supported by donations and with input from everyone in the community for the day-to-day operation of the camp. Initiated in the UK, camps have taken place in England at Drax power station, Heathrow Airport, Kingsnorth power station in Kent, the City of London and The Royal Bank of Scotland Headquarters, near Edinburgh. During 2009 camps also took place in Canada, Denmark, France, Ireland, Netherlands/Belgium, Scotland, Wales and Australia.
The Sumac Centre is a self-managed social centre in Nottingham, UK. It provides resources, meeting spaces and workshops for groups and individuals, and supports campaigning for human rights, animal rights, the environment, and peace. It is part of the UK Social Centre Network and the radical catering group Veggies is based at the centre. It receives no regular funding, the core groups each pay rent that goes toward the mortgage and running costs. Some of the groups are run by volunteers. Its origins can to traced to the Rainbow Centre, which was established in 1984.
The Sheffield Energy Recovery Facility, also known as the Energy from Waste Plant, is a modern incinerator which treats Sheffield's household waste. It is notable as it not only provides electricity from the combustion of waste but also supplies heat to a local district heating scheme, making it one of the most advanced, energy efficient incineration plants in the UK. In 2004, the district heating network prevented 15,108 tonnes of CO2 from being released from buildings across the city, compared to energy derived from fossil fuels. The incinerator is a 'static asset' owned by Sheffield City Council and operated by Veolia Environmental Services under a 35 year integrated waste management contract (IWMC)/PFI contract.
Veggies of Nottingham, also known as Veggies Catering Campaign, is a company and a campaigning group based in Nottingham, England, promoting ethical alternatives to mainstream fast food. It does this by hosting events such as the annual East Midlands Vegan Festival, publishing books and leaflets, and maintaining an extensive website, including a Contacts Directory of groups with similar aims. As a non-profit worker co-operative it also provides affordable, wholesome, minimally-packaged vegan catering at a wide range of events and protests using fair trade, organic and/or locally sourced ingredients.
The Matilda Centre was a self-managed, grassroots social and community centre based at 111 Matilda Street in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The centre took the name of the street on which the building can still be found. It was housed in the derelict Sydney Works building and collectives ran a variety of projects, including a café, free shop and concert venue. It was evicted in June 2006.
Healthcare in Nottinghamshire was, until July 2022, the responsibility of six clinical commissioning groups, covering Nottingham City, Nottingham North & East, Mansfield and Ashfield, Newark and Sherwood, Rushcliffe, and Nottingham West. They planned to merge in April 2020.
Edward William Peck is vice-chancellor of Nottingham Trent University. Brought up in Skelmersdale, he was educated at Ormskirk Grammar School, and the University of Bristol, graduating with a degree in Philosophy in 1981. He subsequently undertook graduate studies at Bristol Polytechnic and the University of Nottingham focusing on Health Services Management and Social Policy.
The Nationality and Borders Act 2022 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom proposed in July 2021 relating to immigration, asylum and the UK's modern slavery response. The Act also deals with British overseas territories citizenship and registration of stateless citizens. Amongst other elements, it proposes to introduce "designated places" or "offshore" asylum hubs for application of refugee and migrant asylum claims, potentially in another European country or an African country. Part 5 of the Act grants the Government new powers to limit who is considered a victim of modern slavery, with clauses limiting support in cases where survivors have not complied with State-set deadlines to disclose their abuse. Under Part 5, decision makers would also be asked to consider the survivors' criminal history before deeming them eligible for support.
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