Extinction Rebellion has announced the full programme for its weekend ‘Spring Uprising’ festival of rebellion, activism and music this weekend in Bristol, with many exciting new acts having joined the line-up.
Pioneer of the UK festival scene DJ Chris Tofu MBE, honoured for his outstanding service to music and festivals and Chief Vibes Master at Glastonbury, will be joined by DJ friends Slamboree Sound System, Dub Revolution, Ghetto Funk Allstars and World’s Tallest DJ. Alongside them, Havana schooled Mercury Music Prize nominee, singer songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Nick Mulvey will contribute his unique Latin-influenced alt-folk to proceedings.
They join an array of music acts already including Sam Lee, Dizraeli, Mesadorm, Bellatrix, Pete the Temp, Honeyfeet and The High Breed, and poets including Salena Godden, Vanessa Kisuule and Kev the Poet.
DJ Chris Tofu MBE said: “This is what it’s all about. I’m gonna do the best set of my life.”
The event, to be held in Bristol’s Motion venue (74-78 Avon Street, Bristol, BS2 0PX), is part of Extinction Rebellion’s planning for what is expected to be one of the largest non-violent civil disobedience acts in decades - International Rebellion beginning 15 April 2019.
The festival also features talks and workshops at which up to 1,000 people at a time will be trained in peaceful nonviolent civil disobedience. Among the new additions to these are talks by Satish Kumar, former monk, co-founder of Schumacher College and editor of Resurgence and Ecologist magazine, andMission Lifeforce, the organisation seeking to make ecocide an international crime overseen by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.
There will be workshops by Reclaim The Power, the environmental activist group which grew out of the Climate Camp movement, and Daniel Connolly, who will be teaching how to build a wind turbine from reclaimed materials for less than £30. Also speaking will be Natalie Fee, named Bristol 24/7 Woman of the Year for her campaigning against plastic pollution, and Professor Graham Smith, Director of the Centre for the Study of Democracy at the University of Westminster. For part of Saturday evening, the main stage has been given over to XR Youth and Youth Strike 4 Climate, following on from the second national school strike the previous day. There will be a screening of You Can't Evict An Idea, the feature documentary about the Occupy London occupation in 2011-12.
They join a list of speakers already including Mike Bonanno of The Yes Men; Co-founder of Extinction Rebellion Dr Gail Bradbrook; author and founding member of Ecological Land Co-op Alex Lawrie; writer for New Internationalist & Occupy activist Jamie Kelsey-Fry; writer & artist Zoe Young.
Festival organiser Tiana Jacout commented: “What makes it unique is that while many festivals recognise this crisis and the need for activism, this is I believe the first completely dedicated to civil disobedience, that we cannot pay lip service any more, that we need to focus solely on this. We can and will still enjoy the gathering and the amazing music but there’s a higher focus to it as well.”
The site is not set up for overnight stay, attendees are asked to arrange their own accommodation, or fill out the Spring Uprising Accommodation form to offer/ask around Bristol.
The event is supported by music industry and festival organisers such as Boomtown Festival, Buddhafield, Ninja Tune Records, Alfresco Disco, The Green Gathering, Woman Fest and Burn Punk.
Saturday 16 March will see live streams with major Extinction Rebellion UK groups so attendees can meet and talk to rebels from around the country. On Sunday 17 March, the same will happen for international Extinction Rebellion groups from the USA, Ghana and beyond. There will also be a People’s Assembly.
Eight areas to explore, learn and take part
- Rebel hall - Music, talks and non-violent direct action training for 1000 at a time.
- Solution Zone – Showcasing local and national solutions to the crisis – co-housing, permaculture, renewable energy, tiny houses, resource use, a citizens’ assembly demo, a special projected zoom call with Extinction Rebellion groups all over the world and more
- Gallery – Art themed around the ecological crisis. The best 20 will be taken on an Extinction Rebellion art tour this summer (galleries & festivals)
- The Art Factory – Lets make the rebellion beautiful! To create much of the larger art/banners/ printing that will be used for 15 April onwards – come up and help, learn how to Lino print, print your clothes with Extinction Rebellion graphics, or just hang out with the brilliant scoundrels that are our art team
- The Sanctuary – Our regenerative culture space, the Extinction café, with communication, grief counsellors and body workers
- Resistance Exhibition – A photographic journey through social resistance movements from the past 30 years
- Training Rooms – Smaller spaces for specific activism training throughout the weekend (training of trainers, learn the ‘heading for extinction’ talk etc.)
- Ethical Food Quarter – With food provided by ethical traders and food waste organisations. No single use plastics here!
“By rebelling, we can catapult both the severity of the crisis and the fact that there are solutions into the spotlight. Just like The Green Gathering, this Spring Uprising is a festival beyond hedonism - it's about gathering together to save the planet."
Tiana Jacout continued: “This is the next step in our response to the threat to life we all face, a potentially life changing event for attendees. Let’s celebrate coming together, get trained, organised and have a damn good time doing it.
“With thousands of people coming together to face the climate and ecological emergency, this event is intended to help people prepare, organise and celebrate for this historic moment in time together. It will also give individuals the opportunity to find and critically analyse their role in the movement for change.”
The Solutions Zone will showcase amazing organisations and charities that are already doing the work. A community exchange of ideas – bringing back the possibility of a beautiful world, the solution workshops will learn from past civil rights movements and apply them to the current issues.
Expect to hear about permaculture, co-operatives, renewable energy, grassroots democracy, land regeneration, housing and health, food for a future, water conservation, zero waste and zero carbon, circular economies, community building, solidarity in diversity, global justice, sustainable materials, skilling up, technological solutions, independent media and more.
The aim is to inspire people to take action NOW to change their lives and the world in response to the climate change and ecological crises. There will be interactive spaces – stalls, installations and micro-communities – to wander amongst. The Solutions Zone is a space where people can learn new skills, make connections, find community and change their lives, and it’s all curated by the award-winning Green Gathering festival crew.
Solutions Zone TV is linking up with Extinction Rebellion teams internationally and sharing eco solutions from around the world.
