‘Festival of ideas’ has support from ‘major institutions of the UK left’
The World Transformed event, which will take place parallel to this year’s Labour conference in Brighton, says it will act as a ‘rallying point for a new left in Labour’ and has titled its event: The World Transformed 2021: Building Power from the Ground Up.
A statement issued by the Momentum-supported event says:
The major institutions of the UK left have combined to support this year’s The World Transformed festival, which is taking place alongside the Labour Party conference. Official partners include long-term allies Momentum and the CWU, and for the first time the festival is being formally supported by the Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MPs, Unite the Union and Young Labour. A host of other progressive organisations will be announced over the course of the next few weeks.
Organisers say this year will lay the foundations for a new left after Jeremy Corbyn. The festival will act as space for the UK left to plan its next moves, at a time when Labour is trailing the Tories in the polls, large numbers of people are leaving the party and trade unions are pulling funding.
Last year, the festival was forced to move online due to the COVID-19 crisis. Now in its sixth year, The World Transformed is once again taking place in person across several different venues in Brighton, including an outdoor venue – purpose-built by the festival organisers. The festival will also include an increased online event programme to ensure that those who are unable to come to Brighton can still participate.
Richard Burgon, Labour MP for Leeds East and Secretary of the Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MPs said: “Only bold, socialist ideas can meaningfully tackle the deepening crisis facing our communities and our world – from COVID to the climate and so much else. The World Transformed is a space where the left in all its diversity can come together to discuss and develop these ideas, and to get equipped with the knowledge and skills to organise for a more just society. That’s why the Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MPs is delighted to be an official partner of this year’s festival.”
Zara Sehr Ashraf, TWT Organiser, said: “Right now we have a Tory government intent on widening inequalities, cracking down on our rights and sowing divisions in our communities. Meanwhile we have a Labour Party leadership trailing in the polls which is not providing effective opposition and seems openly intent on alienating the hundreds of thousands of activists who helped bring the Party close to power in 2017. At The World Transformed we’ll be developing radical solutions to the huge political, economic and environmental challenges we face, and making plans to build grassroots power in communities and workplaces across the UK.”
More about the festival
TWT will be an opportunity for activists to discuss and debate the big issues concerning the left and society more generally: How should socialists relate to the Labour Party? How can activists organise across workplaces and build working class power after Covid? And what next for building a movement big enough to effectively confront the climate crisis?
At the same time TWT21 will act as a skills hub for the movement, offering training, workshops and networking sessions for participants, as well as continuing to host arts exhibitions, cultural discussions, performances and club nights.
Visit our website for more information or social platforms for more information:https://www.theworldtransformed.org
The festival will run from 25-28 September and is open to Labour Party Conference delegates and the general public.
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