It's been over a week since I last wrote for the blog. Things have been so busy and really positive yet it feels as though I've not really had a minute to chill and reflect. The most important and inspiring thing is undoubtedly the City-Zen Against the Cuts event that we organised on Saturday at the Market Square. Myself and RR started the morning packing stuff for the free shop into a suit case and loading her car up with placards, banners, drapes, zines, pamphlets and other bits and bobs needed for the day. We decided to set up underneath an overhang outside where Santanders used to be in case it rained and PS who had worked her socks off all week for this event procured some tables from QUAD. SJ, MG, RR, PS, myself and the GEO FEST crew set up the stalls, displayed the banners, placards, and buntin and set up TB's small battery powered pa system. SR arrived with the food and drink contribution from Sound Bites which was later added to by Bls amazing soup which was consumed in moments.The set up was visually stimulating and engaging and their was more than enough to do to keep everyone happy. There were so many people that were just walking through that stopped to check out the free shop, often baffled by the concept of people giving things away for free. Kids were getting their faces painted, everyone was drawing on the floor with chalk and every now and then an announcement was made regarding the Spending Cuts as well as what we were doing there and what has happening.
An exciting part of the day was when Derby Uncut met by the Waterfall to take action against Primark. No one had a megaphone so we borrowed the small pa from City-Zen and before heading towards Primark with about 7 of us we informed the City-Zen crowds that we were about to take action against Primark and a small group of teenagers decided to join us which was excellent. The action was unplanned so not particularly effective yet it definintely highlighted the potential there is for us to do more creative and engaging actions in the future. SV did an excellent job singing about the injustices we're facing which captivated the attention of the punters, all of whom seemed to react very positively. Back at the Market Square the creativity, information, food and entertainment unravelled in a really positive way and again highlighted to all of us how much potential there is to significantly engage with the public in a way that is fun, friendly, inspiring and effective. Watch this space. There is much more to come.
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