The Good Lord Bird: John Brown’s militant abolitionism
Bill Crane looks at the life of militant US abolitionist John Brown and his portrayal in a recent TV adaptation of James McBride’s novel The Good Lord Bird.
Cultural Marxism? A review of The Dialectics of Art
Ian Birchall reviews The Dialectics of Art, a new work by John Molyneux.
Agitating with Art: the Artivists at Work story so far
Artwork – not just ‘great art’ but cartoons and doodles – can add life and vibrancy to political messaging, and give people a mirror in which to recognise their own hopes and frustrations.
Cultural commodities that got us through 2020
From Netflix binges to a new theory of ‘alternative hedonism’, here are the shows, films, music, and books that kept us going in 2020.
Artistic platforms and political art
Allan Struthers explores the relationship of artwork and the platforms on which they are presented.
Artivists at Work 2
More from Artivists at Work: resisting NHS cuts, unsafe school reopenings and the gendered impacts of Covid-19.
Hearts and stomachs
Last week’s vote on the Trade Bill showed how the callous disregard for human life and food safety that Upton Sinclair exposed in his classic novel The Jungle is as relevant as ever.
We must act now
As the initially censored Public Health England report makes clear, Covid-19 has exposed the lethal structures of systemic racism in our society. Artwork and text by Katherine Hearst.
Artivists at Work
Artivists at Work was formed in response to the government’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis. Here’s a round-up of highlights from June and details of how to get involved.
The Fairplay Committee
Mitch Mitchell recounts the legacy of the Fairplay Committee, a group aiming to improve the conditions of black workers in the music industry.
Review: Epstein: Filthy rich
Kate Bradley reviews a documentary series focusing on giving a voice to the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein.
Alan Freed: Mr. Rock ‘n’ Roll
Alan Freed, one of the earliest promoters of rock ‘n’ roll, was hated by the US establishment for helping to break segregation in the music industry.
Our key workers keep us strong
A May Day tribute to the key workers who are keeping us going in the face of the coronavirus crisis, and to remember those who have died.
Naming of parts 2020
Poem by Brian Parkin, based on an original by Harry Reed. Illustration by Mark Winter.
The Unconquerable Inscription
To mark Lenin’s 150th birthday, The Artful Doodler has made a short film of Bertolt Brecht’s poem ‘The Unconquerable Inscription’ (1934).
Obituary: Sonja Grossner, 1942-2020
Sheila Mosley and members of Leicester rs21 remember Sonja Grossner (1942-2020).
Mods and Rockers: the 1960s youth cult
Following his earlier A brief history of the Teddy Boys, Mitch Mitchell recalls the rivalries, real and manufactured, between the Mods and Rockers.
Music of the people: Country & Western
Mitch Mitchell (‘the Fenland Kid’) is back with another people’s music playlist. This time he’s here with a brief history of Country and Western.
What does my body know of photography? – Remembering the resistance through art
On Holocaust Memorial Day, Annie Dobson remembers Faye Schulman, photographer and Jewish partisan with her lyric essay.
Guns, gangs and imperialism
Guy Ritichie’s film The Gentlemen is a violent fantasy about ongoing Anglo-American global dominance, writes Kate Bradley.
Music of the people: The Blues
Mitch Mitchell is back with another people’s music playlist. This time he’s here with a brief history of The Blues
Music of the people: Skiffle
Mitch Mitchell is back with another people’s music playlist. This time he’s introducing Skiffle.
Review: The Twittering Machine
Mark Murphy reviews Richard Seymour’s latest book, which uses a psychoanalytical framework to understand the phenomenon of social media.
Music of the people: Doo Wop
Mitch Mitchell introduces a new series of playlists of ‘music of the people’. He starts this week with Doo Wop.
The Politics of Monsters
Caliban’s Revolt celebrates the capacity of the monster to terrorise the powers that be.
Review | Sorry We Missed You
Colin Revolting reviews director Ken Loach’s latest film, which centres on the family of two workers in the gig economy
Joker and the Mask of Poverty
Caliban’s Revenge asks who is behind the Joker’s mask and who should be scared.
Ken Loach, sex work and paternalism
Ken Loach is widely acclaimed for his uncompromising and cutting portrayal of the realities of poverty in his films, but Kate Bradley argues his depictions of sex work fall short.
Film review: For Sama
A documentary film charts the siege of Aleppo and represents a new addition to the depressingly growing genre of ‘genocide documentaries’.