About
The second in our series of events using arts to shed fresh light on political issues.
May 1st, 6.30pm-10.30pm
Conspire is 47/49â²s own bimonthly event that brings together arts, politics and science. On May 1st we continue the series with âMono/Poly'. We have selected artists from the public IdeasTap brief, and chosen our own expert speakers to present informative and entertaining interpretations of the concept. The event will touch on distribution of wealth, ownership of property, colonialism and power. We encourage performance, storytelling and talks that are delivered in an unusual style.
Tickets are £5, available from TicketWeb - book early to avoid disappointment!
Speakers and performers
Luke Hildyard, High Pay Centre. Luke will be introducing our audience to his work and the economics that dominate our increasingly unequal society. The High Pay Centreâs work essentially argues that âgrowth' or âprogress' is created collectively and that the rewards should be shared relatively equally (poly) whereas the dominant âfree' market narrative is that a small pool of âwealth creators' bestow prosperity on the rest of thanks to their own individual brilliance and they deserve a vastly higher share of the proceeds as a consequence (mono).
Shameela Beeloo, untitled photographic series. Shameelma is a documentary photographer based in East London. She will be showing photographs of the regeneration in East London, (Canning Town, Custom House) and presenting a short talk on the area and related social issues. This piece relates to Mono/Poly as it documents the contrast between âOne' corporate authorities, and âThe Rest' the normal people, experiencing life under âMono' decisions.
Peter Robbins, former City of London metal trader. Peter spent 30 years trading commodities in the City, and then went on to work on United Nation's projects in African agriculture. He has also worked for campaigns to make global trading a fairer practice. Peter will relate a bizarre and amusing story about his battle with the aluminium monopoly of the 1970's. The story will illustrate the ways in which financial and commodity markets work, their absurdities and contradictions.
Clay Theatre, Blooms. Horizon Enterprises deal in the commodity of âOriginality'. It seeks single, unique, original (MONO) ideas to dominate and control society. Think Facebook or Google, advertising your uniqueness to sell to all. (POLY). Clay Theatre and Film is a London based ensemble of actors, writers and directors.
David Evans, Visual Artist and Choreographer. This dance piece is about colonialism and the effect shifting borders have on an area's people groups. The dance piece will incorporate mobile walls that will be moved by some of the dancers to effect the dancers between the walls. The idea is to create a status quo and show how the dancers and their relationships with one another are affected by an ever expanding, collapsing, shifting and dividing space. The piece will serve as an insight into what happens on a political level when larger nations divide up or absorb more vulnerable nations.
Dr David Misselbrook, former NHS GP. Dr Misselbrook is a GP trainer and former Dean of the RSM. He will be telling us a bit about the history of healthcare, focussing particularly on the gradual privatisation of the NHS. Dr Misselbrook will be arguing that as health is not a commodity, market forces cannot and should not apply to it.
