Eye - 05 October 2012

From graphic novels to artistic gatherings

Quakers and CoCoThrow

Eye was pleased to hear from Susan Robson, who shared this picture from the CoCoThrow sideshow on 16 September.

Helen Doncaster and Susan Crockett are pictured in identical t-shirts at the International Year of Co-operatives family fun day in Yorkshire.

Susan writes: ‘They first met in 1951 at Sidcot Summer School and in the last fifteen years have been cooperating on and off in all sorts of ways.’ She added: ‘CoCoThrow was very popular and was invited to the next big Co-op fair.’

A revolutionary story

Graphic novels are more usually associated with science fiction or fantasy, but a new type of superhero has hit the shelves.

On 28 September, The Co-op published The Co-operative Revolution: A Graphic Novel as part of the United National International Year of Co-operatives.

The book ‘showcases the past, present and future of a radical movement that has grown to become the most successful grassroots campaign the world has ever seen’.

Graphic novelist Polyp uses sequential art to tell the tale of the movement from the Rochdale Pioneers in 1844, twenty-eight men who established the principles that co-ops around the world still follow, through to current developments and on to an imagined 2044 with Rochdale’s new pioneers launching a mission to Mars.

Mark Brown, arts correspondent of the Guardian, described the historical story as ‘thrilling… set against the backdrop of grinding poverty and hunger as well as events such as the Peterloo massacre, in 1819, in which police killed six people and badly injured 600’.

Paul Monaghan, the Co-operative’s head of social goals, said: ‘These people were the Occupy movement of the day, but they were more radical than Occupy. They did something deeply practical, which spread round the world. What these people did back then, with the little that they had, shows what is possible.’

The impact of their work is still felt today, Paul added: ‘It is a little known fact that there are more people who work in co-ops than there are who work in all the world’s multinationals put together.’

To get your hands on a copy, or to read a free online version, see: www.co-operative.coop/graphic-novel

Away with the fairies

The Friends Historical Society will soon be hearing David Boulton’s lecture on: ‘Elves, Goblins, Fairies, Quakers and New Lights.’

He explains: ‘It comes from a line in a poem by a Presbyterian minister John Wild, celebrating the restoration of Charles the second in 1660. For Wild, the end of the English Republic marked the defeat of a rabble of “armed sprights”, which included “canting Quakers” and others who, as he saw it, were away with the elves and the fairies.’

David will be speaking at the Friargate Meeting House, York, on 20 October.

Quaker art

Artists – budding, expert and everyone in-between – as well as anyone interested in Quakers and the arts have been extended a warm welcome by the Quaker Arts Network (QAN).

Woodbrooke, on 3 November, will play host the first all-day QAN event. Future developments will be discussed, artwork will be shown, experiences shared, as well as a simple art activity.

Anyone interested in finding out more can contact June Buffery at: quakerartsuk@gmail.com.

Apologies

There were red cheeks in the Friend office after it was pointed out that something had slipped through the net. We would like to reassure readers that, despite stating otherwise (21 September), Bruce Kent has not switched sides to the Campaign Against Nuclear Disarmament but remains honorary vice-president of the Campaign For Nuclear Disarmament.

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