Eye - 16 May 2014

From friendly footie to The Perfect City's progress

Friendly footie

Fairtrade footballs are making their way into Zambian prisons with the help of Martin Schweiger, of Leeds Meeting.

He writes: ‘Sport is a good starting point for many to improve their lives and the welfare of their families. The picture shows some fairtrade footballs I have been able to send. The problem of footballs being made in exploitative conditions has encouraged me to source and send fairtrade footballs.’

Martin has an ongoing connection with Zambian prisons. He explained: ‘In 2009 I wrote a letter to the Friend about my response to a prisoner in Zambia who had written to me asking for help. At that time I know several readers of the Friend were concerned about requests that were not strictly honest and that responding to such requests would only encourage more bogus letters.

‘I am pleased to be able to report that I have been able to keep in touch with a man I will now call a friend who has worked hard to bring about a change in the way prisoners are helped to move on in their lives both while in prison and, importantly, when they are discharged.

‘The Prisoners Aid Foundation has been able to attract a small amount of international funding and has been able to stimulate education in Zambian prisons and helped to provide training that allows some prisoners to find work on release.’

The Perfect City’s progress

Eye’s spied a dramatic offering on the horizon.

The Perfect City, a musical by Martin Coslett and Ross Clark, tells the story of William Penn’s quest to overcome tyranny, injustice and persecution in seventeenth century England.

The show sprang from Martin Coslett’s visit to Jordans Meeting house many years ago. He told the Friend: ‘Seeing the gravestones of William’s family led me on a research expedition. I was so intrigued by the size of his family (and all the gravestones) and of what he had achieved in his lifetime.’

William Penn wanted to build ‘the Perfect City’ in Philadelphia. He wanted to create a new life of freedom and brotherly love for everyone thousands of miles away from the turmoil. He stated: ‘Right is right even if everyone is against it – and wrong is wrong even if everyone is for it.’

With twenty-seven songs, the musical tells ‘the true story of one man’s dream and his relentless struggle against the evils of corruption, slavery and a society that is eager to see him fail’.

Following the musical’s debut at the Etcetera Theatre in London in March 2013 (see Eye, 8 March 2013), it is going on tour this spring and will be performed in several Quaker Meeting houses. The tour begins at Jesus Lane Meeting in Cambridge on 17 May and moves to Brighton on 18 May. It will be performed at Jordans Meeting, where William Penn is buried, on 22 May. The performance in Dorking on 23 May is already sold out. The musical then travels to Westminster Meeting on 25 May.

Friends hankering for a taste of what’s on offer can find one of the songs from the show, ‘Save our world for you’, on Youtube: bit.ly/PerfectCityTaster

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