manchester climate monthly

This highly effective film is worth your time. (and is worth sharing)

The producer and director kindly answered a few questions about the film.

Who are you both (you and the director). What films have you made before/been involved in?
Director of cult classic film GHOSTWATCH Lesley Manning, and BAFTA Award winning film producer Annalise Davis.

Annalise and Lesley: We made SEVEN3 together in March (another climate change short). And we’ve made lots of feature and short films before that.

Tell us a bit about where the impetus to make this film in support of the climate strike came from? Were you approached/commissioned? By who? Did you pitch? Was it part of a competition.
Annalise: I was in a state of mild paralysis over climate breakdown until Extinction Rebellion and Parents for Future came along. It was cathartic to meet people who are as worried as I am, and I realised that doing something is always going to be better than doing nothing.

And so I decided to make the film and pay for it myself. It feels like such an urgent issue that there isn’t time to find the money elsewhere, and we did it on a shoestring. Not even a string, more like a thread. We’re lucky to know amazing film-makers, and work at the fabulous National Film and Television School, which also supported us. Then in the edit a minor miracle happened, we were given a grant from Our Kids’ Climate, which made a big difference in paying for the footage we had to use.

Lesley: Annalise approached me and I jumped at the opportunity. I am very proud of the fact that all crew and contributors have brought their expertise because of the issues, so no commissioner, no pitch, no competition.

Annalise: Lesley is also a great director to work with, that helps too!

Tell us a bit about the conceptualisation of the film – was it hard/time consuming to come up with the final idea? What other ideas would you have liked to use?
Ben Lyle, the writer, initially came up with the idea of a burning house, and all the adults are ignoring the fire as they’re on their phones, laptops etc. Only a kid is seeing the fire and trying to get them out. Fabulous idea, but needs lots of money! So his next idea was this one, which he came up with fully formed. It was conceived as predominantly a performance piece, and so finding an extraordinary actor was key…

Tell us a bit about the making of the film – the casting, the production (how long did it take).
Lesley: Julie [Hesmondhalgh] is such a clever actor, sensitive and intuitive, I was thrilled when she said she would do it.
Annalise: Julie was a godsend, and we’d worked with James already on SEVEN. In terms of location, Lesley had her heart set on a dream corridor, which she’s always liked the look of. We thought we’d never get it, as it’s in the centre of London. But we contacted the owner, and he was extraordinarily helpful. All along the way, people have been unbelievably generous with their resources and time.
We shot it in a day, post production was two weeks.

What impact do you hope the film will have?
Lesley: To make people think and hopefully feel.
Annalise: To make people feel and hopefully think.

What about beyond 20th September? Are there other films you want to make? Other projects around the climate strikers etc that you want to be involved in?
Lesley: Always! There are always films I would like to make!
Annalise: Making films, especially short films, is hard, but I love it. There are so many more I want to make, and in the pipeline. Watch this space…

Interview with Emma Greenwood below (see previous interviews with her, and other youth climate strikers, here).

So, what has been going on over the summer with the school strikes – what sorts of activities have been undertaken, what sorts of groups have been offering what kind of support.
Many of the Youth Strike team have utilised the summer to plan the (what we hope to be) very impactful General Strike 4 Climate that is coming up on Friday  20th September. We also held an emergency climate strike on the 26th of July in response to the extreme heat that was being felt across Europe. Some of the strikers also attended union meetings to try and build support for the strike in September to make it as impactful as possible.

The next big thing is the September 20th strike. What is planned for Manchester? How can people get involved in planning, or supporting the folks who are planning it?
The General Strike 4 Climate on the 20th is looking very big and very impactful (not to jinx it ;)). We have been overwhelmed by the support from unions, NGO’s and community groups in helping organise the strike to ensure it is the best and most accessible it possibly can be for everyone. We are planning speeches, signing, chanting and a large march around Manchester from 1pm-2pm when we will be joined by workers who are using their lunch break to stand with us and take a stand.

Regarding support, the best think you can do to help us is raise awareness about the strike. Share the posters with everyone you know and get talking! Try and slip conversations about the climate into every conversation you have (its much easier than you think). We need as many people from all branches of society to come and support us and show those in power how much the safety of our planet means to its citizens.

Here’s the tricky one (as per earlier conversation) – how is the ‘movement’ stronger on September 21st than it was on September 19th because of the strike? What new relationships have been created, what existing ones strengthened? How are the skills, knowledge and passions of ‘new’ people harnessed?
The strikes have in so many ways brought communities together, especially Manchester. We have had unions, workers and young people all working together to achieve the same goal. It is not very often you see adults and young people working together, but the Youth Strike has helped build and strengthen communication/ team work between us to ensure that our planet is safe. Never (that I know of) have so many people from across society come together and united for one thing.

We are using this network that is being built to utilise and develop peoples skills to help strengthen the movement. We allow people to explore their passions and skills, something that modern day society so often restricts. I like to see the youth strike as a space where individuality can be explored and consequently flourish as people feel they can truly be themselves. For years so many people have wanted to raise their voice and the international Youth Strike movement has allowed them to do this.

If you think back to this time last year, so many people were concerned for our planet but had no way to voice it or felt they couldn’t. Over the past year, the climate crisis has become mainstream. Every day people are taking a second thought about the environmental consequence that their actions are having, that is in itself is a huge step forward. ME must become conscious of the problem so that then we can change it. The Youth Strike Movement has by no means ‘solved’ the problem, but it has definitely accelerated the process.

Are the monthly school strikes going to continue to happen? If so, same format, or new format(s)?
The Youth Strike movement is constantly adapting and changing to work with the current social and political climate. Every strike something changes and develops in order to harness current affairs and use them to make a statement. In the future a strike may not be the way to do this, but that doesn’t we will stop fighting. We will come together for as long as we have to in whatever form we feel with have the best impact.

Anything else you’d like to say/suggest/ask back.
What do you feel has come from the strikes? As a young person who’s only been around for 15 years 8 moths and 3 days, I haven’t seen how society has changed over the years. Looking back over the years, on a wider scale what changes do you think all of the organisations working together for climate justice has caused?

And in response to that, in a personal capacity as editor of Manchester Climate Monthly.

Firstly, nothing in what I say below is ANY criticism of the youth climate strikers.  It’s a sign of grotesque failure by people in their 30s and above that you guys are having to skip school and spend loads of time and energy fighting fights above your weight division.  The reason you are having to do that is social movement organisations have, over decades, failed to reflect, to innovate, and have let themselves be stuck in sordid smugospheres and empty emotacycles.  

To (not) answer your first question – I think it’s too early to tell what has come from the strikes (and the Fridays for Future/XR activities), or what will come that is permanent and to the scale of the challenge.  But I worry that – from personal experience that

a) there are a hell of a lot of people who are not actually that bothered at all about the climate crisis (or feel powerless to do anything, don’t believe that anything can be done).

b) there isn’t the focus spreading skills and using formats beyond one-person/clique-at-the-front-being-the-expert

c) there is much more attention being paid to mobilising than movement-building, and that history has shown (though she is not necessarily a perfect guide!) that cycles of mobilisation usually last 3-4 years, and end with a big pretty political promise that is not kept,…

d) that here in Manchester we’re already seeing the predictable political responses – fine declarations of Climate Emergency that are followed by… nothing.  And we in the climate movement have to take that on, and develop the skills, knowledge and networks to stop it being quite so easy for the Council to get away with that. 

I think we adults have to stop using Saint Greta as an excuse not to reflect, to think, to act differently than we have been.  

Here’s the latest interview with a youth climate striker, Jessie Tomlinson. You can read older interviews here.

Who are you?
My name is Jessie Tomlinson, I am a 15-year-old High School student, Extinction Rebellion member, school striker and youth activist, living in South Manchester.

When and how did you first become aware of climate change?
I have always been aware of climate change: as a young child I was conscious of a hazy justification of the way my parents raised me (to use public transport and eat less meat) but through the eyes of childhood the prophesised “global warming” seemed an abstract threat. I think that it was following the first mass protests in London in April this year that I really felt a call to arms. I was filled with a sense of panic that could no longer be pacified by turning off light switches and re-using straws anymore. I had to act.

Talk about your involvement/activities so far- highlights, lowlights?
One of the first things I had to do was get out on the streets for one Friday afternoon every month and stand with striking young people all over the world. But I felt that sacrificing a couple of ours ever 30 days was not an equal opposite reaction to (lets be honest) the looming apocalypse and, afraid of being consumed by apathy – the inevitable anaesthetic for feeling frightened and alone – the next thing was to join a movement.

Every movement ebbs and flows and I was swept to my first Extinction Rebellion meetings on the crest of a great wave of public enthusiasm. It was a chance to meet people from all over Manchester who were just as scared as I was and being surrounded by such brave people gave me the warmth of solidarity and hope. I was part of a fresh batch of eager people power and with so many flocking to join Extinction Rebellion, it became clear that there was a need to decentralise, and digress into affinity groups. So probably the biggest project I have worked on so far has been (along with a team of people from my local area) planning and materialising a launch event for Chorlton Extinction Rebellion group- still taking its first baby steps. I was on a panel of XR members answering questions in a debate style format from the 60-100 or so people who turned up. It was nerve wracking, but necessary, to represent my age group which has been such a fiery catalyst in getting the media attention to the fight against the climate crisis. Our feedback was encouraging, many people voicing the sense of hope and love in the room.

Other than this, my time since Easter has been spent familiarising myself with the way XR functions: making my way to the Monday Manchester meetings and Tuesday Chorlton meetings, attending a meeting with the Co- founder of XR, Roger, seeing the heading for Extinction talk that we offer (twice), reading the newsletters and XR book ‘This is not a Drill’, taking a Carbon Literacy course, attending meetings with Senior Leadership staff at my school to open discussions about how to make the school more sustainable and of course, constantly continuing to strike from school. I am determined to fill my brain with the skills and knowledge I will need to take part in the August – September Northern Rebellion, to make every word I say and write considered, informed and articulate, so it counts.

What would you say to adults who say that you should be in school, learning about things so you can tackle the issue when you’re older?
I would politely point them in the direction of Greta Thunberg’s Ted Talk, because I won’t try and better her expression of the feeling of all youth climate activists: why should I be studying for a future that might not exist?

What practical support would you like to see older people offering to the youth?
I think I will answer this question on a personal level, and then regarding all young people. I am already so certain in my convictions about climate change: I have reached a level of awareness that there is no going back from. It is too late for me to bury my head back in the sand: I can see in lurid clarity our broken poisonous system and I know I will have to fight it all my life. I do not need adults to help me form any more judgements on this: it is enough for me to know that life on earth will cease to exist unless I act now. What I need from older people is the wisdom that accumulates throughout years of experience: how to be persuasive, assertive and yet compassionate in communication, how to confidently speak in public, how to run a campaign for radical social change. This is the help I need.

But I am well aware that not everyone my age is at the same point of conviction. So, for the many young people who are just unaware that we are effectively going through the motions in a burning house, I want the adults to educate, educate, educate. I want climate change to underpin the entire National curriculum, I want everyone to be talking about it all the time in homes and schools across the world so that every young person knows the truth: that we all have to be superheroes now.

The last school strike was quite small and, anecdotally, some students are staying away because they have “been there, done that” or because the police intimidation tactics have worked. What forms of new protests/ activity do you think students and young people need to think about?
I would say that the young activists who organise the strikes need to keep the strikes attractive. The issue here is that it is a long and arduous battle to root in every teenager the urgency that is needed to sacrifice time and energy to protest, especially in the current political climate where everyone is still in denial. We need the numbers on the streets and we are running out of time. So, the strikes need to be re-marketed to tap into what makes young people tick. Maybe one month we set up a temporary skate park and everyone has a lovely afternoon skating with their friends, but with climate banners in school hours. Another month the strike could be publicised as a mini pop up festival, with live performances from young people. Yes, the level of organisation would require more effort, but the fact is that we can’t afford to let momentum slip- and I know so many people who would be willing to put in the extra hours.

Lastly, I would just like to send a brief message to anyone reading this. If you care about anything at all, then you also care about climate change. If you care about gender inequality, class inequality, homophobia, transphobia, racism, hate crime, war, poverty, discrimination, if you care about injustice, in whatever form, then remember this: the equality you are fighting for will never exist without the ground we’re standing on. So let’s fight for that first, together.

Many of you will know that Manchester City Council declared a Climate Emergency on July 10th. Some of you will know that that very same council is planning to use the land where the Toys R Us was on Great Ancoats St as a temporary car park (nice money-spinner, shame about the carbon emissions).

One of the groups objecting to this is the Northern Quarter Forum, which is hosting a rally TODAY.

Below is an email interview conducted with Joanne Cross, secretary of the Forum. You can find the Forum  on Facebook here, and on Twitter as @NQForum

1. First off, what is the Northern Quarter Forum – how long has it been going, who set it up, why? What are some of the battles it has fought/lost/won. Is it affiliated to any political party or NGO?
NQF was set up before my time by an ex local Councillor who then wanted the residents to run it for him but it never really took off although NQ Greening arose out of it with a group of non-political locals. The NQ fell into Ancoats and Clayton & City Centre Wards which obviously wasn’t ideal. People move on and 5 years ago when making enquiries as to whether there was a residents group there was only a handful of concerned residents left who were concentrating on greening the area more than anything. Informal meetings were still held with police and council updates.

Since 2014 we have gained nearly 100 members, (which doesn’t sound like a lot but the population of NQ is pretty transient) and over 3,000 followers on Twitter so, in October 2018 we decided to constitutionalise as we were growing as a group and needed to be taken seriously, we then had a voice and connections. “People live here. We are residents dedicated to making the Northern Quarter a clean, green and better place to live for the benefit of all.” We organise litter-picks, planting projects and take a keen interest in the preservation of the neighbourhood’s heritage.

A major battle was over the Shudehill / Back Turner St. development. During a well-attended consultation meeting we were told that the warehouse was dangerous and had to be demolished the very next day. Unsurprisingly demolition was part of the proposed planning application for a hotel. Part of the gable end was indeed demolished but we managed to persuade our fairly newly elected Councillors to put a halt to the rest being demolished. Salboy, the developers quickly realised we meant business and included us in further discussion and consultations. Out of the next 3 proposals, which had now become apartments and some retail, we were pleased to see that the warehouse could be retained with the inclusion (albeit tiny) a pocket park.

Two sites on Thomas St. were also of concern to us. The first was the old Shopfitters site which had planning permission to be demolished (apart from a corner unit which is listed) and the construction of “artisan dwellings” which in our view were far from that. The day before demolition was due to start a concerned Manchester citizen applied to get the whole site listed and now the developers are having to reconsider their proposals. We can’t take credit for the listing application but we are very grateful to whoever it was. The developers have since asked for our opinion and suggestions but our concern is that they don’t maintain the properties and again may fall into disrepair.
The second site is the corner plot of Thomas / John / Kelvin / Back Turner. The planning permission for this site appears to have universal approval as it at least retains the corner (Al Faisal) building.

In June, we successfully persuaded the Council to close Stevenson Square from Oldham St. through to Newton St. to traffic which hasn’t been done before, for Clean Air Day. We organised “The People’s Pop-Up Park” in 9 days, enlisting the help of Friends of the Earth, Walk Ride Mcr, TFGM and others. We hope that Stevenson Square will soon be traffic-free and return to it’s historic purpose of being for the people and the home of radicals.

For The Great British Spring Clean in April we had a very successful guided art & architecture tour lead by Hayley Flynn, picking litter along the way and hope to do many more.

We are not affiliated to any political party and do not wish to be. We aren’t an NGO as such although we are a non-profit organisation and we don’t have enough income (through donations) to become a registered charity.

2. What are the NQF objections to the proposed carpark?
The proposed carpark on the Central Retail Park site is such a wasted opportunity. There are proposals afoot for a luxury office development but not for at least 5 years. The Council own this land and obviously want to make a quick buck from parking revenue until the re-development starts, as has been the case with many land-owners in the city centre for many years. Our Council declared a Climate Emergency on July 10th the day after the planning application was submitted .and now they are encouraging more cars to come into the city centre instead of finding ways to discourage them. This is a 10.5 acre site right next to Cotton Fields, the Marina and more importantly a primary school. It would make perfect sense to link all these together for the benefit of residents and visitors alike and because of the appalling lack of green spaces in the City Centre and the ever increasing population, surely the health of the citizens should take priority.

3. What would members like to see the space used for instead?
We are holding a rally on Thursday Aug.1st. to find out exactly what people suggest, whether that’s allotments, woodland, sporting facilities, children’s playground or all of those linking the canals and marina for the community. If the site has to be developed in the future, surely social and affordable housing should take priority on Council owned land?

4. How are you going about opposing the existing plans and proposing others?
We will be encouraging everyone to object to the planning application which is going to the committee on August 6th

5. How can people get involved?
Object to the planning proposal before August 6th and attend the rally on August 1st

6. Anything else you’d like to say.
Lots!……but sadly busy this week

Joanne Cross (Secretary NQForum)