Extinction Rebellion Scotland prepare for direct action in Aberdeen with training and entertainment

August 28, 2019

  • Aberdeen Arts Centre on Sunday, 1 September 2019, 10am to 11pm
  • One of nine festivals happening around the UK this summer organised by Extinction Rebellion
  • Preparing for International Rebellion in London and around the world on 7 October 2019

On the first of September, Extinction Rebellion groups from across Scotland will be taking over the Aberdeen Arts Centre and the Anatomy Rooms for the Rebel Rising Festival, a programme of events aiming to inspire, educate and engage individuals from all walks of life in the face of the climate and ecological crisis. The festival is one of nine taking place across the UK; other locations include Manchester, London, Brighton, and Borth in Wales.

The main aim of the festival is to prepare, get trained, get inspired, and get ready for the International Rebellion on 7 October 2019 [1]. The packed programme includes trainings, talks, workshops, crafts, poetry, live music and food. Everyone is welcome and to make it inclusive everything is free (even the food!).

Highlights of the daytime line-up include arts & crafts, non-violent direct action training, and a climate hackathon. Each room of Aberdeen Arts Centre will be renamed with an Extinction Rebellion slogan:

  • The Cafe Bar will become the Regenerative Culture Café and will host a day of arts and family friendly activities, including storytelling and banner-making. Please bring some clothing to stamp!
  • The Empathy Gallery will be a second space for collective craftivism.
  • The Act Now Room will run a day-long series of the Extinction Rebellion talk titled ‘Heading for extinction and what to do about it’.
  • The Telling the Truth Theatre will present a range of talks on climate and ecological issues throughout the day from scientists, activists, and those with environmental roles.
  • Daytime highlights from the Rebel for Life Theatre are talks by a climate scientist who retrained as a midwife and by a school student from Fort William who was inspired by Greta Thunberg to begin her own school strike for the climate.
  • Book ahead for workshops in the Beyond Politics Room such as ‘Aberdeen Hackathon for a Climate Emergency Compliant City’ and facilitation training.
  • The Disruption Theatre will offer trainings for those interested in preparing for Extinction Rebellion actions. Throughout the day food will be provided by the amazing Refugee Community Kitchen from Edinburgh.
  • Finally, the evening will see the Regen Stage and Rebel for Life Theatre present a non-stop lineup of spoken word and poetry and finish with live music and electro DJ performance against a bespoke stage design made by a local artist.

The evening entertainment will showcase music from Scottish hip-hop heroes Johnny Cypher and Jackill, synth pop enigma Erskine Lynas and rising star Scarlett Randle, plus poetry from acclaimed Doric writer Jo Gilbert and critically acclaimed theatre-maker Imogen Stirling, with many more special guests to be announced.

Scott Herrett, Extinction Rebellion Aberdeen, says:“At the Rebel Rising Festival, Extinction Rebellion along with others, will be telling the truth about what carrying on with ‘business as usual’ will mean for life in Scotland and all around the world, where many people are already suffering the devastating effects of climate breakdown and ecological collapse. We will also demonstrate how we can act on this truth, through workshops, trainings and creative activities, to prepare for the International Rebellion on October 7th.

“We still have time to avert worst-case scenarios from climate breakdown and ecological collapse. But it must begin with telling the truth to the people of Scotland and the North East. The science is clear: we need to stop exploring for new oil and gas resources now and most of the oil and gas reserves must remain in the ground. If we choose business as usual and ignore the science or rely on unproven techno fixes, for example carbon capture usage and storage, it will be unjust and it will be too late.”

Molly McLachlan, Rebel Rising festival coordinator and local poet, says: “Art and activism have always gone hand in hand. From the staunch republican and anti-war sentiments of Goya’s early 1800s paintings to the protest art of the civil rights and pride movements, artistic expression has long been utilised as a vehicle for effecting social change in an unjust society. And rarely has society been as unjust as it is today, as the actions of a few egregiously powerful corporations threaten to decimate life on Earth.

“The artists involved in Extinction Rebellion’s Rebel Rising festivals work across a variety of disciplines and genres. We are locals, nationals and internationals. The one thing we all have in common is a desire to act to halt climate and ecological breakdown before it is too late.

“Having grown up in Aberdeen prior to and during the oil crash, I have seen first-hand the social devastation over-reliance on a single industry can cause. This makes Aberdeen a particularly poignant place to host an event like this, and such an important location to discuss the realities of climate justice and a Just Transition from fossil fuels. Join us on the 1st of September to watch our wonderful array of artists speak truth to power, and even make some protest art of your own.”

Ends

Full programme: https://drive.google.com/file/d/14SKrZ5ai_byCQ3VY3uorXwu3vTK8QwCz/view

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/448545952391789/

For more about the Rebel Rising Festivals, see the website: https://rebelrising.co.uk/https://rebelrising.co.uk/

Citations:

[1] International Rebellion – UK Action – Continues 7 October 2019 https://rebellion.earth/event/international-rebellion-uk-action-continues-7-october-2019/

About Extinction Rebellion Scotland

Extinction Rebellion Scotland is a non-violent direct-action movement formed to take urgent action in the face of climate emergency and ecological catastrophe, as part of the global justice movement.

Our demands, issued as a Declaration of Rebellion to the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government on 24 November 2018, are as follows:

  1. That the Scottish government tell the truth about the climate and wider ecological emergency, acknowledge and reverse any policies that help drive the climate crisis, and commit to enabling a rapid and just transition to a sustainable and fair society.
  2. That the Scottish government enact legally binding policy measures to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2025, including by replacing a system based on accelerating consumption with one based on ensuring the well-being of all.
  3. The creation of a legally binding Scottish Climate Citizens’ Assembly to oversee the changes, as part of creating a democracy fit for purpose and a society that cares for all.

Read more about Extinction Rebellion: https://rebellion.earth