Merthyr Rising 2017

Merthyr Rising – The Waun Common Debates 2017

This year’s Merthyr Rising 2017 festival is a seven day event which will run from May 22^nd to 28^th which seeks to commemorate the original Merthyr Risings of 1831 and at celebrating the town’s radical past and promoting a positive image of the town’s future with a mixture of music, film, performance and debate. For the past three years SCHeP have been proud to take part in the event as part of their community engagement/ empowering agenda by sponsoring and supporting the Waun Common Debates.  These debates are inspired by a historic meeting which took place at the beginning of the original Merthyr Rising. On May 30, 1831, more than 2,000 workers from Merthyr and Monmouthshire gathered for a mass meeting held at the Waun Common above Dowlais. It helped to set the seeds for the Merthyr Rising, when thousands of workers gathered to debate the current political issues of the time and then united to take control of the town in a protest against poor wages and conditions. These events of 1831 are viewed as having played a pivotal part in the emergence of the unions and worker rights movements.

The Merthyr Rising festival 2017 Waun Common debates will take place on the weekend of the 27 and 28^th May near the anniversary and in the spirit of the original debates and will seek to explore contemporary  radical economic and political ideas .  In the past speakers have included George Galloway, Eurful ap Gwilym,  Drs Mike Berry and John Jewel of Cardiff University, Ross Ashcroft, founder of website Renegade Economist, Professor Steve Keen, author of Debunking Economics and The Artist Taxi Driver.

We are interested in this year hearing from any members of staff at Cardiff University or partner organisations who may be interested in contributing or facilitating sessions at this year’s Waun Common debates or have any ideas in relation to interesting speakers who would want to attend. We are still in discussion in relation to the themes of this year’s debate but some of the possible topics include; exploring notions of identity and Welsh identity; historical and contemporary issues relating to immigration and migration in South Wales. What now for the valleys Post Brexit?

Below are links to the Waun Common Debates which took place in 2016

Waun Common Debates 2016 Part 1

Waun Common Debates 2016 Part 2

Dr Mike Berry - Media Bias and the Financial Crisis: How Austerity is sold

If you are interested in being involved or if you would like to discuss further please e-mail Dr Martin O'Neill by the 31st January 2017