In November 1819 the bones of radical Thomas Paine were brought to Salford (dug up from their original resting place in New York by campaigning journalist William Cobbett), only to be refused entry to Manchester by the authorities, with the horrors of Peterloo still fresh... And then the bones disappeared.
To mark the bicentenary of this bizarre event and to celebrate Paine’s revolutionary writings and ideas (Common Sense, Rights of Man, Age of Reason) the Working Class Movement Library and Walk the Plank worked together to deliver a project which mixed the traditional with the contemporary, and the unusual with the familiar. You can view the film about the project here, and the final report here.
CONNECTIONS: come and meet the giant Bones of Paine puppet and parade at various locations
✔ Fri 16 Aug, 2-5pm Weather permitting...
Rebel Karaoke, St Peter’s Field: on the forecourt of Manchester Central, Windmill Street, Manchester M2 3GX
✔ Sun 18 Aug, 1-4pm Weather permitting...
March for Democracy rally in Albert Square, Manchester
✔ Sat 14 Sept, 11am-4pm Salford’s Big Day Out, Civic Centre, Chorley Road, Swinton M27 5AW
✔ Sun 6 Oct, 10am-6pm East Salford Fun Palace, Walk the Plank Cobden Works, Cobden Street, Salford M6 6WF
✔ Fri 25 Oct, 4pm, 5pm, 6.15pm and 7.30pm Witches Walk, Buile Hill Park, Eccles Old Road, Salford M6 8GL. Tickets here.
✔ Fri 1 Nov, 6.30pm-7.30pm Irlam Fireworks, Princes Park, Liverpool Road, Irlam M44 6BR
✔ Sat 30 Nov, 4pm-6pm Parade – join the processional puppet plus musicians & dancers as together we create a new and artistic ending for this 200 year old story, to coincide exactly with the anniversary of Cobbett bringing the bones to Salford in 1819. Starts from the Working Class Movement Library at 4pm, moves down the Crescent and arrives at the People’s History Museum. The Library will be open from 2pm for people to see the Paine exhibition; there will be tea and home-made cake available. PHM will stay open until 6pm so folk can view Paine's writing desk and other items. Read more about the procession here.
All events are free, apart from Witches Walk
Kerith Ogden's amazing puppet outside the library, August 2019
CURIOSITY: take a badge and share the story – people
will talk.
CONVERSATIONS: find out more about Thomas Paine by visiting the Library and our marvellous Paine collection. There will be lots of opportunities to get involved here at WCML:
✔ Wed 2/9/16 Oct 6pm Writer Louise Wallwein leads three workshops, firstly reading and discussing the works of Paine and then creating poetic responses. Booking required - contact info @ wcml.org.uk
✔ Wed 27 Nov onwards Exhibition Thomas Paine: citizen of the world
The exhibition will tell the story of Paine's adventurous and eventful life, his narrow escapes from death and his involvement in both the American and French Revolutions. The main focus however is the very modern ideas in his three key publications, Common Sense, Rights of Man and Age of Reason, original early editions of which will be on display. Open Wednesdays to Fridays 1-5pm, and the first Saturday of the month 10am-4pm.
✔ Wed 4 Dec 2pm Sam Edwards from Manchester Metropolitan University shares new insights into the ways in which Paine has been used and abused, remembered and represented, in the two hundred-odd years since his death, in this free talk Troublesome Tom: the memory and legacy of Thomas Paine in Britain.
✔ Wed 4 Dec 6.30pm Public reading of Paine’s Common Sense. Come and join in as American Studies students from the University of Manchester read aloud perhaps the most effective political pamphlet that has ever been written. Published in 1776, it argued powerfully and passionately for independence for the United States of America, a title Paine invented.
This project is the finale to our National Heritage Lottery Fund project Voting for Change, as well as being supported by Arts Council England.
Also kindly supported by East Salford Community Committee
