Biocentrism 101
Biocentrism sounds daunting, but it needn’t be, and it’s an important idea for people involved in EarthFirst!. In this workshop we will introduce the idea and create some space to explore it. We’ll talk about how it differs from anthropocentrism (putting humans first), how it relates to other ideas such as deep ecology and eco-feminism, and how it challenges ‘environmentalism’ and anarchism. We then discuss how it is relevant to our organising and what it means to put it into practice. We’ll make it appropriate all knowledge levels, so don’t worry if you feel like your starting from scratch.
Biocentrism 202
Biocentrism has all manner of interesting implications and important considerations. What does centring life require of our political strategy? How does should it affect the way we communicate and talk about nature? How can we learn from other cultures past and present that don’t consider humans superior to other life forms? In this workshop we will discuss things in a bit more detail. Everyone is welcome, but probably best if you’ve either been to Biocentrism 101 or are already familiar with the area. It will be a fairly open discussion with opportunity to explore issues that come up in more depth.
Rebel Alliances
We all want to stand in solidarity with those on the receiving end of oppression. But what does it mean to be an ‘ally’? Sometimes allyship is presented as simply following the lead of those with lived experience of oppression, but this can result in shallow, uncritical relationships and treating identities as homogeneous. Using some pieces of text taken from Cindy Milstein’s ‘Taking Sides’ we will discuss allyship and what it means in our movements.
Cancel Culture 202
Cancel culture is rife in our movement spaces. We are fiery, with strong opinions and strong moral beliefs; we are relying on one another, perhaps for survival; we are hurting and we are complex, and we are all at risk of being cancelled. What’s more, probably all of us have done the cancelling.
In this workshop we will go into a bit more depth on how to challenge cancel culture while upholding transformative justice, abolitionism and radical politics. Using some of Adrienne Maree Brown’s essay ‘unspeakable thoughts’ as prompts, we will explore some of the complexities and nuances. It will include discussion on when call outs are useful and necessary and when they can be punitive and harmful.
Walkie Talkies, over!
Walkie-talkies are a great communication tool, whether you’re on an action or helping out at a gathering like Earth First! Like with our phones, theres always the chance someone might be eavesdropping – this workshop will cover how to build a code for communicating using W‑Ts securely, and discuss what good W‑T etiquette sounds like.
266la; direct action in the front line of animal oppression
Since 2016, our collective and sanctuary “269 Libération Animale” has been developing offensive activism based on direct action. We target the large capitalist and speciesist industries all over Europe with numerous activists – up to 150 per action. We thereby blockade slaughterhouses and free animal people from speciesist domination. Once freed, they get the opportunity to live with dignity in territories of resistance, where activists do everything possible to support them in finding their autonomy. We defend direct action as a revolutionary path for the antispeciesist struggle in regard to the financial losses it can cause to industries and the empowerment of activists it entails.
Reclaiming Play
Do we give ourselves the time to look after our inner parts, when doing outer work for social change? Our inner child can sometimes be hidden when we are working to challenge social injustices and this workshop is an opportunity to do some inner activism! Give your inner child and other parts of yourself the spaciousness to return to the surface! Take a break from being in your head and get back into your body! To do this, we will be using techniques from the world of improvisation and wisdom from the world of clowning. Allowing ourselves to build a more playful perspective on relating to one-another and the world at large.
Is there such thing as an ethical egg?
Description: It is often argued that eating eggs can be ethical, morally acceptable and that hens do not suffer in higher welfare systems. Vegetarians will often tell you that no one has to be killed for you to eat eggs. But what is really going on inside egg farms? And are backyard eggs any better? Come and find out more about egg farming, the life cycle of hens and the individuals impacted by our every day choices.
How to design, cut and paint stencils
Stencil graffiti has been used by activists and resistance movements for decades dating back to WWII, From The White Rose painting anti-nazi slogans to Argentinian students painting stencils against the military dictatorship during the late 1970s and early 1980s. We will discuss the advantages of typographic stencils as a direct action tool and how to design, cut and paint them.
Security as Solidarity
A lot of campaigners feel disempowered when faced with intrusive police surveillance. The way many talk about security is often ‘all or nothing’: ignoring the risks or creating a climate of suspicion and pressure that makes it difficult to build trust and work together. Netpol argues we need to talk openly about how best to resist surveillance, share knowledge about reducing the risks of harm to members of our groups and educate new campaigners so they do not feel disempowered. Protecting each other is an act of solidarity – so let’s talk about how we protect each other from police intelligence-gathering.
Sustainable activism
How can we make our activism more effective and sustainable? This workshop will give you practical tools to help prevent ‘activist burnouts’, to increase your resilience when coping with high stress events, such as police repression, and to integrate mutual care practices in your communities.
Radicalising Right to Roam
The Right to Roam movement has grown significantly in recent years and given many a taste of disobedience and collective experiences of natural surroundings, but it has been criticised for being too conservative. Presented by some who have organised in Right to Roam, the workshop will collectively explore some questions around the campaign: Is it worth engaging with? If so, how can it be transformed into something that radicalises participants or achieves more radical outcomes? Or would it be better to focus efforts on other land justice projects and activities? Join us in discussing the Right to Roam and building the radical movement for land justice on these isles and beyond.
In Defense of Violence?
Is smashing up a fracking rig or a coal mine violence?
How about shouting abuse at an aggressive cop or self defence?
Does it even matter?
Should we be absolutely non-violent or is violence sometimes morally justifiable?
Can violence ever be tactically useful?
What are some examples of radical political violence?
Does negative media and public perception mean that any action perceived as violent should be avoided?
This workshop is a chance to discuss these questions and more, as well as collectively questioning some of the assumptions that underpin a lot of recent environmental action movements.
This isn’t a lecture but a group discussion.
If you have strong views on these subjects, please be aware you may find parts of the workshop challenging, and remain respectful of other views.
Archiving our movements
Eco anarchist direct action movements have a vibrant history: we can learn a lot from our collective past, and find elements of it to
criticise and celebrate. However, our movements are often inconsistently recorded – partly due to a need for security, and
because activist spaces are often precarious and moving on to the next thing feels more urgent than documenting what we have just done. There are a number of physical and digital spaces in which activist archives exist, in varying states of stability and orderliness. This interactive workshop will identify existing archives and work out what we can do to better retain, share and learn from these histories and to safely document current movements.
Bike stuff
Our car-centric society is a dangerous and scary place to be a cyclist. This workshop will cover some of the ways we can get around on two wheels more safely. We we go over some basic bike safety, M‑checks and some simple repairs. People are invited to bring their bikes and any bike tools.
Veteran & Ancient Trees walk
Introduction to Veteran & Ancient trees. What’s the difference between them & jargon busting. Discussion on their cultural importance & their value to wildlife.
The ‘Game’ Industry
Every year, millions of pheasants, partridges and other “game” birds are farmed and released into the wild purely to be shot for fun.
We will discuss the life and death of “game birds”, the impact of these shoots on the ecosystem, and what direct action can be taken against them.
Introduction to hunt sabotage
Hunting with hounds was made illegal 20 years ago, yet hunts in England and Wales still routinely chase and kill wildlife. We will discuss what happens during a hunt and the direct action techniques used by hunt saboteurs to intervene and stop them killing.
Post Trap Animal Care
Take a dive in to post trap animal care with an experienced wildlife rehabber and long term activist. Learn how to do basic triage and know when it’s safe to do an on site release Vs needing long term rehabilitation.
Technology security.
The tech world is dominated by capitalist enterprises that buy and sell you like you’re currency. Law enforcement hugely benefits from the constant array of tracking and spying your tech devices do in the name of comfort. But tech has lots of extremely useful tools to organise and fight back! Let’s talk securing your tech, tools to use and specially, behaviour changes you need to take to care for yourself and people around you. Tech security is community self defence! (All levels welcome, basic topics discussed)
Elemental Sounds – singing circle in conversation with nature
Join vocalist and facilitator margomool in exploring textures of the natural world through the voice. Using embodied singing practices, we will vocally play with our environment and explore the realms of collective listening. There will be games, improvising and simple folk songs that will ignite internal and external connection. No previous singing experience is required. Just an openness to trying something new and listening.
Practical first aid for protests and direct action
Going through the basics of first aid with a focus on direct action. Come and learn how to protect and care for your comrades against the violent forces of fascists and the state; including splinting broken bones, treating pepper spray and interacting with the emergency services. No previous experience required.
Know Your Rights
GBC’s ‘Know Your Rights’ workshop aims to give you the knowledge to combat repressive police tactics commonly used against protesters. Police officers often rely on the lack of legal understanding of those participating in protest. This interactive session will give you the tools to take action more confidently. We will cover our Key Messages, police tactics and the role of private security, stop and search, what happens when you’re arrested, and laws commonly used against protesters. There is also space to ask questions. Please note that this workshop is only relevant to England & Wales as the law is different elsewhere.
Strengthening practical solidarity and resistance to police repression within our movements
This skillshare session will discuss how we prepare for and organise in the face of increasing police repression and violence. It will include how we better support comrades through arrest, court processes and prison, and how we build the capacity within our groups and movements to centre this work. We will also discuss different strategic approaches to legal issues and there will be space to bring questions and discussion on the challenges you are facing within your organising related to state repression and policing
Taking back birth
Thinking about birthing one day, or supporting someone doing so? The
anarchist slogan “everything you have been told is wrong” may well
apply! We’ll cover some basic but vital information and answer
questions. If you are a birth worker or had a baby yourself your input
is welcomed. If you would like to talk through a challenging experience,
please ask for some one-to-one time.
Leviathan’s Body: Recovering Fredy Perlman’s Anarchist Social Theory
Fredy Perlman’s anarchist maximalism had a formative influence on the movement’s post-1960s revival, quite apart from his later and better-known critiques of domestication. Perlman’s long-neglected books, pamphlets and parodies from 1968–1972 show him championing an anti-vanguardist ethos of direct action and practical de-alienation, while working towards an original and distinctly anarchist social theory of domination. This article traces the influences of Isaak Rubin, C. Wright Mills, and possibly Henri Lefebvre and Peter Kropotkin, on Perlman’s thought. Perlman’s originality was to generalise a heterodox Marxian critique of social reproduction, including but exceeding productive relations. Thus, he explicitly sets the state in analytical parity with capital, theorising authority as a fetish distinct from exchange value. Implicitly, he points to other containers for alienated powers, including the family, religion and scholarship. Perlman’s account of self- and community powers remains incomplete, however, eliding constitutive violence and inviting engagement with current intersectional approaches.
Border abolition
This workshop will cover – A brief history of borders – why where they put in place and by who? Moving Borders – updates on the increasing
externalisation of UK and EUs borders, developments in the Sahel, Libya, Tunisa and Calais. Enacting Borders within communities – how bordering
is performed in communities by state actors and community members. Then we collective explore – what is a world without borders? Come and
imagine a world in which the borders fall!
La Via Campesina – how can we respond to climate catastrophes?
We know our governments and said charities can’t save us, and globally, we need to be to be able to respond to ever more frequent climate catastrophes. La Via Campesina are building structures to respond to crises and provide practical mutual aid and internationalist solidarity, as well as developing land & farming practices that are able to adapt to drastically changing climates
The Struggle for Life in Kurdistan and Beyond
Amidst increased attacks on the people, ecology and all means of life across Kurdistan, 2024 has seen huge developments in the ecological struggle, organisation and perspective of the Kurdistan Freedom Movement. This workshop gives an update on the ecological situation, the war in the region, and new organisational developments in Kurdistan and Europe. Come and discuss ways we can better support.
Solidarity Economy as Revolutionary Strategy
How can we build collective power to survive and overcome capitalism? From mutual aid and cooperation to internationalist solidarity; building a new world in the shell of the old while defending our rights and surviving together. Come and learn more about solidarity economy as revolutionary strategy.
Introduction to Transformative Justice
Introduction to and discussion about Transformative Justice (TJ) and how we can develop practices and approaches within that framework.
Developed mainly by Black and Indigenous activists, especially women, trans and queer folks in Turtle Island (North America), TJ offers an abolitionist framework for community approaches to justice that do not rely on state systems such as prisons and police. Many different tools can be used within this framework, TJ is about the approach and the values that underpin it, based on a belief that transformation is possible and an understanding that bigger systems of oppression are at the root of all harms caused.
Wildflower Walk
A walk round the local area, seeing how many flowers and trees we can identify between us. We are not experts, and you may know more than us! This is a chance for a walk in nature and to share our knowledge.
Note- weather dependent, we won’t want to be walking round in pouring rain!
Danga
Danga is a combination of dance and yoga. A great way to start your morning with movement and a chance to release your inner extrovert
UK coal – the End Game
We’re so close to winning, but we’re not quite there, and if we take our eyes off the game – progress can rapidly unravel, such as when the UK Government wasted £420m tax-cash on coal imports and propping up coal power stations through the 2022–23 winter. Get involved – let’s finally end coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel, together.
Politicians are lining up to pinky-promise no more coal mine licences as coal-fired power generation will pass into the history books this summer, and coal-fired steelworks join those history books over the next year or two. But in South Wales there is still an operating deep coal mine and an opencast coal mine striving for an extension. In England, at the site of last year’s Earth First! Gathering, the West Cumbria coal mine proposal continues to loom, threatening coal mining until 2049. Now, a new frontier of coal mining yawns open, with a company applying to mine old dumps (coal tips) of coal abandoned by historical coal mining, in the name of “restoring” those coal tips. This amounts to a proposal to solve the issues left by mining by more mining – and with over 300 coal tips in Wales alone, this could be a dangerous new scramble for coal.
Transformative Justice in our Movements
Discussion around the practice of transformative justice in our movements – where are we going wrong and how can we be more effective and caring in dealing with harm. May involve some difficult involve conversations about difficult or triggering subjects. Expect good chat and role play!’
How to rescue and care for a fox hound.
Alfred is a Foxhound who came from the clasp of the hunting fraternity. A fierce runner who’s pedigree is of royal blood. A tale of how he and other animals like him have been rescued from a life of torment and exploitation. Used against our native wild by the most depraved of orders. Stories of a life undercover as an activist and comrade, Alfred’s keeper who doubles as a live animal capture expert will be offering advice. In hope that future opportunities can be given to such a friendly and misunderstood breed. “If not you, who?”
Youth Liberation
Youth, and especially children, face oppression in our society and even in many of our supposedly radical spaces that is frequently ignored. In this workshop, we consider the basics of youth liberation – the nature of the oppression of youth in our capitalist and imperialist society and the fight to end it.
Fighting the Home Office through Anti Raids
Anti Raids Brighton will be guiding you through the best ways to spot immigration raids, how to stop them, and how to set up your own Anti Raids group in your local area. With Labour’s new administration planning on being harsher on immigration than ever before, Anti Raids strategies are more necessary than ever.
Folk Dancing
Come and learn some folk dancing from these isles, including molly and morris dances! sticks will be provided!!
Sonic Meditation
Come listen and experiment with your senses using a series of guided prompts to encourage listening deeply to the environment – with group noise making and movement we will playfully engage with our environment.
Using and repairing hand tools
Learn or improve your skills with using, sharpening and repairing axes, billhooks, bowsaws, scythes and more. Suitable for complete beginners, but experts wanting to share their skills are welcome too.
Action Massage
8 hours in a lock-on, clambering fences, lugging tripods… this workshop shows some quick techniques to release tension and key spots to help aches and pains that can be done almost anywhere – let’s take care of one another. No oils, no stripping, & definitely no Enya. Find your massage partner before the workshop and arrive with them (for ease of consensual contact). Touch will include the back, shoulders, neck, head, face, arms. Wash hands just before workshop! Numbers limited to first 16.
Fighting Basics
Learn some simple ground rules of keeping yourself safer in a physical confrontation, and the weak points on an opponent to target. Become slippery! This is a no bullshit, non-macho, boundary-respecting space, suitable for total newbies. Tap out at any time during the workshop. Numbers limited to first 14.
Climate activism and resistance in Wales then and now
This awareness-raising session explores climate activism and resistance in Wales. It provides an overview of fossil capital in Wales past and present and goes on to highlight resistance in Wales then and now. Finally, the session explores the concept and ideologies of climate camps and introduces the ‘Climate Camp Cymru’ movement and this year’s camp that is being held 30th August – 2nd September in Swansea. In the session, we will also be seeking input from comrades into the strengths and weaknesses of the climate camp model and an opportunity to learn from our collective experiences.
Passport-free solidarity – How can ‘non-citizens’ contribute to the rising tide of actions in the UK?
This session is not a one-way talk, but a space to collectively discuss the strange hardships that politically-minded migrants encounter when trying to be part of actions, whether it’s something like joining protest marches or taking part in higher-risk direct actions. Thanks in equal part to state terror and a cruel propaganda machine, migrants tend to consider the risks to their visa status before joining even relatively ‘harmless’ actions. This has implications beyond activist strategy, as a general position of non-participation — out of a real fear of arrests, refusals of future visas, or worse — can have a chilling effect on the political consciousness of migrants. The goal of this facilitated session is to consider such aspects, hear from migrant voices, and collectively think of ways in which we could invite and welcome migrants into radical political actions.
The cultural programming of (post-)modern society and its fuckedupness
“The true focus of revolutionary change is never merely the oppressive situations which we seek to escape, but that piece of the oppressor which is planted deep within each of us….” Audrey Lorde
This workshop explores the manner in which the dominant culture fails to meet our fundamental human needs and in so doing plants that piece of the oppressor within each of us, such that we are culturally programmed to replicate it. The working hypothesis being that multiple missing cultural elements need to be identified and instigated before we can create a benign human presence on this planet.
Action climbing for beginners
Come along and learn about climbing as a direct action tactic. From tree houses to oil rigs, this is a valuable skill in a green anarchist’s tool chest. Have a go at climbing a rigged rope and practise the knots needed for rigging and climbing. Absolute beginners welcome, please tie long hair back and wear sturdy shoes. Climbing is an inherently hazardous activity; 16s and over only.
Militarism, policing, and ecocide in Gaza
What is the relationship between policing, militarism, and ecocide? Why does eco-liberation require abolition? How is ecocide used as a weapon of war, in Gaza and across the world? Workshop followed by discussion.
Why I cut down trees; an introduction to woodland management & conservation
Forestry practices are often misunderstood by those who do not work within woodlands, with their being no culture of forestry in the mainstream and the average person not having access to forests. Most of what is seen in the media, is polarising incidents of bad practice, or scrupulous felling in aid of megaprojects. Join two foresters for an insightful & nuanced discussion on the varied & often challenging landscape of woodland management & conservation in the UK.
Action planning: two part session
What to consider when planning an effective action: strategy, tactics, logistics, dynamics…
Safer spaces policies: great to have, hard to use
Dealing with oppression or harm in groups can be hard, even if you have agreed values or systems in place. This session will explore challenges, tools and approaches to having conversations that are politically and relationally engaged.
Not seen, not heard: moving at night without being detected or identified
A structured series of practices culminating in a capture the flag game to hone your action skills. If you have accessibility questions, please ask someone at the welcome tent to put you in touch with us for a chat beforehand.
Fences: over, under, through
A practical session suitable for beginners. If you have accessibility questions, please ask someone at the welcome tent to put you in touch with us for a chat beforehand.
Quick decisions on actions
How to make group decisions when the situation keeps changing and the stakes are high.
Worker liaison, de-escalation and assertiveness
Skills for engaging with workers when our action has obstructed their work: how to stay safe, stay put and stay true to our values.
How do we do it?
We want to build the radical ecological movement, we want to transform society and our relationship with nature, but how do we do it? To get people thinking and talking we will have some short presentations giving different perspectives with a chance to delve into each. We’re not looking trying to come to a shared position or promote a particular strategy, but we do want to help people think seriously about radical social change and how to make it happen. There will also be a chance to meet people in your local area so conversations and plans can continue.
Hegemonic Narratives
How do the many rule the few? Not by force alone (or even the threat of it). We’ll investigate the narratives created and spread by the hegemonic elite in order to control populations, and see how this links to Gramsci’s concepts of active and passive consent. In this workshop, we’ll explore the narratives we have inherited from the culture we’ve been brought up in, and the ones that may still lurk deep down inside, along with how to uproot them in ourselves and society at large.
Complexity Games & Movement Ecology
Come learn about complex systems in an embodied, experiential way through the medium of games. We all have experience with complexity and know what it is in a fundamental way, but we might not know that we do or how to describe it. Too often, we go about trying to create change as if we were dealing with a predictable and ordered machine. Yet, understanding the rich, organic complexity of our workplaces, communities and societies and the process of building collective power to change them, is key to effecting, long-lasting change. This is the core idea of ‘movement ecology’. This workshop will help you to understand what complex systems are and their key characteristics, and give you a new lens with which to view the world. Accessibility: This workshop involves standing and moving about, but each person can decide how much they want to move.
Undercover cops in our movements – history, current situation, and lessons learnt
In this workshop we’ll be discussing the history of undercover infiltration in our movements, the current state of the official inquiry, and how it has affected EF! and eco/anarchist/leftist movements more widely. How can we take seriously the lessons learnt and the trauma caused, while not letting them break us? What are effective tools to deal with the intertwined issues of security and paranoia?
A space for discussion and sharing experiences.
Feeding the Masses
A discussion of experiences, strategies and tools to feed our movements. Sharing food builds community, connection and care. Kitchens have always been part of both mass mobilisations and local community initiatives. From sourcing good food, practical and legal considerations, and equipment, to sharing ideas, experiences and learnings, this is a space to think about cooking for the revolution.
Power to the People: Off-Grid Electrics 101
Come and learn the basics of off-grid electrics and 12V power systems. Whether you’re setting up a protest camp in a field, living in a van or boat, or just curious to understand how it works this workshop is for you. We will be primarily looking at a solar system set up and will also cover basic concepts that are transferable to other power sources.
For this year’s gathering we have squatted the site of the new coal proposed coal mine in Whitehaven, Cumbria!
