George Monbiot to receive Gerrard Winstanley Spade Award for 2021

Controversial Guardian columnist and environmental activist George Monbiot is to receive this year’s Diggers’ Festival “Gerrard Winstanley Spade” award for his ‘outstanding contribution’ to the cause of making the Earth a common treasury for all, in the spirit of the 17th Century Wiganer in whose memory the award is named. 

The award has previously been presented to the late veteran Labour MP Tony Benn, Film Director Ken Loach, Writer Jimmy McGovern and local actor-activist Maxine Peake. 

Our first Gerrard Winstanley Spade in 2013 was awarded to Tony Benn. In addition to everything else he did, he helped to populise Winstanley’s writings in his later life and described the 17th Century Diggers as England’s “first true socialists”. As Tony was too ill to travel to our festival to receive the award in person, and sadly died before we were able to formally present it to him, the Spade was later received by Tony’s son Hilary Benn (shown below) on behalf of Tony’s family.
Hilary Benn, Ken Loach, Maxine Peake & Jimmy McGovern

Homeless campaigner Pauline Town and ‘We Shall Overcome’ musician, activist and campaigner Joe Solo are two more recent recipients.

This year’s award is also presented in recognition of George Monbiot’s ongoing fight, as his own website states: against “environmental destruction, undemocratic power, corruption, deception of the public, injustice, inequality and the misallocation of resources, waste, denial, the libertarianism which grants freedom to the powerful at the expense of the powerless….” and more recently his powerful advocacy of the need to overthrow Capitalism to stop the impending climate catastrophe. (See clips below)

On 1 April 1999, on the 350th anniversary of Gerrard Winstanley and the Diggers’ occupation, George Monbiot was famously involved in the organisation of  a rally and occupation of land at St. Georges Hill, near Weybridge, Surrey. (See Clip below)

George is absolutely delighted to be receiving the award, and had intended to be with us on Saturday to accept it in person. However, as he is now sadly unable to come to this year’s Festival, the Festival Committee will be organising a special event in Wigan later in the year to which George has agreed he will come to receive the award and additionally give us a talk on a subject yet to be decided. He has also agreed he will provide us with a short video for our social media platforms. Watch this space

2019 Wigan Diggers’ Festival – Announcements

wdf9announcementsHAPPY NEW YEAR!

A DATE FOR YOUR DIARIES – This year’s 9th Annual FREE Festival will take place at our usual venue in The Wiend on SATURDAY 7th SEPTEMBER 2019


CALLING ALL SYMPATHETIC BANDS, SOLO ARTISTS, DUOS, BUDDING BARDS, COMEDIANS & OTHER ENTERTAINERS – HERE’S YOUR CHANCE TO PERFORM AT THIS YEAR’S EVENT.

If you or someone you know would like to perform at this year’s festival then please download and fill in our APPLICATION FORM and return it to us before 28th February 2019 to diggersstageentertainment@gmail.com

 

 

#WiganDiggersFest – Final Running Order Announced for Saturday’s 4th Festival

It’s been twelve months in the making, and here it is at last, this year’s final Wigan Diggers’ Festival programme.

The organisers believe it has all the makings of our biggest and best yet, as well as an enjoyable, fun day out for everyone.

In brief: A feast of 24 excellent bands, duos, solo artists, poets and other performers (amongst them two radical choirs), a historical digging re-enactment, a puppet show, arts project tent, two educational talks, town centre procession, plus over 50 book, food and other stalls, not least of which, our ever popular “Occupie Wigan” Beer Tent serving our own specially commissioned and locally brewed (Allgates) Gerrard Winstanley Ale, (Prospect) Diggers 1649 Ale, (Holts) Resistance is Fertile Lager, and a range of other excellent beers, ciders and perry.

The event will be officially opened by John McDonnell MP at 12.00noon.

Check out our Twitter feed @WiganDigger or our Facebook Page at: https://www.facebook.com/wigandiggersfestival for the very latest news.

4th Wigan Diggers' Festival Final Programme

4th Wigan Diggers’ Festival Final Programme

Still not sure what this Diggers thing is all about? Then listen to this excellent version of Leon Rosselson’s “The World Turned Upside Down” by the Barracudas from 1985. It tells (almost) the entire Diggers’ story in 3 mins 46 seconds. Definitely worth a listen if you want to get in the mood for the Festival on Saturday in Gerrard Winstanley’s home town.

Invitation to the 4th Wigan Diggers’ Festival – Saturday 13th September 2014 – 11.00am – 9.30pm – The Wiend – Wigan

Only ten days to go our 4th Wigan Diggers’ Festival. #WiganDiggersFest

Wigan Diggers' Festival

An invitation to, and  details of this year’s Wigan Diggers’ Festival on Saturday 13th September. #WiganDiggersFest

The event will take place between 11.00am and 9.30pm in The Wiend area of Wigan town centre. (see location map below)

The organisers are promising another free all day fun packed open air event to commemorate Wigan born Gerrard Winstanley (1609-1676) and the 17th Century “Diggers” (True Leveller) movement.

Winstanley and they famously asserted: “The Earth was made a common treasury for all, irrespective of person!” and are described by Tony Benn as “the first true Socialists”.

Last year’s festival was another resounding success with over 2,000 people attending during the course of the day. We hope this year’s will be too.


Wigan Diggers' Festival Poster

2014 DIGGERS’ FESTIVAL PERFORMERS

The day’s running order has yet to be fully finalised, however, confirmed as performing are:

BBC Radio 2 Folk Award winners: The Lucy Ward Band

Merry Hell

Jade Assembly

Run…

View original post 272 more words

Invitation to the 4th Wigan Diggers’ Festival – Saturday 13th September 2014 – 11.00am – 9.30pm – The Wiend – Wigan

An invitation to, and  details of this year’s Wigan Diggers’ Festival on Saturday 13th September. #WiganDiggersFest

The event will take place between 11.00am and 9.30pm in The Wiend area of Wigan town centre. (see location map below)

The organisers are promising another free all day fun packed open air event to commemorate Wigan born Gerrard Winstanley (1609-1676) and the 17th Century “Diggers” (True Leveller) movement.

Winstanley and they famously asserted: “The Earth was made a common treasury for all, irrespective of person!” and are described by Tony Benn as “the first true Socialists”.

Last year’s festival was another resounding success with over 2,000 people attending during the course of the day. We hope this year’s will be too.


Wigan Diggers' Festival Poster

2014 DIGGERS’ FESTIVAL PERFORMERS

The day’s running order has yet to be fully finalised, however, confirmed as performing are:

BBC Radio 2 Folk Award winners: The Lucy Ward Band

Merry Hell

Jade Assembly

Run Out The Guns

Second Hand Wings

Liverpool Socialist Singers 

Bolton Clarion Choir 

Laura Taylor

Ian Whiteley

Joan Blackburn

Pray for the Weekend 

Avital Raz

Our Morals 

Tony Kinsella 

Anvil Steel Drums 

Ken Scally 

Joy France 

Black Velvet 

Maelor l’anson-Hughes 

Terry Kinney

Means to an End

Jefferama

Gordon Zola

John McDonnell MP, Chair of the Labour Representation Committee and Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MPs will officially open this year’s Diggers’ Festival on 13th September. He will also talk about the lasting influence of Gerrard Winstanley & ‘The Diggers’ on today’s working class movement.

Author and TV Documentary film maker David Malone will be giving a talk on the influence of Gerrard Winstanley’s ideas on the later radical thinkers of the French & American Revolutions.

Actor John Graham Davies will once again play the role of Diggers leader, and historic Wiganer, Gerrard Winstanley, in a symbolic digging re-enactment at around 11.30am in The Wiend area, close to The Face of Wigan statue.

There will also be a puppet show telling of the story of the 17th Century Diggers and an all day children’s arts and craft area.

All the above of course is in addition to 40 or more food, book and other stalls and our ever popular “Occu-pie Wigan” beer tent.

More details to follow a.s.a.p:

See also our facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/WiganDiggersFestival

If you would like to book a stall for your organisation, community group, co-operative or small business then please download the file via the link provided, complete as appropriate, and then return to the address provided.

https://wigandiggersfestival.org/booking-a-stall/diggers-stall-application

More details to follow a.s.a.p:

Facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/550650368389097/

Twitter: @WiganDigger  #WiganDiggersFest

Location Map

Wigan Diggers' Festival Site Map

Gerrard Winstanley Speaks

Actor John Graham Davies plays the role of Gerrard Winstanley at a symbolic re-enactment of the digging at St. George’s Hill in Surrey in 1649, by the famous Wiganer and a group of people, who attracted the nickname, and became known historically as ‘The Diggers’, at this year’s Wigan Diggers’ Festival.