August E-bulletin

GUDE NEWS: OVER 1,500 HAVE ALREADY SIGNED UP FOR THE

PROCESSION

Over 1,500 individuals and groups have confirmed their participation in the Gude Cause procession. Groups from across Scotland include trade unions, youth groups, women’s and children’s groups and groups set up specifically for Gude Cause. Many have indicated they will be dressing up and bringing their own banners.

Have you booked? Please book as soon as possible as it helps us with organising stewarding and safety.

Thank you to those who included a donation with their booking, we really appreciate your much needed support.

Scottish Parliament supports Gude Cause:

Shirley-Anne Somerville lodged a parliamentary member’s motion lodged on 30th July.

S3M-04644# Shirley-Anne Somerville (Lothians) (Scottish National Party):

Votes for Women

Women: The Women’s Suffrage Movement in Edinburgh

Edinburgh from 31 July 2009 to 9 January 2010; notes that the exhibition uses photos and artefacts to chart the long struggle to win the vote, which was eventually granted to all women in 1928; further notes that at the height of the campaign in October 1909 a grand pageant was held in Edinburgh and to honour its 100 year anniversary and history of women’s activism a re-enactment march will take place on 10 October 2009; encourages all women to join in the parade in honour of all suffragettes who fought hard for all sisters to have a free vote; congratulates the Gude Cause, based at the Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre, for organising the march and complementary events, and further notes that more information can be found at www.gudecause.org.uk.

Supported by: Anne McLaughlin, Rob Gibson, Marlyn Glen, Jackie Baillie, Jim Tolson, Bill Kidd, Dr Christopher Harvie, Sandra White, Maureen Watt, Jamie Hepburn, Bob Doris, Ken Macintosh, Dr Alasdair Allan, Mike Pringle, Aileen Campbell, Michael Matheson, Elaine Smith, Rt Hon Jack McConnell, Angela Constance, Gil Paterson, Christina McKelvie

Gude Cause Toolkit now available to order free of charge

Thanks to financial support from the Scottish Community Foundation’s Schiehallion Fund, Gude Cause toolkit is now available. The toolkit is designed to help groups to research, plan and carry out activities relevant to their own community and interests in the run up to October’s commemorative procession in Edinburgh.

Gude Cause communities throughout Scotland so they have lasting benefit for those involved. The toolkit is full of useful information and instructions, including more than twenty pages of photocopiable sheets on how to find out about suffrage activities in you locality, how to research on-line the activities of Scottish suffragettes and suffragists, how to make banners of local significance and rosettes to wear on the procession, information about the 1909 procession and how to take part in the 2009 procession.

For more information and to order your toolkit please contact: gudecause@peaceandjustice.org.uk

Banner Making Workshops

Gude Cause have organised Banner Making Workshops in Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow led by Marylou Anderson

Edinburgh, Sat 26th Sept,The Bowery, Roxburgh Place, Edinburgh

Drop in session from 12-5 as part of the Ladyfest Edinburgh weekend programme

Dundee International Women’s Centre

Thursday 20 th August 5.30pm – 8pm

Unit 9, Manhattan Business Park, Dundonald Street

Dundee, DD3 7PY

01382 462 058

Date for your diary – Gude Cause Song Book Launch: Edinburgh

18th September 7.00 – 9.00 pm at Edinburgh Central Reference Library. The songbook features all the songs that will be sung during the procession. The songbook will be available for sale at the launch and will also be for sale at the procession on Oct 10th.

Dundee News

A Gude Cause March will be held first in Dundee 9.30am then in Edinburgh 1pm on Saturday 10 th October 2009. You are invited to come to one or both. Return bus available from Dundee through DVA. March into City Square, Dundee, the proposed route will incorporate short sections of the Women’s Trail. Assemble at 9.15am and leave for the City Square at 9.30am. Speakers, drumming and singing in city square. Marilyn Glen MSP confirmed as a speaker. Free bus leaving Dundee 10.30am for Edinburgh Contact Christine Lowden 01382 305740 or christinelowden@number10.org for further information.

Glasgow News

Unison offices

Next Glasgow organising meeting date Thursday 3 rd September in Unison Offices 18 Albion Street, at 5.00 pm all welcome. Anyone in Glasgow (especially groups) who would like to organise joint travel arrangements to the Procession please contact Alison Kelly from the Unison Group (alison.j.kelly@hotmail.co.uk)

GUDE CAUSE HITS THE FRINGE!

What Women Want

Diverse Attractions, Riddles Court, 322 Lawnmarket 17

Tickets £9.00 conc. £7.00 from Fringe Box Office

Citadel Arts Group and WEA.

The suffragettes changed Scotland. From Princes Street to the trenches, they fought for the vote. Fire-raisers, sweethearts, doctors, daughters and housemaids seek the vote in the humorous, musical, moving tribute to years of struggle for equality.

Votes for Women: The Women’s Suffrage movement in Edinburgh

Exhibition at Museum of Edinburgh, 142 Canongate, Edinburgh, tel: 0131 529 4143, 31July 2009 -January 2010, Monday – Saturday 10am – 5pm, Sunday 2 -5 during the International Festival, Admission Free (unfortunately there is no wheelchair access)

One hundred years ago, no women and not every man had the right to vote for a Member of Parliament. Using images, original artefacts and eye-witness accounts,

this exhibition tells the story of the struggle to win the vote for women, from the mid-19 century to 1928, when the right to vote was finally achieved. The exhibition is a contribution to the Gude Cause, a programme of events leading up to a re-enactment of the Edinburgh Procession and Women’s Demonstration of the 9 October 1909.

You will find out about Bessie Watson, who was nine years old when she played the bagpipes in the 1909 Procession, and see the scarf of the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) she wore on that day. You will meet Nannie Brown who walked 400 miles from Edinburgh to London, with other members of the Women’s Freedom League (WFL), to collect signatures for a petition to the Prime Minister. You will learn about the women who campaigned, went on hunger strike endured forcible feeding for the ‘gude cause’..Free talks and Workshops at the Museum of Edinburgh. To book your place call Margaret Findlay on 0131 529 3963.

Saturday 5 September, 10.30 am-12.30 pm repeated again 1.30 pm-3.30 pm

Make a suffragette sash to wear at the Procession on 10 October 2009. With Tessa Asquith-Lamb. Suitable for older children and adults

The suffragettes wore sashes to get their message across, and decorated them in the suffragette colours of green, white and violet. Come along and make your own colourful sash, using a variety of beautiful fabrics and ribbons, and spell out your own message to wear with pride.

Tuesday 1 September 2 pm

Illustrated talk with Tiana Sidey, researcher ‘Scottish Suffragists, a brief look at the background to the women’s suffrage movement in Scotland, illustrated through the lives of some Edinburgh women’.

Saturday 24 October

Story telling workshop with Beth Cross, Storyteller. All ages and families

10.30 am-12.30 pm repeated again 1.30 pm-3.30 pm. ‘Afternoon Tea with Bessie Watson’

The story of how women’s right to vote was won features the narratives of many different women, men…and children! Come and learn about the lives, friendships

and inspiration of those who changed the face of British citizenship. At the end, you’ll have a chance to put lace, ribbon and tea doilies to your own ingenious use, drawing on the inspiration of the museum’s exhibition.

Monday 26 October

Story Telling Workshop ‘Paths to Persuasion’ with Beth Cross

10.30 am-12.30 pm and repeated again 1.30 pm-3.30 pm. All ages and families

During the campaign for women’s right to vote, women and men tried many different ways to make their point. Peaceful, forceful or violent, hear the stories of the paths they chose and decide for yourself the best way to have your say. Using the inspiration of the exhibition, this session will explore the dedicated and imaginative efforts of those working for women’s right to vote. At the end of the workshop you will have the chance to make your own point – and wear it home.

Thursday 12 November 2 pm

Illustrated talk -’Women and the struggle for equality’. Helen Kay will focus her talk on the suffragist and campaigner for peace, Chrystal Macmillan and examine the aims and activities of the Gude Cause. Helen Kay is a member of Gude Cause and Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom

Thursday 19 November 2 pm

Illustrated talk – ‘For God and Home and Every Land’: Scottish-American connections in the suffrage and temperance movements c1870-1914 with Dr Megan Smitley, researcher.

The Scottish suffrage movement mobilised the participation of a wide range of women’s organisations. In this talk, the significance of temperance women’s suffragism is highlighted through an exploration of connections with North American feminism. Megan will be signing copies of her newly published book – The feminine public sphere: middle-class women and civic life in Scotland, c1870-1914.

Thursday 3 December

‘Wearing the Colours – Jewellery and the women’s suffrage movement’. 2 pm illustrated talk Dr. Elizabeth Goring Principal Curator at the National Museums Scotland until 2008.

Two related talks will be at Lauriston Castle and are part of the Lauriston Lectures 2009. There is an £8 charge which includes a tour of the castle and refreshments. To book your place call Margaret Findlay on 0131 529 3963.

Tuesday 6 October 10.30 am

A Gude Cause Maks a Strong Arm

An illustrated talk that will recall the 1909 procession and stories of some eminent suffrage campaigners in Edinburgh.

Lesley Orr, Women’s History Scotland, Wednesday 6 October 10.30 am

Ladies in Debate – how a Victorian Book Group became a nursery for Women’s Rights Activists.

Sian Reynolds former professor of Stirling University is an independent curator, writer and lecturer and was a

Film at the Filmhouse

4 films telling the stories of women’s activism:

4th October at 1.00 pm at the Filmhouse

Red Skirts on Clydeside

Ethel Moorhead

The work they say is mine

A special screening for Gude Cause of films telling the stories of women’s activism. There will be a brief introduction to the programme and a discussion session at the end

RED SKIRTS ON CLYDESIDE

A documentary which looks at the process of rediscovering women’s history using the 1915 Glasgow rent strike as a focal point. The rent strike, which took place during the First World War, was a protest against Glasgow landlords who were exploiting the war situation. The women of the tenements and the Glasgow Women’s Housing Association, including Jean Ferguson, organised a vigorous protest which forced the Government to take action. The film celebrates this victory and presents for discussion some of the problems in attempting to rediscover women’s past achievements.

Mary Barbour and Helen Crawford,

Dir: Jenny Woodley, Christine Bellamy. Prod: Sheffield Film Co-op. 1984.

ETHEL MOORHEAD

Ethel Moorhead was the first suffragette to be force-fed in a Scottish prison. She was imprisoned in Calton Jail, Edinburgh, for attempted fire-raising. She was hurriedly released, after developing double pneumonia as a result of being forced to eat. Film-maker Mary Gordon reveals her struggles. She symbolically smashed the glass case to the Wallace Sword in 1912 in the first militant action by any Scottish suffragette. Inspired by the uncompromising example of Scottish freedom-fighter, William Wallace, she wanted to let other women know that if they wanted the vote then they’d have to fight for it.

Dir Mary Gordon. 1995.

THE WORK THEY SAY IS MINE

This film celebrates women’s central role in the past and present of Shetland life. Interviews, dramatisation, fantasy, music and songs written and performed by local women are textured and woven together to form a montage of women’s lives as intricate and colourful as the knitting for which the islands are famous. Crofting, fishing and knitting are all part of their lives’ rich tapestry. The film presents and represents the enormous contributions of women to the work, heritage, culture and spirit of the islands.

Dir. Rosie Gibson

Edinburgh: Chrystal and the General

8 th & 9th October at 7.00 pm

At the Scottish Storytelling Centre. A piece of interactive story telling about Flora Drummond and Chrystal Macmillan. Performed by Suzanne Dance and Clunie Mackenzie; scripted by them with Jo Clifford. In memory of Sue Innes.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT GUDE CAUSE

gudecause@peaceandjustice.org.uk

Everyone is very welcome to some along, please contact the person listed if you are intending to come along so we can organise enough materials, teas and coffees etc.

Glasgow – Sat 15th August, 12-5pm
                  Unison offices
                  18 Albion Street, Glasgow

        Please email Valerie Wright V.Wright@dundee.ac.uk

Everyone is very welcome to some along, please contact the person listed if you are intending to come along so we can organise enough materials, teas and coffees etc.

Dundee – Thur 20th August, 5.30-8

      Unit 9, Manhatten Business Park

    Dundonald Street

    Dundee

    DD3 7PY

Please email Christine Lowden   ChristineLowden@number10.org

July 2009

AN INVITATION TO JOIN THE PROCESSION

Our Registration Form & General Information pack gives you all the information you need to sign your group up to take part in the procession and be part of this great day out. Forms are available to download from our website or if you would like us to send you a copy email or call Fiona Skillen at Gude Cause, gudecause@peaceandjustice.org.uk Telephone: 0131 229 0993

REMAKE THE LOST EDINBURGH BANNER

1.0 – 4.00 pm, Saturday 26th July

McDonald Road Library

A chance to re-create a bit of history. Gude Cause has been trying

unsuccessfully (so far) to locate the whereabouts of the original Edinburgh Banner from the 1909 procession. However, we have photographs and on 26th July we will remake a banner for Edinburgh based on the original design. Please come along and join in the fun. To book a place contact marylou anderson

VOTES FOR WOMEN

The Women’s Suffrage Movement in Edinburgh

31 July 2009 – 9 January 2010

Museum of Edinburgh

Huntly House, 142 Canongate,

Royal Mile, Edinburgh

This exhibition charts the long struggle to win the vote which was eventually granted to all women in 1928. At the height of the campaign to win the vote, a grand historical pageant was held in Edinburgh in October 1909. A re-enactment will take place on 10 October 2009 and this exhibition is being staged to complement this event. The exhibition examines the Women’s Suffrage Movement in Edinburgh and will include photos and artefacts from that period.

FESTIVAL OF POLITICS

A Gude Cause – Women, Peace and Scottish Politics

17.30 (18.30) Committee Room 1 FREE but ticketed (book in advance)

October 1909 witnessed a ‘grand pageant’ for women’s suffrage, in Edinburgh’s Princes Street. With reduced female representation in the Scottish Parliament, Gude Cause has been formed to re-enact the event and inspire renewed action for gender equality. Here an expert panel discuss how devolution can continue to improve the position of Scottish women, and bring less confrontational politics, as favoured by early suffragists such as Chrystal McMillan

Book A Gude Cause – Women, Peace and Scottish Politics online

GLASGOW GROUP

The next meeting of the Glasgow Group will be held on Thursday 6 August, 5pm, in the Unison offices, 18 Albion Street. For further info please see the Glasgow Section of the Website or contact Valerie Wright V.Wright@dundee.ac.uk

Get in touch……….

Tell us about your events and activities and we will highlight them in our ebulletin and on our website. For further information on any of the above, or to make a donation or discuss your ideas email

gudecause@peaceandjustice.org.uk or call 0131 229 0993 or visit our website www.gudecause.co.uk

Glasgow

‘Still We Rise’ (Glasgow’s 16 days choir) will be hosting a singing workshop on Tuesday 7th July – 7- 9pm for Gude Cause.  The workshop will be to learn the songs for the march in Edinburgh on 10th October. It is a women only workshop, but there will be other workshops for men who want to take part.  The workshop is open to any choirs or individuals who want to be involved and it is open to anyone with singing ability or none! 

If you are interested in attending please let Caterina O’Connor know by Sunday 5th July.  You can email on caterina.ggtc@btconnect.com or telephone/text on 07852962443.  Information will then be provided about the location of the workshop and how to download the singing sheets for the event.

Votes for Women

Competition for

Edinburgh schools

The competition is organised by the Equality Committee, Edinburgh Local Association, Educational Institute of Scotland www.edinburgheis.co.uk to commemorate the centenary of the October 1909 Women’s Suffrage Rally in Edinburgh.

The aim of the competition is to encourage pupils to learn more about the campaign for women’s suffrage and think about its contribution to widening democracy and its impact on women’s lives then and now. Entries will show creative and imaginative ways to represent that learning.

Entries may use any medium e.g writing in any form; art work of any sort; IT – web page, film, power point; music.

There will be 3 age categories and individual and group sections in all three. (P6/7 S1-3 S4-6)

The winning individual entrant in each age category will be awarded £100 for the entrant and £100 for the school.

The winning group entry in each category will be awarded £200 for their school.

There is no limit to the number of entries a school may send in, and no upper limit to the size of a group making an entry. Please note, that although care will be taken, Edinburgh EIS cannot accept responsibility for valuable objects or artworks constituting or forming part of entries.Winners will be invited to an awards ceremony to receive their prizes and there will be an exhibition of all entries.

Download EIS Leaflet

Download EIS Entry Form

The EIS Art Competition

In conjunction with Gude Cause, the EIS are sponsoring an arts competition for school-aged children in Edinburgh.

‘The aim of the competition is to encourage pupils to learn more about the campaign for women’s suffrage and think about its contribution to widening democracy and its impact on women’s lives then and now. Entries will show creative and imaginative ways to represent that learning. 

Entries may use any medium e.g writing in any form; art work of any sort; IT – web page, film, power point; music.

There will be 3 age categories and individual and group sections in all three.

The winning individual entrant in each age category will be awarded £100 for the entrant and £100 for the school.  The winning group entry in each category will be awarded £200 for their school.’ 

More information available: www.edinburgheis.co.uk

Visits and Talks

Gude Cause had a stall at the The City Centre Neighbourhood Partnership community event at the Assembly Rooms on Thursday 4th June 09, showing photographs and press report of the original 1909 procession.  Several women signed up to receive the Gude Cause ebulletin.

In Glasgow

Glasgow Group had a really productive meeting with lots great ideas and suggestions for getting involved in Gude Cause.   It is hoped that this will be the first of many meetings with a provisional date for the next meeting of Thursday 9th July, 6pm, Unison Offices, Albion Street.  We will post the date on the Gude Cause website when it is confirmed. If you would like information about the Glasgow Group please email Valerie Wright V.Wright@dundee.ac.uk or check for updates on the Glasgow page of the Gude Cause Website.

In Edinburgh

Lesley Orr gave a talk about Gude Cause for the Young at Heart group on Friday 5 June at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre.

Helen Kay spoke about Gude Cause to the Jubilee Group on Monday 8 June at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre.   The talk inspired lots of discussion about the tensions, past and present, between women’s role in the family and in the workplace.

Lothian Women’s Forum & Protest in Harmony

Songs of the Edinburgh Procession Workshop

Thursday 11 June 2009, 7.00pm-9.00pm

Room 1, Riddle’s Court, 322 Lawnmarket, Edinburgh

With Jane Lewis and Penny Stone

Song leaders with Protest in Harmony

In support of Gude Cause, the WEA Lothian Women’s Forum and Protest in Harmony are holding a song workshop for people to learn the Gude Cause Procession Songs.  These 8 songs will be sung by people taking part in the re-enactment of the Procession on 10^th October, and

those turning out to cheer them on.  To book a place fill in the registration form on the Gude Cause events page.

The radical singing group Protest in Harmony (www.protestinharmony.org.uk) has been researching songs of suffrage and writing new lyrics and songs celebrating women’s activism.   

The Procession

Registration forms are just about ready for release and will be sent out by email to those on our mailing list and available to download from our website.    It is important that all groups register in advance and we would appreciate registration from individuals so that we can gauge attendance and organise adequate stewarding.

Festival of Politics

Friday 21 August, at 5.30pm in Committee Room 1
Chaired by Sarah Boyack with panel including Elspeth King and Joyce McMillan and other prominent feminists to be announced.
Gude Cause was launched to give a history lesson on the street, and to inspire renewed action on gender equality issues. Female representation has fallen in the Scottish Parliament since the first elections in 1999.    Despite this, devolution can and is improving the position of women in Scotland, leading to a more pragmatic, less confrontational style of politics, as favoured by Chrystal Macmillan and early suffragist founders of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.

What Women Want

WEA play about events leading up to and immediately following the procession, had its first airing at Riddles Court, where the first public reading was warmly received by a full house. Feedback forms were provided and will be used to fine tune the work in time for the Festival. There is still opportunity to get involved is costume making at Riddles Court. Email Liz Hare for details ( lizhare@blueyonder.co.uk ).

Banner-making

Two new banners were designed at the Bannermaking workshop run by Iyaah Warren on Saturday 30^th May The Gude Cause banner takes its inspiration from the original Gude Cause

 banner from the 1909 march and the second banner takes ‘THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES’ as its main message.    Thanks to £1,000 funding awarded by Community Chest fund Gude Cause are able to support further bannermaking workshops across Scotland.  Check the Gude Cause website for details and photos (www.gudecause.org.uk).

More Bannermaking Workshops …

Gude Cause will be holding monthly themed Banner making workshops in the lead up to the procession at McDonald Road Library.  The next one takes place from 1-3 pm on Sunday 14^th

June.  The theme will be to remake or create a modernisation of the original Edinburgh Banner (the one that’s lost). We have images of it and we can stick to the original design or give it a contemporary twist.
July’s theme has yet to be decided.  A spray painting workshop for girls and young women will be held in August and individual banners/pennants workshop planned for September. 

Ways of Seeing

National Museums Scotland are working with Ways of Seeing, to research the history of the struggle for voting rights for women.  Ways of Seeing are a group of mature female adult learners from Pilton and Granton in Edinburgh, supported by the City of Edinburgh Council’s Children & Family Department.  They hope to use the Museum’s collections to explore women’s identity in society and their role in the family.  The project will be documented through audio, photography and film recordings with a final, short film shown at the National Museum of Scotland and North Edinburgh Arts Centre in October 2009.

Quilting Exhibition

Sarah Boyack MSP has very kindly agreed to host an exhibition of the quilts created to commemorate the event.  Better still she has even offered to add her own square.  We now have almost fifty squares with more arriving daily.  There is still time to make sure that your design is part of the quilt. Visit our website for full instructions. 

Music

To see words and hear parts for songs to be sung on the procession see forthcoming link on Gude Cause website or go directly to www.protestinharmony.org.uk  The songs will be on the website very soon!

Get in touch …

Tell us about your events and activities and we will highlight them in our ebulletin and on our website.  For further information on any of the above, or to make a donation or discuss your ideas email gudecause@peaceandjustice.org.uk or call 0131 229 0993 or visit our website www.gudecause.co.uk

GLASGOW GROUP

The next meeting of the Glasgow Group will be held on Thursday 6 August, 5pm, in the Unison offices, 18 Albion Street. For further info please contact Valerie Wright V.Wright@dundee.ac.uk

Thursday 9th July

6pm Unison, 18 Albion Street

Following on from our successful meeting on 6th June we will be gathering again on the 9th to discuss&organise  future events for the Glasgow Group as well as ideas about how we can contribute to the October Procession.

Everyone is very welcome, please invite friends, colleagues etc. For further info or to be added to our group mailing list please contact Valerie, V.Wright@dundee.ac.uk