THIS exciting new event emerges from growing conversations about making arts accessible and representative of working-class communities’ creativity.

With backing from Manifesto Press, the Morning Star, the Young Communist League, Culture Matters and local Communist Party supporters, the Working Class Culture Festival (WCCF) offers a welcoming space for artistic expression often overlooked by mainstream venues.

“Too often, working-class people encounter barriers in the arts world,” notes Snelling. “We’re creating opportunities for communities to share their stories through different creative forms.”

The theme of the festival, of solidarity and collectivism in art, and of working class expression across the full range of art forms, is, notes Snelling, “an opportunity to promote the values of working-class art in opposition to imperialism and warmongering and postmodernism.”

A festival for everyone

Recognising that many struggle with rising costs of cultural events, and that tuition fees bar working-class youth from university, the WCCF presents three days of affordable workshops, performances and discussions, celebrating working-class cultural contributions.

• Friday September 5 begins at the popular Piehouse Co-op, a beloved community space in Deptford, showcasing emerging working-class artists followed by an evening of music with the Marxist student collective Discoteka.

• Saturday September 6 features thoughtful panel talks with cultural figures like Ben Lunn (composer and Workers Music Association secretary), alongside hands-on workshops in sculpture, zine-making and bookbinding. Panellists were drawn from an oversubscribed “open selection” and include performance artists, poets, film-makers and much besides. The day includes a special screening of Comrade Tambo’s London Recruits, with director Gordon Main and local Recruit Steve Marsling sharing insights about this important historical moment, before an eclectic mix of live music including Jazz, Folk and Noise.

• Sunday September 7 at Cockpit Studios presents Bill Morrison’s moving film The Miner’s Hymns with a special video commentary from the director, alongside recognition for participating artists supported by Manifesto Press.

Building cultural connections

The festival aims to make arts participation more inclusive while honouring working-class creative traditions.

“We want to recognise how culture can bring people together and reflect our real, shared experiences,” explains Snelling.

“It’s about creating spaces where everyone feels their voice matters and where we can make art, which challenges oppression, injustice and exploitation.”

Organisers see the WCCF as building on the legacy of cultural movements like Red Wedge and the Pits and Perverts Movement of the Great Miners Strike, while responding to today’s creative needs.

“We’re excited to welcome everyone to this celebration of community talent,” Snelling adds. “Together, we can make something special.”

Tickets (£3-£10 for all three days) are available through Outsavvy (www.outsavvy.com), with flexibility for those facing financial barriers (contact wccf@un-orr.com).