Events

25-28 April MADRID/JARAMA  – The North West Trade Union International Committee (NWTUIC) is running a Spanish Civil War study tour to Madrid and Jarama. It will be held from Thursday 25 April to Saturday 27 April. There is a fee of £60 for the programme in Spain. Delegates to make own arrangements for accommodation and travel. IBMT members and supporters welcome. Further details from IBMT member Kevan Nelson.

26 April BELFAST – May Day / ‘Peace on Earth’ event marking the 87th anniversary of the bombing on Guernica; organised by the International Brigade Commemoration Committee; 7.30pm at The Black Box, 18-22 Hill Street, Belfast BT1 2LA; with Joe Solo and Teknopeasant; tickets £7 (£3.50 unwaged); contact Lynda Walker for more information.

26 April MIDDLESBROUGH – Relatives of the Teesside volunteers and supporters will meet in Middlesbrough to mark the 40th Anniversary of the dedication of the Teesside International Brigade memorial. Event organised by IBMT-affiliated North East Volunteers for Liberty. Chapel, 16 Whitehouse Street, Middlesbrough TS5 4BY. Start time: 4.30pm. More info online.

26 April ONLINE – Drunk Muse Press and Bob Beagrie are hosting the virtual launch of 'Romanceros, Poems inspired by the Spanish Civil War'. Time: 7pm. Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes. Reserve your spot.

27 April BILLINGHAM – First Billingham Brigaders parade to be held to mark the contribution made by Billingham's volunteers for liberty. From 3pm. The Green, Billingham, Stockton-on-Tees TS23 1ER. Event organised by IBMT-affiliated North East Volunteers for Liberty. More info online.

28 April STOCKTON-ON-TEES – Event to mark the attack on Guernica and the 40th anniversary of the first dedication of the Teesside International Brigade memorial, featuring the laying of a single white flower and the reading of a poem from Bob Beagrie's Romanceros collection. From 11am at The Wasp's Nest. More info on Facebook. The event will be followed by a short commemoration at the Golden Smog Warriors game, which will tip-off at 1pm.

3 May MIDDLESBROUGH – Dr Bob Beagrie introduces 'Romanceros', a collection of 35 poems, which will be published on 26  April by Drunk Muse Press, a radical Scottish publisher. Bob will be joined by local poets who will also share their work. Event organised by North East Volunteers for Liberty. Start time: 7pm at The Chapel, 16 Whitehouse Street, Middlesbrough TS5 4BY. More information available online.

18 May EASTBOURNE – A multi-media presentation on Sussex and the Spanish Civil War with historic cine footage and live music from Robb Johnson and Jon Mason. Time: 7pm - 10pm; Grove Theatre, Grove Road, Eastbourne BN21 4TL. Tickets are available on Eventbrite.

May/June RICHMOND/YORK/SALISBURY – A touring production of Laurie Lee's life, told in his own words and music. Lee's words are spoken by two renowned actors Anton Lesser and Charlie Hamblett.  The story is interspersed with English pastoral music by the Orchestra of the Swan (David Page) and with Spanish guitar pieces played by Mark Ashford. Venues and dates announced so far include Richmond on 19 May, York on 26 May and Salisbury on 7 June with more dates to follow. Book online: Richmond and York or Salisbury. Image: Homer Sykes.

1 June ONLINE – The FFALB (Friends & Family of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade) book group will discuss 'Picasso’s War: The Destruction of Guernica and the Masterpiece That Changed the World' by Russell Martin; 9pm British Summer Time on Saturday 1 June. All invited. Contact Nancy Wallach for more information and Zoom link. Some articles about Guernica from The Volunteer:
Art Opposes Injustice: Picasso’s Guernica – For Life by DOROTHY KOPPELMAN
Guernica and Guernica in British and American Poetry by ELENA CUETO ASÍN
Next Stop: Guernica by JAMES D FERNÁNDEZ and SOLEDAD FOX
Stars and Mercury: On the Homage to the 1937 Pavilion by MARSHALL MATEER

6 July LONDON – Music, words and wreath-laying from 1pm-2pm to honour the International Brigades at the national International Brigade Memorial on the South Bank in Jubilee Gardens, Belvedere Road, London SE1 7PG. Contact IBMT Secretary.

27-29 September BERLIN – International annual meeting of the KFSR (Kämpfer und Freunde der Spanischen Republik), the IBMT’s sister organisation in Germany. This year’s conference will focus on the XIV International Brigade, in which the French volunteers in particular fought. More details to come; see KFSR webpage to check updates.