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Tutors: Chad Goodwin; Paul Cunningham; Roseanne Hurst; Margaret Todd and Siobhan O’Connor
Course Overview
Radical Norwich
How some Norfolk folk ‘did different’ and made a difference…
In this programme of five seminars five experienced and enthusiastic tutors will introduce us to some Norfolk and Norwich citizens who have, over the centuries, made Norwich a centre for radical ideas and actions.
Covering Kett’s Rebellion; Trade Unions and the Norwich shoe trade; Radical Women, the inter-war development of public housing; and the campaigns of the Common Lot.
Session 1 Feb 24th –
Kett’s Rebellion Tutor: Chad Goodwin
Kett’s Rebellion is an immensely important event in English history – it’s significance reaches far beyond Norfolk. During the “commotion time” of the early 16th century, there were many disturbances throughout lowland England, but by far the biggest was that led by Robert Kett. The principal issue was that of commoners feeling desperate to preserve their rights against enclosing landowners. But the landowners only had one response – the uprising had to be put down – brutally.
Chad Goodwin: After several years as a museum curator, Chad began as a tutor in lifelong learning nearly 30 years ago. Teaching both landscape history, and radical history gives him a special viewpoint upon issues concerning inequalities in land ownership and the struggles arising from that.
Session 2 March 3rd –
The Norwich Boot and Shoe Union 1890s-1970s: Cooperation or collaboration?
Tutor Paul Cunningham –
The footwear industry was the biggest employer in Norwich for much of the 19th and 20th centuries. For most of that time, the workforce was organised in a trade union that aspired to represent the interests of those workers. This session will look at the approach adopted by the footwear union, while outlining the fortunes of the Norwich industry over that period. It will consider the union’s influence on the wider Norfolk Labour movement, together with the political consequences of the gender structured nature of employment in the footwear industry.
After a career in HMSO, Paul taught at City College Norwich, specialising in employment relations. Paul has also been an active Trade Unionist and was President of Norwich Trades Union Council in the 1980s. He has an interest in local Labour politics and history: his PhD dissertation concerned unemployment in Norwich in the 1930s.
Session 3 March 10th –
Radical Women tutor Roseanne Hurst –
The course will be dedicated to the radical women of Norwich and the wider Norfolk area spanning the 19th and 20th century. We will look at the impact of key figures such as Harriet Martineau, Elizabeth Fry and Dorothy Jewson.
Roseanne is a doctoral researcher in American Studies at the University of East Anglia,. With a Master’s in Social and Cultural History from the University of Leeds and a History degree from Sheffield Hallam University, their work has spanned women’s lives in 1960s Barnsley to self-presentation politics in 1960s Britain and America.
Session 4 March 17th - Margaret Todd –
How Public Housing Came to Norwich tutor Margaret Todd
Between 1920 and1935, Norwich Corporation built 5,000 houses, in stark contrast to its inertia before the First World War. What is more, its first large estate was an architect designed model example of garden city development. In this session, we will look at what changed and who made it happen.
Valpy Avenue “ghost image” of Mary Jacobs.
Susan McClarence
Session 5 March 24th
The Common Lot Tutor Siobhan O’Connor
For the past ten years The Common Lot has been making theatre for, with and about the people of Norwich. Their original productions focus on celebrating stories of rebellion, resistance and resilience: 1549 the story of Kett’s rebellion; Come Yew In – A Proud History of Strangers in Norwich; All Mouth No Trousers – radical Norfolk women; Anglia Square A Love Story; The Great Estate – 100 years of Mile Cross; Mousehold to The Marsh – it’s in our nature. Through text, song and story we’ll examine theatre as social activism and consider how history and heritage can inspire radical actions in the twenty first century.
Lessons:
