Edinburgh Peace and Justice Resource Centre

GUDE CAUSE
e-bulletin & Update
March 2009

GUDE CAUSE QUILTING PROJECT – Our first Squares
Need some inspiration or support to get started or want to meet up with other quilters – join the quilting bee from 6-9pm at Engender, on one of the following dates. All welcome! There are "instructional sheets" to get you started available on our website www.gudecause.org.uk
Mon 6 April
Mon 4 May
Mon 1 June

What’s been happening ………..
 
Gude Cause Fundraising Concert
Gude Cause celebrated International Women’s Day with a fundraising concert on Sunday 8 March. A wonderful night packed full of inspiring women singers and musicians. Many thanks to all who took part and gave their time and talents freely. Special thanks to the organizers who pulled together what was an inspirational evening.  Not only was the event successful in bringing women together, it also raised £400.

Visits and talks
March was a busy month with Gude Cause being invited to take part in events and hold stalls at International Women’s Day events.
Helen Kay attended North Edinburgh Arts IWD event where women took an interest in the display of suffrage posters and photographs of the Edinburgh Suffrage Procession of 1909.   There were several inspiring and worthwhile workshops but Helen was particularly pleased to see so many women taking an interest in the quilt-making project.  
Susan Moffat attended the East Lothian’s IWD event remembering the Women Suffragettes of East Lothian with a full programme of speakers, banner making, and conversations with East Lothian Women activists, a sing a long and Victorian style café.
Lesley Orr attended the Kirkcaldy for IWD celebration organised by Kirkcaldy & District TUC.

Support
Gude Cause have received a grant to produce a 'Toolkit' of information and ideas to inspire women and groups to get started and set up their own local Gude Cause activities. We welcome any suggestions and examples of good work to include in the toolkit.

We were also successful in being awarded £3,005 from Women’s Fund for Scotland which allows us to appoint a much needed freelance part-time administrator.

Our first booking
A group of around thirty from the Communication Worker's Union HQ in Wimbledon have booked their place on the process. They will be in attending a union meeting in Edinburgh on the Friday and are staying on for the procession on Saturday. They will be coming with banners!

……………….. apart from that discussions continue with CEC on the proposed route for the procession ………………..

SONGS FOR THE PROCESSION
Protest in Harmony are working on a collection of songs and music to be sung on the procession. You will be able to download words and music from Gude Cause and Protest in Harmony websites in May and they will be circulated to community/political choirs throughout the UK. A songbook is also being printed and song workshops in Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow are in the planning, details to follow.

The songs are:
1.The Right to Vote and a’ That - from time of 1909
2.Rosa’s Lovely Daughters - Rob Johnson
3.We are Remembering – Penny Stone
4.Bella Ciao – Greenham version
5.Gude Cause – Jane Lewis
6.Nana was a Suffragette – Jules Gibb
7.The Wimmin o’ Dundee – Sheena Wellington
8.Aint Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Round - ?

Workshops and events coming up
WEA Edinburgh have organised three arts based courses:
'Get Involved in Gude Cause through the Arts '.
Jewellery Making with Leah Bastiani- Mondays 7- 9pm - Drummond Community High School from 27th April for 6 weeks (£10 contribution for materials)
Banner Making with Iyaah Warren -Tuesdays 7-9pm Riddles Court 6 weeks from 28th April - aim is to make a wall hanging as a centre piece for the Museum of Edinburgh Suffrage Exhibition . (free).
Theatre Costume Workshop with Rebecca Roosman - Thursdays 10am to 12noon from 30th April for 10 weeks at Riddle’s Court. To research & design costume for the play WEA are preparing. (free)
To book a place contact: k.turner@weascotland.org.uk

VOTES FOR WOMEN
The Women's Suffrage Movement in Edinburgh
31 July 1909 to January 9th 2010 Museum of Edinburgh 142 Canongate EH8 8DD
Votes for Women will look at the contribution Women in Edinburgh made to the Suffrage Movement, it will also include a display of Suffrage Jewellery.

LAURISTON LECTURES 2009
Tuesday 6th October 10.30 am,
Laurieston Castle
Lesley Orr, Women’s History Scotland will give an illustrated talk that will recall the 1909 procession and the stories of some eminent suffrage campaigners in Edinburgh featured in the Biographical Dictionary of Scottish Women. Among them were pioneer doctors, educationalists, churchwomen and campaigners for social justice.
The Biographical Dictionary of Scottish Women is a very good resource and basis for information and potential talks about women involved in the suffrage movement in Scotland.

Get in touch……….
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 and ask for Gude Cause

Pass it on …………

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