The Power of Protest

Well done Act Up!

After they protested outside the Newham Council event this afternoon it seems as if the Council had a change of heart...  

In Act Up's words this is what happened:

"Act Up had a very successful campaign outside the Old Town Hall in Stratford this afternoon.  We held placards and handed out the leaflets to the people attending the event.

After one of the ticket holders to the event went and spoke on our behalf to the organisers two of us were invited in to hear an 'explanation' of what had happened.

We met with the manager of the Old Town Hall and the person that organised the community centres and who had emailed us on Monday to tell that our performance was cancelled. They apologised for what they called a 'fatal error' in the way they had dealt with the situation. They said that the play was not festive enough for a Christmas party and that, as it was a ticketed event, the visitors wouldn't have had a choice of whether they wanted to watch our play or not. We explained how hurt the members of Act Up were and how we all saw it as censorship of disabled people's stories, as that was what the play had been about. They said that it was not censorship, that they truly believed in free speech and that the only reason they had cancelled it was because it was not a Christmas play! We said, the way to prove to our members that they were not trying to censor our play was to provide us another opportunity to perform it in the New Year. They promised that they would do so and would get back to us with dates of upcoming council events that we could perform at in January. They also sought to reassure us that we could continue to rehearse in the community centre.

We are happy that we organised the protest, as if we hadn't, the council would have just thought they could get away with treating us so appallingly. We very much hope that the council will provide us with opportunity to perform Atos stories in the new year, but will only be reassured when they actually give us a date of an event at which we can perform."

So well done Act Up &well done Newham for doing the decent thing. We WILL be watching to make sure you live up to your promise!

Newham Comment on stopping Act Up performance

Newham Council have published the following on their website:

http://www.newham.gov.uk/News/2012/December/NewhamOver50sChristmasCelebrationandActUpTheatre.htm


"The event on Wednesday is an annual Christmas celebration for older residents in Newham. Act Up Theatre were asked to provide details of their proposed performance but this was not forthcoming. We do not consider political satire or potentially distressing material to be in keeping with the theme or tone of this event. Officers have therefore decided to cancel this element of what will be a festive and light hearted event. We have worked well in the past with Act Up Theatre and would hope to do so again."

We can understand that if this event is a jolly Christmas sing-song, Atos Stories might not have been quite right for it. However, it was Newham who invited Act Up, Newham who knew a month ago the play was about the difficulties disabled people face. Why then, did they decide at the last minute to cancel the performance? And isn't it just a tad patronising to think that a group of over 50's, many of whom may have have experience of Atos, wouldn't want to watch a political satire on the subject? Have Newham Council not noticed the satire in that most loved Christmas story - A Christmas Carol?

Newham Council conclude that they are willing to work with Act Up in future. If this is all a misunderstanding, as they seem to be implying, they can resolve the matter simply. All they need to do to show their support to Act Up, and the disabled people of Newham, is to invite the group to perform the play in the New Year. 

It would make their Christmas.

Atos Stories Cancelled!

The Atos Stories Collective is shocked to hear that Newham Council has this week cancelled the Act Up performance of Atos Stories which was due to take place on Wednesday

Act Up -  a small community theatre group, many of whom have disabilities - were invited by the Council to perform at the event. A month ago, the group provided background and logistical information about the play, and were advised the Council were happy for them to perform. They are devastated that the Council  has decided this week that  the play is not "suitable" for the target audience of the over 50's.

As Act Up have pointed out - many people over 50 have disabilities and have been subject to Atos assessments. Why would they be offended by a play that would give them an opportunity to both laugh at Atos and inspire them to work together to challenge the Work Capability Assessment?

We are deeply disappointed that despite having information about the play for over a month, Newham Council have not chosen to discuss this with Act Up until the 14th December. We are also disappointed that the Council hasn't stopped to consider the enormous barriers  Act Up have overcome to even perform the play. The group have been working hard for the last three months, they deserve to be treated with far more respect than this.

We wrote Atos Stories because we were mad at Atos. We wanted people with disabilities and without  to have vehicle to challenge the Work Capability Assessment in a creative and dramatic way. We thought Atos might stop that from happening. We never thought a local council would.

We understand Act Up will be lodging a complaint with Newham Council. We intend to do the same.

PS A clarification. It appears that one of the concerns is that the play isn't suitable for a festive occasion. If this is the case, why did Newham wait till a few days before to discuss this? And if the cancellation is solely on the grounds of the play not being Christmassy enough, perhaps they can offer Act Up a chance to perform on another occasion instead?

The Atos Christmas Carol Song Sheet

Tomorrow is International Day of the Disabled. Coincidentally the day that the government has chosen to make workfare mandatory for  people in the Work Related Activity Group. We imagine a few people will be wanting to protest about that. And we thought some Atos Christmas Carols might help keep everyone warm...

1. The first day of Christmas

The first day of Christmas,

Atos Healthcare stripped from me…

My sense of pride and my dignity

On the second day of Christmas,

Atos Healthcare stripped from me…

Two toilet rolls

My sense of pride and my dignity

On the third day of Christmas

Atos Healthcare stripped from me…

Three taxi fares

Two toilet rolls

My sense of pride and my dignity

On the fourth day of Christmas

Atos Healthcare stripped from me…

Four shopping trips

Three taxi fares

Two toilet rolls

My sense of pride and my dignity

On the fifth day of Christmas

Atos Healthcare stripped from me…

Five heating bills

Four shopping trips

Three taxi fares

Two toilet rolls

My sense of pride and my dignity

On the sixth day of Christmas,
Atos Healthcare stripped from me…
Six steaming showers
Five heating bills

Four shopping trips

Three taxi fares

Two toilet rolls

My sense of pride and my dignity

On the seventh day of Christmas,
Atos Healthcare stripped from me… 

Eight

Seven Christmas pressies
Six steaming showers
Five heating bills

Four shopping trips

Three taxi fares

Two toilet rolls

My sense of pride and my dignity

On the eighth day of Christmas,
Atos Healthcare stripped from me…
Eight cups of coffee

Seven Christmas pressies
Six steaming showers
Five heating bills

Four shopping trips

Three taxi fares

Two toilet rolls

My sense of pride and my dignity

On the ninth day of Christmas,
Atos Healthcare stripped from me… 

Nine nights of Strictly
Eight cups of coffee

Seven Christmas pressies
Six steaming showers
Five heating bills

Four shopping trips

Three taxi fares

Two toilet rolls

My sense of pride and my dignity

. 

On the tenth day of Christmas,
Atos Healthcare stripped from me… 

Ten lights alighting

Nine nights of Strictly
Eight cups of coffee

Seven Christmas pressies
Six steaming showers
Five heating bills

Four shopping trips

Three taxi fares

Two toilet rolls

My sense of pride and my dignity

On the eleventh day of Christmas,
Atos Healthcare stripped from me… 

Eleven pints of milk

Ten lights alighting

Nine nights of Strictly
Eight cups of coffee

Seven Christmas pressies
Six steaming showers
Five heating bills

Four shopping trips

Three taxi fares

Two toilet rolls

My sense of pride and my dignity

On the twelfth day of Christmas,
Atos Healthcare stripped from me… 

Twelve decent meals

Eleven pints of milk

Ten lights alighting

Nine nights of Strictly
Eight cups of coffee

Seven Christmas pressies
Six steaming showers
Five heating bills

Four shopping trips

Three taxi fares

Two toilet rolls

My sense of pride and my dignity

2. Good King Atos

Good King Atos he looked out

On the feast of Stephen
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
struggling with his fuel

"Hither, page, and stand by me
If thou know'st it, telling
Yonder claimant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?"
"Sire, he lives a good league hence
Underneath the mountain
Right against the forest fence
By Saint Agnes' fountain."

"Bring my laptop, bring my pens
Tell him to come hither
Thou and I will question him
When we bear him thither."

Page and monarch went upstairs
Up they went together
Ignoring  claimant’s wild lament
And the bitter weather

"Sire, the stairs are too steep now
I can go no longer

Fails my heart, I know not how,
I wish that I was  stronger."
"My laptop tells me different son.

No points means you are fit now

So go and get yourself a job

Quick get on with it now”

So the claimant left the house
Too tired to make a protest
Weak and ill and failing fast
he lay in the snow to rest
Therefore, Christian men, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing
Ye who do not bless the poor
Won’t yourselves find blessing 

3. The First Nowell

The First Nowell

The First Nowell, Atos Healthcare did say

To certain poor claimants in beds where they lay

Their legs where they lay, too painful  to sleep

On a cold winter’s night that was so deep 

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel

You’ve done our assessment & now you are well

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel

You’re fit for work now so go out and sell

They looked up and saw a star

Shining in the East beyond them far

And to the earth  it shone a great light 

On so many jobs it was quite a sight

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel

You’ve done our assessment & now you are well

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel

You’re fit for work now so go out and sell

And by the light of that same star

Three Wise men came from workplaces far

To get work fare slaves was their intent

So they followed that star whereever it went

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel

You’ve done our assessment & now you are well

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel

You’re fit for work now so go out and sell

The star drew nigh to the northwest
O'er the DWP it took its rest

And there it did both pause and stay

Right o'er the place where IDS lay

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel

You’ve done our assessment & now you are well

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel

You’re fit for work now so go out and sell

Then entered in those Wise men three

Full reverently upon their knee

And offered to his gov-ern-ment

Places to work without payment

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel

You’ve done our assessment & now you are well

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel

You’re fit for work now so go out and sell

Then let us all with one accord

Sing praises to our Heavenly Lord

That hath made health and wealth of nought

And with their blood, disabled people has bought

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel

You’ve done our assessment & now you are well

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel

You’re fit for work now so go out and sell

4. God Rest ye Merry Gentleman

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,
let nothing ye dismay,
For Atos your good saviour
will take your pains away,
And force you down to Tesco
To work till Christmas Day

Oh Tidings of Comfort and Joy, Comfort and Joy

Oh Tidings of Comfort and Joy.

"Fear not then" said his Angel

"Let nothing you affright.

This day is born a Saviour

Who'll make your life all right

To free all those who trust in Him

From Welfare's power and might

Oh Tidings of Comfort and Joy, Comfort and Joy

Oh Tidings of Comfort and Joy.

Now to the Lord sing praises,
All you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace
This holy tide of welfare free;
All other does embrace

Oh Tidings of Comfort and Joy, Comfort and Joy

Oh Tidings of Comfort and Joy.

(with thanks to the Atos Miracles FB guys)