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A Magazine for Sheffield

Festival of Debate: The Debate Goes On

As we write, the Autumn season of Festival of Debate has kicked off, with a couple of events under our collective belts. But throughout October and November there are almost 40 events in the programme, from big name speakers to film screenings, and even a Tax Dodger's Tour of Fargate. Yes, you are right to be intrigued. We are too. Aside from the events listed on this page, we are really excited by the whole programme. If you're filling in your diary with dates for November, don't miss Dr Genevieve LeBaron (Wed 2 Nov, Workstation) talking about the corporatisation of activism, The Church of Jim (9-12 Nov, Theatre Deli, see page 27 for more on that), and Grayson Perry: Typical Man in a Dress (Thu 10 Nov, City Hall). We will give you one more update in the November issue of Now Then, but for now if you want to see the Autumn programme in full, get yourself over to festivalofdebate.com or pick up a brightly-coloured brochure from town. Please get in touch if you have ideas for how the festival could be improved, if you want to host an event with us, or if you want to volunteer your time to make it happen. MELISSA BENN Fri 14 Oct | 7-8:30pm | The Diamond (LT3) | £7/£6 In association with Off The Shelf Festival of Words After the shock of Brexit, the renewal of a Tory mandate and upheaval in the Labour Party, what hope can we salvage from events of the past year? Melissa Benn, novelist, commentator and campaigner, discusses the state we’re in. Link THE TAX DODGER’S GUIDE TO FARGATE Sat 15 Oct | 1pm | Fargate (meet at Cathedral) | Free Join personal tax advisors, Dodge & Co, on a walk down Sheffield’s Fargate. Learn how to dodge tax like the big boys. Visit the shops, banks and services profiting from the little people’s wages while reducing their own taxes and be inspired by these market leaders in tax avoidance. Free (tax deductible). 45 minutes. Meet on the Cathedral forecourt. No booking necessary. A BETTER SHEFFIELD: THE OUTDOOR CITY Wed 19 Oct | 5:30pm | Workstation Creative Lounge | £4/£1 The second in a series of events spotlighting a new wave of activists building local economies and making the most of Sheffield’s great outdoors. Link NIGHTSTOP SOUTH YORKSHIRE PRESENTS STUART: A LIFE BACKWARDS Thu 20 Oct | 7pm | Regather Works | £3.50 A screening of the iconic film starring the young Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hardy which explores the reasons people become homeless, followed by a Q&A with Nightstop South Yorkshire and scheme participants. Link THE IMPORTANCE OF VOICE IN THE ROMA COMMUNITY Tue 25 Oct | 7pm | PACA | Free An event to bring people together to discuss the impact of the Sheffield Roma Network and how the Roma people understand ‘fairness’ and the challenges of inequality in Sheffield. What does the future hold for the Roma community and how best to realise it? Link FORGING FAIRNESS IN FIR VALE Wed 26 Oct | 7-9pm | St Cuthbert’s Church | Free Sheffield is currently developing its notion of being a ‘Fair City’, but how could this impact on an local area like Page Hall and how could Page Hall play an active part in creating a fairer city? This debate will explore ways that Page Hall can lead the way in creating a fairer city or whether some areas are destined to remain ‘deprived’. Link JOHN PILGER Thu 27 Oct | 7:30pm | Crucible Theatre | £10/£9 Part of Off The Shelf Festival of Words John Pilger is one of the world’s best-known investigative journalists and documentary filmmakers. At this talk with extended audience Q&A, John will talk about the updated version of his 2001 book, The New Rulers of the World. Link MARTHA SPURRIER Thu 3 Nov | 7-8pm | Quaker Meeting House | £4 The new Director at independent human rights organisation Liberty, and a passionate defender of the rights of women, children and disabled people, Martha Spurrier has organised campaigns opposing cuts to legal aid and the scrapping of the Human Rights Act. Link DUTY OF CARE: A PLAY ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE NHS Tue 8 Nov | 7pm | Moor Theatre Delicatessen | Pay As You Feel 2003. Health minister Michael Alick is promoted at short notice. But with only four days to go, is the new Health Bill all it seems? Does the NHS have a future? A staged reading of Duty of Care, a new play by local writer Laurence Peacock, followed by a panel discussion of the issues raised. Link )

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