WE Are - WEA North East's Podcast

 In this episode we're visiting the former colliery village of Chopwell which has a long history built on industry, political engagement (it was once labelled "Little Moscow",) and cooperation.  It's faced challenging times in the post-industrial era but has a thriving community Regeneration Group now based at an empty bank on Derwent Street, called ... The Bank. This venue houses a community cafe dedicated to reducing food waste and providing a warm hub, as well as a space for training and workshops in arts, crafts and more, as well as office facilities for like-minded community organisations.In this interview, Jude Murphy talks to Chopwell Regeneration Group volunteer and WEA Regional Committee member Ronnie Stuart; the Group's Learning and Programmes Manager Sarah Cotton; Regeneration Group volunteer Hilary Danneker; and Rachel Couch of Atypical Support CIC, who are based in The Bank. Lots of inspiration and advice for anyone involved in or hoping to set up community projects and spaces.

In a short series of podcasts, we're going to focus on several community spaces which represent venues or partners for our WEA activities.  Since the WEA's inception in 1903, the organisation has worked within spaces of this type.  And recently, there has been an upsurge in community spaces, often taking over empty shops on our high streets, with many projects dedicated to social justice and environmental aims.First up in this series is an interview with Bethan Hosker of Chester-le-Street's REfUSE Cafe.  WEA North East's nascent Craftivism Network recently met at the cafe and were deeply impressed by the values it represents.  In REfUSE's own words:- We REfUSE to be part of a wasteful food system. We  need to RE-think. We REscue, REclaim and RE-use, so that good food doesn’t become REfUSE.Each month this organisation intercepts around 12 tonnes of food that would otherwise go to waste, from retailers around the North East, and redistribute this through their ‘Pay As You Feel’ community cafe and restaurant.  Bethan explains how they go about this, and talks about the various communities and groups that they support, as well as a new and crucial role: providing a warm space for those hardest hit by the cost of living crisis. Tune in if you've ever wondered about how these venues survive and thrive and support our communities and our environment.

As part of International Women’s Month, we look at the life of northern heroine Ellen Wilkinson with her biographer Dr Matt Perry.  From her impoverished background in Manchester to her election as MP for Jarrow in 1935 and her role as Minister of State for Education in the 1945 Labour government, Matt discusses Ellen’s political development and her many contradictions. With a new play about her, ‘Red Ellen’ opening at Northern Stage in Newcastle in March, Ellen’s short but energetic life is about to once again come under the spotlight.

In the latest episode of WE Are, we go out and about to meet with the volunteers and service users of Women's Health in South Tyneside (WHIST). They tell us what the centre means to them and how their work has been vital to helping women in South Tyneside for 36 years, particularly those with difficult domestic situations. They also tell us about their latest community project, a time capsule to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Great North Run.

The Pitman Painters (or the Ashington Group to give them their formal title) originated out of a WEA art class for a group of Ashington miners in the 1930's. Their paintings  depicting life below and above ground in their pit community were critically acclaimed, and their experiences became to subject of Lee Hall's play 'The Pitman Painters' in 2007.In this episode Rosie Serdiville interviews WEA volunteer Elaine Pope, who knew one of the painters, Oliver Kilbourn. Elaine discusses the groups origins, her somewhat overlooked role in bringing the groups' work back to public consciousness in the 1980's and why art continues to be just as important to life and adult education, as employment skills.

North East playwright, the always witty and engaging  Ed Waugh discusses the difficulty in getting regional voices represented on the stage; the importance of art in giving a voice to local stories and history; the importance of adult education and how his own north east focused plays have successfully transferred to the national and international stage. 

Another chance to hear the interview from episode 1 with Nigel Todd, who sadly died last week. Nigel talks about the formation of the Green Branch and the climate emergency. Chair of Regional Committee, Keith Hodgson, provides a new introduction on why Nigel meant so much to so many people.

In episode 5 of WEAre, we speak to WEA CEO & General Secretary Simon Parkinson about his first year at the helm of the association, and the challenges both the WEA and adult education face in the future.  Also our resident historian Rosie Serdiville talks about the different approaches to adult education by the UK and US armed forces during WWII.

The second of our special mini- podcasts in which  Sheila Parks, the tutor of our therapies and wellbeing based courses.In this episode Sheila talks about maintaining your own mental wellbeing during the Covid pandemic, and suggests some coping mechanisms to help support your own mental health and the wellbeing of loved ones who may be struggling during lockdown.

A special mini- podcast in which  Sheila Parks, the tutor of our therapies and wellbeing based courses, gives advice on how to deal with grief and loss during Covid.Sheila discusses the phases of grief and provides some  activities and coping mechanisms to help you if you dealing with the loss of a loved one, or are supporting someone who is grieving including children.

WE Are the podcast of  the Workers Education Association, North East Region.In episode 2 one of our volunteers Judith King explains how small changes to her everyday life have led her to be more sustainable in her approach to things. Our literature tutor, Clare Jackson, discusses the fascinating era of inter-war  literature and how it can help us through our own challenging times. Finally, resident historian Rosie Serdiville tells us about the complicated legacy of Teesside's Gertrude Bell.

In our inaugural episode we explore some of the different types of activity the Workers Educational Association are involved in in the north east of England. We speak to Kelly Ness, our tutor of the year, and some of her students who explain how joining a drama class has literally changed their lives. Keith Hodgson talks about the importance of democracy  within the organisation and tells us about his time in South Africa during the first post-apartheid elections. Nigel Todd from the Green Branch tells us about their environmental activities in the North East and we have the first of our regular history slot with Rosie Serdiville who tells us about Florence Nightingale Harrison Bell. Phew!!!