As September draws to a close – and I choose not to crack the same crap Green Day joke as the rest of you – I thought I’d provide a brief update on what’s been keeping me busy since my last blog post.
Following the completion of my previous politics course – and the first serious written exam I’ve taken since my GCSEs – I decided to make a slight change in direction. You might remember my complaints back in April on how DD203 had become a little dry. This was something which I later felt I’d been somewhat hasty in concluding – and I now put much of this down to exam nerves – but nevertheless I still felt like studying politics alone might get a little dull. Thankfully I passed the DD203 exam with a great mark, but the OU’s decision to redesign many of their qualifications gave me the opportunity to switch to a degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics.
I’m now several weeks into studying the course materials for my first foray into philosophy and to be honest, I’m enjoying it immensely. My initial doubts about the subject were assuaged by impulse-buying Julian Baggini’s introduction to the subject whilst wandering aimlessly around Waterstones one day. Furthermore I was quite pleased to see Baggini re-appear in my A222 audio lectures this week.
During my three month break from university studying I have thrown myself head-first into the Manchester Film Co-op. Following the final screening of the Sexuality season in May, the previous organisers had decided to step down and cease the screenings. I volunteered to continue running the group and took over the website, giving it a swift redesign and ramping-up the social media activity. Meetings were held in June and July in an attempt to form a new committee and by August we were planning to re-launch the group.
The first screening by the re-launched co-op on the 11th of September was the result of a fabulous team effort, with our members finding a venue, designing posters and distributing leaflets around the community. I kept myself busy with running the website and I set-up a new e-mailing list. I was also interviewed by Manchester Mule about the group. The screening of Patricio Guzman’s film on Salvador Allende at the Eighth Day Cafe was a great event with a turnout of over fifty people and an excellent post-film debate. We’re currently finalising plans for our October screening, so do keep an eye on the website and Twitter account for details.
One aspect which has suffered with all this going on has been my writing on politics for Passing Nightmare. Since April I have only managed to write two articles and my plan to pen another piece for the Morning Star seems to have been put to one side for the moment. Strange as it may sound, I have found that free time is possibly the worst thing to possess as an aspiring writer. Having to cram in my personal writing alongside my degree and full-time work always seems to focus the mind and I found that studying provided me with a fresh theoretical perspective on current events. I’m hoping that a busy mind will once again furnish me with the motivation required to write feature-length pieces for publication. Only time will tell, I suppose.
October is a busy month for me, with several gigs to attend and a trip to London for the TUC’s A Future that Works march on the cards. I’ll also be getting involved with a new feminist group in Manchester, smashing the patriarchy in style.
As ever, I’m usually to be found pottering around on Twitter and Facebook, should you fancy a chat. Either that or give me a shout and we’ll go to the pub. After all, alcohol is the ideal lubricant for the wheels of the glorious revolution. Probably.
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