GFTU BGCM Report 2019

OUR HISTORY

1 Dr Alice Prochaska, former Principal of Somerville College Oxford, and now a Trustees of the GFTU Educational Trust wrote the first history of the GFTU to 1980. 2 The GFTU has sponsored Edda Nicolson a Ph D Student at Wolverhampton University to continue analysing our archives which are digitised at the Bishopsgate Institute and retained also in the Warwick Modern Records Office. We look forward to hearing more of their deliberations. 3 We are currently working with award winning graphic novelist Sean Wilson on a visual history of the GFTU summarising in 30 pages our massive achievements over the years for a new audience. 4 We are promoting courses on the history of our Movement.

5 We are launching in Parliament with a Foreword by Jeremy Corbyn an appealing history of the Movement by award winning artists and writers. 6 A conference on the GFTU’s contribution will be held in the autumn and exhibition curated by Edda Nicolson will be held at Northern College. 7 Keeping history alive and celebrating the work of our predecessors is as vital as keeping music and unions alive. 8 It is fitting perhaps that our General Secretary has been invited, we think for the first time, to address the Durham Minders’ Gala this year celebrating its 150th year. Our EC will be held in Durham that weekend also.

Our History | Page 35