Features / Politics
‘There is a community of love and joy building in politics’
Founders of a national initiative that has set out to prove that effective politics doesn’t have to be dry, dusty and dull say that Bristol “epitomises” their ethos.
Green Space is working to bring joy, positivity and hope back into politics and has already run successful events in London and Leeds that have raised £37,000 for the Green Party under the strapline “they’ve got the billionaires, we’ve got the boogie”.
With Bristol’s dynamic underground music scene and environmental focus the city is “a heartland for the kind of thing we’re trying to do,” the organisation’s co-founder Niall Moore, who went to university in Bristol, said ahead of the Green Party day party taking place at Sawmills in St Jude’s on July 26.
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DJs, dancing and communal art will cohabit with talks from local environmental activists Tori Tsui and Domi Palmer as well as an appearance from Green Party leader Zack Polanski.
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Moore suggests the movement, which he hopes will grow as they stage more events across the country, is a necessary counter to current mainstream political narratives.
“Politics is being driven by hate which is being enabled by division. We’re being sucked into our devices, kept apart and fed very narrow views of each other, which make it easy to start to ‘other’ and even villainise people,” he says.
“So inherently, just by bringing people together in a space that is accepting, welcoming, fun and joyful is a countervailing political force that will create a foundation of warmth towards each other, allowing us to have a healthier politics going forwards.”
From the response they’ve had at previous events, Moore believes there’s an appetite for this new kind of political engagement:
“It seems there are lots of people who have been looking to engage with politics in a way that, the barriers to entry are really low. All you need to do is turn up: you’re raising money for the party but you’re also starting to do all that community stuff like find new friends, contacts, have those kind of conversations, and softly get into the idea that, actually, politics can be for you. It’s a provision that a big group of people haven’t had before.”
Green Space’s first event at Heaven in London was a big success and they went on to organise an even bigger one in Leeds – photo: Christopher Werrett
He’s grateful for the support they’ve received from Polanski, who Moore personally respects for his clear-eyed approach: “There are systemic failures right down to the depths of the way that our economy and society is currently structured – where the power is, where the money is – and it’s leading us into some very dark places, environmentally but also socially,” he says.
“In terms of quality of life, I hear no other politician who confronts that honestly and openly, saying we need a radical shift to reach a sense of stability where we’re not constantly seeing power and money shift up to a small elite.
“The money is there, and people should be able to afford decent housing, good food, to be able to heat their homes. It seems extraordinary to me that there’s only one party that’s actually open-eyed about this.”
Green Space has encountered some criticism from people on the other side of the political spectrum that consider their approach too frivolous for real politics, but Moore rejects this view out of hand:
“It’s about bringing people together so that we have the bond within communities to be strong and unified, which will have its impact on politics when it comes to voting. It’s about giving people that basis of communal feeling to build something together.
“if you recognise that hate, division and the terminally online nature of political discourse is shaping politics at the moment then you have to consider that positive emotion, community building, bringing people together is as equal a political force, just coming from another and much better direction.”
And the parties are making a real difference on the ground. The fundraising element is not insignificant, given the “woefully underfunded” Green Party raised £250,000 in this year’s first quarter while Reform raised £9m.
Profits from the Sawmills event will go directly to the Bristol Green Party, who will be present alongside “a coalition of likeminded organisations on the left” like Love Music Hate Racism:
“It’s about creating pathways for people who sympathise or even yearn for the ideas that are coming out of parties like the Green Party, but maybe feel like signing up to go door knocking when they don’t know anyone feels abit confronting. This makes it a smoother pathway into more active participation,” says Moore.
It shares an approach with the People’s Emergency Briefing movement that is bringing screenings of a hard-hitting film about the climate crisis into communities to support solidarity and organising that is building pressure on MPs to act on environmental issues.
“Receiving all the information at the same time together – you feel bonded by it,” reflects Moore. “You move forward more as a unit, rather than being individuals stuck with your own thoughts and not knowing where to put them. I feel this has got to be the way we think about politics going forwards.”
The parties are helping the Green Party to actively engage a younger audience in politics while raising vital funds – photo: Colm McCarthy
Similarly, Green Space hope that building physical community and “stoking the flames on a local level” will bolster the movement at what Moore sees as an “exciting” time so it doesn’t fizzle out prematurely.
The Sawmills party lineup has been co-curated with Bog, the promoters infamous for livestreaming DJ sets from a bathroom in Clock Factory, with a longlist of upbeat, energetic d’n’b, jungle and hardcore sets mixed with “some softer, more groovy things” as well as food trucks and communal art making to create “a mini-festival atmosphere”.
What does Moore hope ravers will take away from the experience?
“Really just that there is a community of love and joy building in politics and it’s so easy to come along and be a part of. You’ll be welcomed with open arms”.
A happy punter at a Green Space event – photo: Martha Prestedge
The Green Party party takes place from 1-10pm on Sunday, July 26 at Sawmills. Find out more at events.greenspace.community/events/greenspace/2276114
Main image: Christoper Werrett
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