Having worked with the Philosophy Football team before, we were very pleased to receive another invitation to ply for them. This time it was at an event to commemorate the criminal bombing of Guernica by fascist forces on the 26th April 1937. This evening event had been organised in association with the International Brigade Memorial Trust and the Basque Children of '37 and, as such, we knew many of those who were there on the night. It was held in a pub in Islington which, on a steamy hot evening, was heaving by the time the show started.
Very much in line with the Philosophy Football’s approach, this was a wonderful mixed cocktail of poetry, reminiscence, film, lecture, panel debate and music. Francesca Beard provided some moving and thought provoking poetry, Peter Kennard spoke about Picasso’s painting Guernica, leading historians and journalists spoke on the panel, there was black and white film of the Basque children in the UK, and we and the great David Rovics provided the music.
This was a roiling, boiling kind of a night – great fun!