Women Chainmakers’ Festival set for 2008

The Midlands TUC and Black Country Living Museum are delighted to announce that the date for the award winning Women Chainmakers’ Festival has been fixed for Saturday 13th September 2008. The festival, hosted by the Black Country Living Museum, won the prestigious Black Country Tourism Awards for best festival in 2007, and returns this year with a bumper bill of national and local speakers and acts.

The keynote speaker at this year’s festival which is once again sponsored by Rowley Ashworth, is Baroness Margaret Prosser, Deputy Chair of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission, while Chumbawamba, who recently celebrated twenty-five years of playing radical, political folk music, will provide headline entertainment.

Midlands TUC Regional Secretary Roger McKenzie said, ”Last years’ festival proved to be a fantastic day out for trade unionists from all over the country. This year we aim to provide an even better day of entertainment as a fitting celebration of the historic achievements of the Cradley Heath Women Chainmakers who suffered a ten-week lockout in their struggle for a minimum wage. We are delighted to have attracted Margaret Prosser as our keynote speaker while Chumbawamba will provide entertainment with an edge!”

Museum Director Ian Walden said, “This festival is one of the highlights of the Museum’s year, and gives us the opportunity to celebrate one of the most significant events in the history of the Black Country. Our newest building on site, The Workers Institute, was built from the surplus in the Women Chainmakers strike fund and gives a new focus for our interpretation of Black Country history and culture”

The festival will start at 10.00 a.m. and run throughout the day with speeches commencing at 1.00 p.m., followed by the now traditional procession of trade union banners around the Museum site. Mr McKenzie continued, “This is the premier trade union festival in the Midlands and we are proud to hold it in conjunction with our friends at the Black Country Living Museum.”

The festival is supported and funded by the TUC, the Midlands Trade Union movement, and legal firms involved with local trade unions. Tickets are available from the Black Country Living Museum box office: 0121 520 8054.