artswith Theatre A Nazi escapee and the police
organisation and weren’t prepared to do any deals for him or us. They were humiliated. They shouted down the phone at Nick ‘hand him over’. We were told if we didn’t hand Robbie over, then Nick and I would face prosecution. “We went to dinner and discussed
it. We’d made Robbie a promise we wouldn’t give him up without a deal and we stuck by that.” Collins has written a book – part
thriller, part reference – about National Action, which he asked me to edit. Like many journalists, he has
“After a curry and a few pints, going to prison seemed like a good idea,” says NUJ member and Nazi Terrorist author Matthew Collins. “It was only after we sobered up
we realised it wasn’t, which is when we sought legal advice.” Collins and Nick Lowles, the chief
executive of Hope not Hate, were trying to protect Robbie Mullen, a member of National Action who had turned on his former colleagues, later revealing a plot to murder MP Rosie Cooper. The police believed National
Action, which had been banned by then Home Secretary Amber Rudd in December 2016, had folded. But Mullen’s evidence proved
them wrong and, when he went to Hope not Hate, the police were angry. “London counterterrorism police
were particularly pissed off with us,” Collins tells Arts with Attitude. “They said we broke the law by running a mole in a proscribed
20 | theJournalist
received death threats from far-right activists – something he has lived with since writing his first book, Hate, about his own time working for the National Front. “All of us at Hope not Hate
operate under some kind of risk and these are heightened times because of the trials involving National Action,” he says. “The past two years have been
particularly stressful but I’ve given up counting the number of times I’ve been personally threatened over the last 20 years. “The biggest threat to doing my
job reporting on the far right is the police not checking people’s media credentials. “I’ve lost count how many times
some fascist screams ‘I’m a journalist’ and is allowed through the media cordon. I end up face-to- face with the very people I’m reporting on.”
* Nazi Terrorist is published by Hope not Hate and is available from
http://naziterrorist.com £12.99
attitude
by Tim Lezard
Festivals Merthyr Rising Merthyr Tydfil 24-26 May This relatively new event on the festival calendar takes place on the anniversary of one of the first organised uprisings by UK workers when, in May 1831, South Wales coal miners protested at the lowering of their wages. The rebellion – the Merthyr Rising – spread to nearby towns and villages and was put down only when troops intervened. Twenty four protesters were killed and 26 were tried for their part in the revolt. This event is celebrated through a cultural festival of music, arts, political discussion and ideas. This year’s headliners are Shaun
Ryder’s Black Grape, Liverpool 1990s rock band Cast and American hip-hop artists Sugarhill Gang.
www.merthyrrising.uk
Imaginate Edinburgh 15 May-2 June One festival that’s been around a little longer – 30 years, in fact – is Imaginate. Located in Edinburgh, it’s an event that promotes, develops and celebrates theatre and dance for children and young people. This year sees a range of
performances including a voyage from a retro kitchen into outer space, a truly invisible man and a journey into the home of a miniaturist. You don’t need to pack anything
except your imagination.
http://imaginate.org.uk
Exhibitions
Van Gogh and Britain Tate Britain, London Until 11 August Hot on the heels of At Eternity’s Gate (see the last edition of Arts with Attitude), Tate Britain is hosting an exhibition about Vincent Van Gogh’s time in Britain. He lived here for several years as a
young man, walking the streets alone, dreaming of the future and falling in love with British culture (Dickens, Eliot, Constable). This exhibition features some of his
most famous works (including Sunflowers) as well as paintings by artists such as Francis Bacon who were inspired by him.
www.tate.org.uk
Books
Rule Britannia – Brexit and the End of Empire Danny Dorling and Sally Tomlinson Biteback Publishing This wide- ranging analysis of Brexit is (so far) the only book
published on the subject this year. It is a call to
leave behind the jingoistic ignorance of the past and build a fairer Britain because, despite the media narrative that Brexit was down to working-class Northerners, 52 per cent of people who voted Leave lived in the southern half of England. “I think journalists pushed the
northern working class line because they copied each other and there was
Some of the best things to
see and do with a bit of political bite
For listings email:
arts@NUJ.org.uk
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