Rebel Music, a Sound-illustrated Talk by Joe Mulhall

‘Empathy is the currency of all music and Joe Mulhall does a great job of explaining how that quality has been used to generate solidarity for the struggle and sympathy for those who suffer injustice’ Billy Bragg

While the global history of the dictatorships, oppression, racism and state violence over the last century is well known – the role that music played in people’s lives during these times is less understood.

This sound-illustrated talk  covers the stories and hidden histories about how music provided light in the darkest of times over the past century. How it steeled souls and inspired resistance to oppression. Joe Mulhall will talk about  freedom songs in the Republic of Ireland, the Soviet Union’s oppression behind the Berlin Wall, authoritarian dictatorships in Brazil and Nigeria, institutionalised racism and police violence in America and South Africa, street violence in Britain, ethnic cleansing in the Balkans and musical resistance in war-torn Ukraine.

His is a social history of the twentieth century but one that takes in the human impulse to create, share and enjoy the one thing that connects cultures and spans generations: music.

Dr Joe Mulhall is a researcher and historian of post-war and contemporary fascism and is currently Senior Researcher at Hope not Hate, the UK’s largest anti-fascism and anti-racism organisation.

Refreshments included

For security reasons, advance booking only please. No tickets will be available on the door