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Bedfordshire Against Nuclear Dumping poster Bedfordshire Against Nuclear Dumping posterDump it on Parliament
Revisited

Library as Laboratory Project | Future Libraries Festivals | Dump it on Parliament Revisited | The Human Library
Dump it on Parliament Revisited used the rich local post punk history of Bedfordshire. The artists worked with local bands and young people to create a new compilation tape of covers of the original material and newly created protest songs which were then presented in a series of performances in late November 2015. It will culminate in a new sound archive for the library service.

Did you know?

Nirex monument, ElstowIn October of 1983, NIREX, the governments nuclear waste body identified two sites for the dumping of low level nuclear waste. One was Billingham on Teeside and the other was the Elstow Storage dept.
Bedford, surrounding villages and local authorities were all against the proposal and Bedfordshire Against Nuclear Dumping, known as BAND, was formed to fight the proposal. BAND launched a petition and in March 1986, a petition containing 95,000 signatures was given to Sir Nicholas Lyell, M.P. for presentation to the House of Commons.
In 1986 a group of local Bedfordshire post-punk bands, led by Luton's UK Decay, joined together to create a musical protest tape, to campaign against a proposed nuclear waste site at Elstow near Bedford. In May 1987 the Government announced it was abandoning its plans to dump nuclear waste at Elstow but the tape was released and proved popular.

In 2015 artists Dash MacDonald and Demitrios Kargotis and artist/musician Roshi Nasehi revisited the original tape, the bands, the song writing, the fashion, the zines, and the gigs of the 1980s post-punk scene. A project - Dump it on Parliament Revisited - was generated as part of Central Bedfordshire Libraries 2015 Library as Laboratory Grants for the Arts commission.
The project was created with local post-punk bands and musicians, youth theatre groups, poets, a well-being group and the people of Dunstable, Houghton Regis and Leighton Buzzard.

A documentary film, Dump it on Parliament Revisited was created by Andy Willsher, exploring the history of the original Dump it on Parliament tape and the creation of a new compilation. It meshes the past and present, using interviews and original footage, and referencing the cut-up film making techniques that emerged in the 1980’s. It looks at the background to the original tape – the political climate, the protest group B.A.N.D. and the post-punk music and film coming out of the 33 Arts Club.

Find out more about Bedford Against Nuclear Dumping (BAND)


What was the Dump it on Parliament Revisited project?

This project imagined how the library could be used in the future using the back drop of the post punk movement as inspiration. This project resulted in:

  • A contemporary 'Dump it on Parliament Revisited Compilation' album created by young local bands.
  • Live 'Dump it on Parliament Revisited' performances at Leighton Buzzard Library Theatre on the 27th November 2015 and Houghton Regis Library on the 20th November 2015.
  • This is Now - A one day post punk film festival at Leighton Buzzard Library Theatre on the 21st November 2015
  • An online Sound archive, comprising of recordings of stories from people who experienced Bedfordshire’s post-punk scene
  • A documentary film, Dump it on Parliament Revisited was created by Andy Willsher, exploring the history of the original Dump it on Parliament tape and the creation of a new compilation.


Who were the artists?

Dump it on Parliament artistsDash MacDonald, Demitrios Kargotis and Roshi Nasehi were inspired by the story of the local post-punk musicians and bands who were galvanized into action against the government's plans to create a new nuclear waste site at Elstow, Bedfordshire. The bands protested by creating the well known 'Dump it on Parliament' compilation tape in support of the B.A.N.D (Bedfordshire Against Nuclear Dumping) campaign.
"We want to engage with this rich local history and create a new conversation between the original bands and fans, and young people of today." says artist Demitrios Kargotis.

Working with local bands and young people, the artists created a new compilation tape of covers of the original material and newly created protest songs which were then presented in a series of performances in late November. It culminated in a new sound archive for the library service. There were wide ranging events across Dunstable, Houghton Regis and Leighton Buzzard libraries, including fanzine creation, song writing and sound workshops, film screenings and the collection of memories and memorabilia.


Why was the library involved?

Central Bedfordshire Council libraries in partnership with Bedford Creative Arts commissioned the Library as Laboratory project, with funding from the Arts Council, 8 artists worked with members of the community to explore and imagine what a library of the future could be.

Check out the Dump it on Parliament Revisited Pinterest board - books, music, photos, memorabilia and more to come...


Find out more about this fascinating project at the Bedford Creative Arts website.


Page last updated: 1st September 2016