TOMORROW, Saturday May 27, Cambridge will host a people’s festival and the Morning Star, the people’s voice, gets top billing.

The Morning Star may be available in many outlets across the city, but activists can come to the festival, to meet Star staff, get their complimentary copy (don’t forget to make a donation!) and participate in debate and discussion. 

In the evening there will be a chance to listen to performers and DJs and dance to the sounds of ska, northern soul and reggae.

The festival is dedicated to the women of Iran and includes a solidarity focus. MC Leonardo Impett, a local university lecturer and specialist in AI, will introduce speakers Aza Zepehr, representative of the Democratic Women’s Organisations of Iran, and later, Steve Marsling of the London Recruits. 

The “Recruits” were young communists and other solidarity activists sent on clandestine missions to combat apartheid racism in South Africa. 

At this event, there will be a special screening of snippets from the new feature film London Recruits, prepared by director Gordon Main. The film is currently at the Venice and Sundance Film Festivals.

The Red Festival has a pedigree extending back a number of years when it was organised by well-known local GMB activist and boxer, Gordy Cullum. 

Gordy is still very much involved and has been joined by local engineer and activist Simon Brignell and Phil Katz, the Communist Party east of England district secretary. 

They have made this year’s festival — the first since Covid — a festival of friendship and solidarity, re establishing links between progressive organisations across the area. 

As a result, the festival is supported by Cambridge Trades Council, StrikeMap, Organise Now, Campaign for Trade Union Freedom, Education for Tomorrow, Morning Star, Cuba Solidarity, Acorn, the People’s Assembly, Manifesto Press and a range of local unions, Codir — Committee for Defence of Iranian People’s Rights and the Young Communist League. 

Many of these will have stalls at the festival, where those attending can find out more.

The afternoon kicks off with four sessions on key themes including: “Building unions, protecting employment rights,” “Housing for all,” “The Charter for Women” and “Transport for the people.” 

These will be in the form of panel discussions. The union session will feature Sarah Woolley, general secretary of bakers’ and food workers’ union BFAWU, and local postal strike leader Darren Turner. 

The housing session is presented by local Acorn activists Lewis Jordan and Renato Frisoni. The women’s charter session will hear from Judith Cazorla of the Young Communist League and Lorraine Douglas of the steering committee of the People’s Assembly. 

The session on transport will be led by trades council chair James Youd and Kevin Roberts, GMB Cambridgeshire secretary. They will discuss the need for publicly owned transport but also deal with the controversial issue of a council-proposed congestion charge. 

There will be plenty of time for questions and discussion.

Attendees can circulate round the stalls and take advantage of a special discount on titles by Manifesto Press, buy T-shirts from Manifesto Apparel or their favourite bit of Morning Star merchandise. 

The evening will commence with a solidarity call from Morning Star circulation manager Bernadette Keaveney and then it’s time for the music and socialising. 

All this at the excellent NCI Centre, the best working-class venue in the city, with two bars and plenty of comfy chairs, but also a great dance floor. We look forward to seeing you there.

The Red Festival is on Saturday May 27, from 1pm to late. NCI Centre Holland Street, Cambridge CB4 3DL. Tickets are priced £2 (concessions), £4 (standard) and £6 (solidarity) and are available from tinyurl.com/RedsFest23 or £5 on the door. Please bring some coins (and notes) for the Morning Star collection.