Over the last few months of 2015, Transitions met in various hubs around Merseyside to discuss and workshop ideas around what austerity means to the everyday lives of Great Britain’s most vulnerable people. The resulting show was the fantastic Farewell Welfare: A Cabaret a Cutting and Chopping, comprised of songs and skits telling tales of woe and welfare in 21st century Britain.
The company toured Merseyside, performing in Liverpool, Kirkby, St Helens and the Wirral the first and second weeks of December.
View the programme
“Although it was hard hitting and honest, the show was amazing”Â
Audience Feedback
“Brought back the reality of how things are”
Audience Feedback
“The high standard of performance was fantastic”
Audience Feedback
Farewell Welfare performance at The Spider Project, Wirral.
5 Things You Can Do
- Attend an event: The People’s Assembly is a national campaign against austerity. Join their mailing list, donate or attend one of their events. Find out more here. The Liverpool Against the Cuts Facebook group is also very active and here you can find out about local events and share articles and ideas.
- Hold Your MP to Account: Don’t know who your local MP is? Ever wondered what your MP does for your local community or how they vote in Parliament? They Work For You gives all this information including: voting records, MP interests, committee attendance, written questions and speeches.
- Sign or Start a Petition: Rules for starting a petition can be found here. A petition must get 100,000 signatures before it will be considered for debate in  the Commons. There are many e-petitions websites that can help you start a petition of your own or link with other campaigns. Try 38 Degrees or Change.org. E-Petitions have proved their effectiveness over the last few years. The WOW (War on Welfare) campaign and petition is a good starting point.
- Attend Your MP Surgery:Â There is no legal or constitutional requirement for MPs to hold surgeries, however many do. Surgeries are usually one-to-one and provide you with the opportunity to raise concerns with your MP. Details or surgeries can be found on your local MPs website, or if there is no such thing you can call the Parliamentary Switchboard on 0207 219 3000 and ask you local MP’s office to send you details of surgery dates.
- Join, Volunteer or Donate to a Pressure Group: Pressure groups aim to mobilise public support on a single issue. There are many pressure groups working to raise the profile of wide-spread hardship and deprivation caused by the austerity agenda such as National Housing Federation, Child Poverty Action Group and Citizens Advice Bureau. Pressure groups welcome anyone with free tome who can support their campaign.
“It will last as long as there are folk left with the faith to fight for it”
