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THE THOMAS PAINE SOCIETY
artemis | arts
opens up artistic experiences to new audiences
Tom Paine in Lewes-a film acted and filmed by local people
Directed by local filmmaker Mick Hawksworth with a cast of talented actors from Lewes Little Theatre and characters from the community.
The Partners who supported the Tom Paine Festival, have commissioned Artemis Arts to make a short film, which will show how Tom Paine came to Lewes and what happened in the six years that he lived in the town. It will indicate how the time he spent here shaped his future work and led to him to decide to go to America.
The film is directed by Mick Hawksworth and will build on the legacy of the original research carried out by Paul Myles, director of last year's Tom Paine Festival. A book ‘Thomas Paine in Lewes 1768-1774. A Prelude to American Independence' written by Colin Brent, Deborah Gage and Paul Myles has provided new information on the significance of the time that this great international philosopher spent in Lewes. Tom Paine became a key political influence on the development of global politics and was quoted in President Obama's Inauguration speech
The film takes the form of an intriguing contemporary narrative linked to the arrival of a mysterious stranger in town. Mick Hawksworth has done extensive personal research and has written the lively screenplay. The locations for the film include The White Hart, Bull House, The Town Hall, Lewes Station and other key parts of Lewes. Filming began over the weekend.
Lewes District Council, The White Hart, Sussex Archaeological Trust, and Sussex University support the film. Students from Priory School, Miles Jenner from Harveys Brewery, Councillor Roger Murray, Merlin Milner ex Mayor of Lewes, Paul Myles Director of the Tom Paine project and a number of talented actors from Lewes Little Theatre--and many more are taking part.
Tom Paine in Lewes will be launched on 4 th July in connection with a ceremony outside Lewes Library when a statue of Tom Paine, created by Marcus Cornish will be unveiled
For further information please contact:
Mick Hawksworth -07976831135
Wenda Bradley – Artemis Arts 01273 486595 / 07752557335
Christine Hall - Artemis Arts 01273 470376
Paul Myles- 07881988836
Artemis Arts | 1 School Cottages | Iford | Lewes | East Sussex | BN73PL | Tel 01273 486595/470376 | Email artemis-arts@macdream.net
Registered in England and Wales | Registered Number 5819202 |Charity No. 1123794| Registered Office: 1 School Cottages, Iford, Lewes, East Sussex, BN73PL | Director: Wenda Bradley | Secretary: Christine Hall
Thomas Paine: Obama's muse?
The Working Class Movement Library
The Working Class Movement Library is celebrating the bicentenary of the death of revolutionary writer and radical political thinker Thomas Paine with an exhibition at Salford Museum and Art Gallery .
The exhibition, ‘Thomas Paine: the Voice of the Common People', tells the story of Paine's adventurous and eventful life, his narrow escapes from death and his involvement in both the American and French Revolutions. The main focus of the exhibition however is the very modern ideas in his three key publications, ‘Common Sense', ‘Rights of Man' and ‘Age of Reason', early editions of which will be on display. The exhibition will also contain political cartoons, radical pamphlets and rare editions of books by and about Paine and his followers.
Paine's ideas have inspired radicals and shaped government policies for over 200 years.
Barack Obama quoted him in his presidential inauguration speech, stating:
“At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people: "Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it].”
The line is from Paine's The Crisis , which George Washington had chosen to be read to the troops in the most difficult days of the revolutionary struggle.
Many of the reforms which Paine advocated such as universal suffrage, the abolition of slavery, retirement pensions and free education have been put into place, while others such as a written constitution for Britain are still being hotly debated.
The exhibition, ‘Thomas Paine: Voice of the Common People', tells the story of Paine's adventurous and eventful life, his narrow escapes from death and his involvement in both the American and French Revolutions.
The main focus of the exhibition however is the very modern ideas in his three key publications, Common Sense , Rights of Man and Age of Reason , original early editions of which will be on display. The exhibition also contains political cartoons, radical pamphlets and rare editions of books by and about Paine and his followers. The exhibition is based on the Library's holdings of Paine material, which has been called ‘the finest private collection of books by and on Paine in Britain' by the Thomas Paine Society.
Although Thomas Paine has been dead for 200 years, his ideas are still very much alive and his writings are still an inspiration to anyone who wishes to change society for the better. As Veronica Trick , volunteer co-ordinator at the Library, says: “If our Library had a patron saint it'd be Thomas Paine. He's so much the starting point, both chronologically and ideologically, for working class history.”
The Library has been awarded a grant from the Lottery scheme ‘Awards for All' for a film-making project, working with local school students studying media, politics or citizenship to produce short multimedia works looking at the modern relevance of Paine's ideas. The results will be presented as part of the exhibition.
The Museum where the exhibition takes place is situated in Peel Park, an ideal setting to celebrate a man who dedicated his life to making complex ideas accessible to ordinary people. This is where, almost fifty years after Paine's death, people flocked to enjoy the country's first free public library.
For more information contact Lynette Cawthra, Library Manager on 0161 736 3601 or email enquiries@wcml.org.uk
©2007 The Thomas Paine Society