Epic YouTube Update #1: Kenyan anti-colonialists, Freedom Press, A Radical Guide, the ISE, Laura Schleifer, Elza Kephart & Slaxx, BreadTube

12 months ago 32

Hello. This is the first in a series of EPIC YOUTUBE UPDATES for the channel, letting you folk know about my upcoming plans for Epic Tomorrows on YouTube. This is also your chance to suggest new directions for the...

Hello.

This is the first in a series of EPIC YOUTUBE UPDATES for the channel, letting you folk know about my upcoming plans for Epic Tomorrows on YouTube. This is also your chance to suggest new directions for the channel, if you’re interested.

Firstly, I am making continuing efforts to improve the equality of gender representation on my channel, and representation of interviewees from the global south. I always wanted to have slightly less than half of my interviewees as male, but it has not always been easy to find non-male representatives of the organisations and initiatives that have interested me, even though those groups have claimed to be feminist. Moving forward I will be looking at interviewing more explicitly and demonstrably feminist groups, specifically led by women & BIPOC folk. I will also be interviewing more independent activists of all genders (but a little less men).

Secondly, note that the series of clips of my interview with Kenyan independent anti-colonial environmental consultant Violet Matiru is still ongoing. Violet and her fellow organisers, and the ordinary Kenyans that they represent in their fight against white colonialist ‘conservation’ practices (as greenwashed by the big conservation NGOs) could really benefit from our support.

Thirdly, you can expect increasing collaboration with other platforms & publishers. Recently I was super-inspired to interview Zosia Brom of Freedom ? bookshop & publishing, the UK’s oldest anarchist bookshop, also with an online news platform. This is just the first in a planned interview series of publishers. Additionally, The Commoner magazine have endorsed my growing series of interviews of authors that have contributed to their online journal, including Carrie Panders and Elaine Leeder, and the Epic Tomorrows collaboration with A Radical Guide continues to strengthen & grow. Look out for the upcoming online anniversary celebration of A Radical Guide, with many film showings and speakers, which I will help in facilitating.

Fourth, I am more than pleased that I am able to continue with my series of interviews of faculty, students and associates of Institute for Social Ecology, currently with an interview with Grace Gershuny, author of the classic ‘Organic Revolutionary’. More clips of Grace coming very soon. Social ecology, which could be termed as an ecological form of social anarchism, continues to heavily inform me. The wealth of authors and activists from all backgrounds contributing to the contemporary social ecology movement in theory and practice, is staggering.

Fifth, I continue to be inspired by interviewing independent activists from around the world, who continually deepen my understanding of what it will take to build a post-capitalist & post-authoritarian society. Most recently I re-connected with Laura Schleifer so expect some juicy clips from her soon. I believe that it is critical deep connections between diverse individuals globally, as much as groups, that are really what facilitate democratic and productive international strategy formation, in the long run. Less ‘Deep Adaptation’ and more ‘Deep Networking’.

Sixth, expect a surprising foray into popular culture, or rather alternative popular culture, as I release my interview with the horror director Elza Kephart who directed the excellent ‘activist horror’ film ‘Slaxx’ about the ecologically destructive fast fashion industry, a top-trending film on Rotten Tomatoes. This will be the first in a series on horror activism for my channel, but probably the only interview to focus on killer pants.

Seventh, when it comes to solo video content (generally me speaking to the camera) I know I have work to do to improve the professionalism of my videos…I haven’t found the time and money to get a good quality mic just yet, but it will be soon. As regards the content, you can expect more content around activist strategy moving forward, as well as the kind of video essay content which is typical of ‘BreadTube’, (also known as LeftTube).

Finally, if you would like to suggest any new ways forward for Epic Tomorrows, please get in touch. (Please note my stated aims and ethos carefully before doing so.) And if there are any YouTubers I should know about, tell me, as networking with other Tubers is key to my work.

In solidarity for a post-capitalist & post-authoritarian world,

catch you later,

Matthew.

Epic Tomorrows YouTube

Epic Tomorrows Twitter


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