Saturday
With lots of speaking sessions and workshops, village trails, kids entertainment, union activities, the annual POA hike, Radical History School lectures, and live music across the day, you will be spoiled for choice.
Timetable
Morning: Radical History School – programme to follow (tickets sold separately)
The NASUWT Kids Area is open from 9:00 – 19:00.
9:00
9:30 POA Freedom Hike
Join the Prison Officers Association as they hike 8.5 miles from Dorchester Prison into Tolpuddle to highlight the injustice still faced by prison workers who have their rights to protest restricted. The hike begins on Saturday at 10.00am. Meet at the Martyrs’ Statues in front of the Museum where a coach will depart the site at 9.30am. Water will be provided. If you are coming from Dorchester Prison, the walk will set off from 10:30am
10:00
10:00 – 11:30 Unizone – Migrant workers and the Immigration White Paper
10:15 – 11:15 Fringe Tent – Imagine that! How to build a worker-led future
10:30 – 11:30 Organise Tent – Standing up to bailiffs and landlords with Acorn.
10:15 – 10:45 International Tent – Authors@Bookmarks: Our Island Stories by Corinne Fowler
11:00
11:00 – 12:00 Martyrs’ Marquee – DEBATE: Covid: Five Years On
11:00-12:00 Unite Marquee – DEBATE: Delivering on Equalities Issues
11:30 – 12:30 Fringe Tent – DEBATE: The future of sectoral collective bargaining and fair pay agreements
11:00 – 11:50 International Tent – DEBATE: Unions winning against the Far Right internationally
11:45 – 12:45 Organise Tent – WORKSHOP: Slay or Sway
12:00
12:00 – 13:00 Open Mic Stage – Poetry and Spoken word
12:10 – 13:30 Martyrs’ Marquee – Wealth tax not benefit cuts
12:10 – 13:10 International Tent – Workers organising for justice: Voices from Syria and Sudan
12:30 – 14:00 Solidarity Tent – MayDay Morris #NobodyExpectMorris
12:45 – 13:45 Fringe Tent – Tackling hate politics and division in our communities
12:00 – 13:00 UNIZONE – Mustafa Mamu
13:00
13:30 – 16:30 Open Mic Stage
13:00 – 14:00 Tolpuddle Village Trail – Meet at the Martyrs’ Statue in front of the cottages.
13:00 – 14:00 Unite Tent– DEBATE: Robocop – Is AI reaping rewards or wreaking chaos?
13:15 – 14:15 Unizone – WORKSHOP: Building Trans-Allyship
13:20 – 14:00 International Tent – Authors@Bookmarks: Palestine, Imperialism and the Struggles for Freedom by Philip Marfleet
13:30 – 14:30 Organise Tent – WORKSHOP: Women workers in Australia
13:45 – 14:45 Martyrs’ Marquee – DEBATE: From the shop floor: our experiences of precarious work
14:00
14:00 – 15:15 Fringe Tent – DEBATE:Finishing the Job: forward to the Employment Rights Bill #2
14:30 – 16:00 Unite Tent – DEBATE: Labour in the countryside: how’s that working out?
14:15 – 15:00 International Tent – Authors@Bookmarks: A People’s History of the Anti-Nazi-League by Geoff Brown
14:30 – 16:30 Solidarity Tent – THEATRE: Home Sweet Home
14:45 – 15:45 Organise Tent – WORKSHOP: Get Organised!
15:00
15:00 – 15:45 Solidarity Tent – WORKSHOP: Employer-busting tactics: how to beat the bosses
15:00 – 16:00 Martyrs’ Marquee – DEBATE: Can AI really outsmart and outwork humans?
15:00 – 16:00 Unizone – WORKSHOP: Combatting the Far Right
15:00 – 16:00 Tolpuddle Village Trail – Meet at the Martyrs’ Statue in front of the cottages.
15:15 – 16:30 International Tent – DEBATE: Can America (and the world) survive another Trump Administration?
15:30 – 16:30 Fringe Tent – DEBATE: End the Genocide! Stop Arming Israel
16:00
16:00 – 16:45 Solidarity Tent – WORKSHOP: How can freelancers organise in their workspaces or communities?
16:00 – 16:45 Organise Tent WORKSHOP: How can freelancers organise in their work spaces or communities.
16:30 – 17:30 UNIZONE Maddie Morris
17:00
17:00 – 17:50 Unite Tent Skimmity Hitchers
19:00
19:00 Fringe Tent Tolpuddle Unplugged
19.00 Martyrs’ Marquee
NASTY FISHMONGER is a rowdy folk-punk band from Bristol. They play anti-austerity anthems and historical ballads with a camaraderie and charm that is hard to resist.
Drunkenly conceived in 2018 with the sole ambition of getting into festivals for free, the chaotic folk-punk collective have gigged relentlessly up and down the country, winning over crowds with their foot-stomping sound and political anthems. Having played with heavy hitters such as The Dreadnoughts, Ferocious Dog, Mad Dog Mcrea and Black Water County, the band has proved time and again they can conquer stages of any size, from the iconic Rock City, to the infamous Boomtown Fair.
19:00 Solidarity Tent – Tolpuddle Comedy
SIMON MUNNERY Born in Edgware. Raised in Watford. Died all over the place.
“One of the funniest, most original comedians of the past 20 years.” – The Guardian.
Back by popular demand, Simon Munnery is considered one of the best comedians working in Britain today with a plethora of TV and radio appearances being merely the tip of the iceberg that is a career as one of Britain’s best loved alternative comedians.
ELIZA FRASER Eliza started comedy in 2016 and, in between gigs at fantastic places like Birmingham and Cardiff Glee Clubs, or performing at various fringe festivals, routinely gave up. She enjoys regaling audiences with troubling stories from her past, with characteristic enthusiasm and dry wit. Now in her mid-30s, Eliza still has no idea what she’s doing in life. Instead of doing anything about it, she tells jokes.
JAMES O’DONOGHUE James O’Donoghue is the best depressed non binary Jewish Marxist comedian currently operating anywhere in the greater Stoke Newington area. A classically trained actor and self taught foolish person. Prepare for observations, righteous ire and impressions you never knew you needed to hear.
JON MATTHEWS
“Punchlines you can feel smart for getting.” – Chortle.
Our Tolpuddle Comedy host delivers his unique brand of dry, political and nerdy humour combined with a self-deprecating streak are delivered in a warm and crowd-pleasing manner. Tackling subjects as diverse as science, family, politics, religion and class, Jon has generated much mirth wherever he has travelled.
20:00
20:15 Martyrs’ Marquee – Onika Venus
![]() |
Onika Venus is a singer and songwriter from South Manchester in Jamaica, now based in the Forest of Dean. Introduced to live music at an early in age in her home village of Resource, she quickly learnt that music reaches people in a way that nothing else does. Ever since her first performance, her soulful voice and reggae style has been capturing the hearts of audiences across continents.
With a unique vocal style and outstanding musicianship, Onika now performs her multi-genre music across the UK with her band. Expect to hear shades of old school reggae, RnB, pop, and funk – as well as a few surprises. |
21.00
21:30 Martyrs’ Marquee – Shanghai Treason
![]() |
Those cheeky party starting Yorkshire Banjo Punks ‘Shanghai Treason’ will have you hopping around, spilling your pint and smiling from ear to ear. It’s politically charged, good time, beer drinking music that’s perfect for big tops, festival fields and one man revolutions! |
22.00
22:45 Martyrs’ Marquee – Grace Petrie
![]() |
Forged from the political disillusionment of a generation of Tory rule, folk-rock cult hero and queer icon Grace Petrie returns to UK venues this year with the protest song firmly back in her heart. Long renowned for her razor sharp lyricism and the joyful, welcoming nature of her stunning live shows, Petrie smashed the UK charts with latest album Build Something Better. Produced by Frank Turner and packed with full-hearted modern folk anthems, it shot to the top of both the folk and the UK download chart, cementing her status as one of Britain’s most beloved songwriters. |