XR Wrexham: Climate, Creativity and Imagining a Different Democracy at Wrecsam Ffair

As we begin working through the photographs and video from Wrecsam Ffair, we’re going to take a closer look at some of the organisations, groups and activities that contributed to three days of community, creativity, conversation and connection.

We’re starting with XR Wrexham, who brought a combination of creative activity, climate discussion and democratic imagination to the Ffair on Saturday 19 September.

Creativity to start the day

The XR Wrexham team began their Saturday morning with block-art printing, producing designs on T-shirts and getting children and families involved.

It was a simple, practical activity — something people could stop and have a go at while exploring everything else happening around the Ffair.

But there was plenty more to come.

Talking about the climate crisis

Later in the day, XR Wrexham presented a screening of the National Emergency Briefing (NEB), sometimes described as the People’s Briefing, focusing on the climate crisis.

The screening was followed by a discussion about the issues raised by the film.

The intention wasn’t simply to raise awareness, but to create an opportunity to start thinking about the problems we face and some of the potential solutions.

That combination of information and conversation was very much in keeping with the spirit of Wrecsam Ffair: creating spaces where people could come together, explore difficult questions and share ideas.

From dreadocracy to dreamocracy

XR Wrexham also took part in a democracy workshop run by Our House, a group travelling around the country conducting workshops as part of the development of a People’s Charter.

The session explored the history of the early Chartists in Newport in 1838–39 and considered how democratic demands from that period have developed over time.

Participants were then invited to imagine two very different versions of democracy.

A bad democracy — described during the workshop as “dreadocracy”.

And a best-case scenario — “dreamocracy”.

The exercise encouraged participants to think beyond the problems of the present and consider practical changes they would like to see in their communities.

Ideas discussed included:

• better recycling;
• greater support for repairing items rather than throwing them away; and
• mapping apple trees across Wrexham to help ensure wider access to locally available fruit.

Participants selected the ideas that mattered most to them and chose three words to describe the workshop.

The intention is that, by repeating similar workshops in communities around the country, Our House can gather ideas and use them to develop a modern People’s Charter.

More than one conversation

XR Wrexham also found time to take part in the Fête of Britain Good Neighbours recording at the Ffair.

The programme brought together a number of local voices, including Omo from Wrexham Africa Community, Ruth Marshall from TCC, a local poet and record-label founder, a local dyspraxic breakdancer and Peter Howell, local councillor and radio presenter.

And, as Chris rather wonderfully puts it, there were even a couple of Tarot wizards making an appearance!

It is exactly this mixture that makes looking back at the Ffair so interesting.

There wasn’t one single conversation.

There wasn’t one single type of activity.

There wasn’t one single reason to attend.

People could come for the music, make something, join a workshop, have a conversation, watch a performance, explore an idea — or simply see what was happening.

Belonging in Our Community

For TCC, that diversity of activity is also an important part of our Belonging in Our Community campaign.

Belonging isn’t about everyone thinking the same way.

It is about creating opportunities for people with different experiences, interests, backgrounds and ideas to share space, meet one another and participate in their community.

The activities brought by XR Wrexham offered one part of that wider picture.

Climate change.

Democracy.

Creativity.

Community participation.

Different subjects, different perspectives — but all taking place in the same community space.

And that’s one of the things we wanted Wrecsam Ffair to demonstrate.

Different people. Different ideas. Different ways of getting involved.
One community.

This is just the first of our focused looks back at the people and organisations who contributed to Wrecsam Ffair.

There’s plenty more to come.