Our strategy for 2027 has been about visible grassroots initiatives which announce our presence

~ Wren Albion ~

At the end of 2026 A Commune in the North (ACitN… pronounced “a kitten”) became the focus of a ‘Live Project’, where masters students from the School of Architecture at the University of Sheffield work with charities and community groups. The students helped us to stop worrying about how to get to 150-200 people, and focus on getting to the first 15. They made us think more seriously about our local engagement, which has also made us think more strategically about how we share anarchist principles in the place where we live.

Our strategy for 2027 has been to create or join a wide spectrum of visible grassroots initiatives which announce our presence, which provide a diversity of ways for people to engage with the commune, and which offer various forms of political, co-operative and social education. This is just a brief overview of what we have been doing so far and why.

First up we created the BUMS (Bentley Urban Morris Side), who had their first dance out at the Doncaster Day of Dance back in April, and who ‘danced up the sun’ at the memorial on the site of what was Bentley Pit Top on May Day. Morris costumes are based on traditional workwear, so we wear high-vis jackets and G4S security caps to reflect modern labour. The BUMS have also created a form of ‘protest Morris’ which we put into play at the launch of Powerful South Yorkshire (PSY).

ACitN has been instrumental in the development of PSY, a network of grassroots community groups from across South Yorkshire who have come together to create a collective voice around the issues that matter to our communities. In solidarity with Big Power For Little London, a community group from Maltby near Rotherham who are fighting the absentee landlords who are ruining their estate, our launch event in Doncaster focused on the simple ask of telling the authorities to use the powers they already have to protect residents from scummy landlords and unhealthy homes. It isn’t the most anarchist of protests, but it was the first taste of direct action for many of PSY’s members and it was great for getting to talk first-hand to people on the streets of Doncaster about issues that the far-right have tried to monopolise by blaming immigration. There were hard conversations, but they are conversations that we need to have if we want to bring about real change… the BUM’s broom dance was also greatly appreciated.

Our connection through PSY to the Sheffield Tenants Union (STU) also helped us to get some breathing space for a vulnerable woman who was due to be evicted from the flat where she had lived for the past 30 years. Members of ACitN and STU turned up in the morning of her scheduled eviction to find that the landlord had sent the rent-collector and his heavies along with a locksmith and they were attempting an illegal eviction ahead of the bailiffs, which we successfully stopped. The rent-collector looked like an extra from Snatch and he did a great job of convincing the police that he was a bit of a ‘wankster’ (wannabe gangster) who shouldn’t be taken seriously. Two of our group accompanied the tenant to the local court to file an N244 form which helped stop the eviction for a few days.

In June we hosted a talk by Emma Cardwell entitled ‘TRUE BRIT: A History of British Values’ at the West End Working Men’s Club in Bentley. Again, this event was designed to reach out beyond the political ghetto to attract anyone interested in British history. It is an anti-fascist talk disguised as a history lesson, and explains the unique class division in Britain which led to the development of both capitalism and global colonialism. It also describes the trans-Atlantic resistance which united working class people in Britain, Ireland and the Caribbean and fueled a revolutionary fervor which terrified the rich and powerful. Emma’s plan is to bypass social media and deliver this talk straight into the heart of working-class communities. If you can help facilitate a talk in your area please get in touch.

We have also helped to launch the Worth Fighting For Book Club, a reading group which shares ideas which are worth fighting for. Named after Jenni Keasden and Natalia Szarek’s honest, yet hopeful Worth Fighting For, which is the first book that we decided to read together. Books were made available on a Pay As You Feel basis, with free access to the audiobook. Natalia attended the launch event and everyone who attended sent a message of solidarity to the YPG.

We are involved with a host of community engagement, from building compost bays with the Hunafa Scouts, to samba band workshops, from a slowly developing food co-op to a grassroots promenade theatre production.

ACitN is becoming ever more visible on the streets of Doncaster. The only way to fight the swing to the right and the rise of fascism is to meet the people where they are, have the hard conversations, fight injustice, and also have some fun while we’re doing it. This is anarchy in action. And you’re welcome to come and join us