Intelligence Squared How has resistance shaped Britain? With Steve McQueen (Part One)
Jun 3, 2025
In this engaging discussion, acclaimed filmmaker and artist Steve McQueen, known for '12 Years a Slave', shares insights alongside award-winning journalist Gary Younge. They explore the profound impact of resistance on Britain's social landscape, tracing movements from the suffrage era to recent protests. McQueen highlights the role of photography in activism, uncovering overlooked stories of change-makers. Together, they reflect on community resilience, the significance of collective action, and the ongoing struggles for justice that resonate through art and history.
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Origin of Resistance Book
- Steve McQueen explaining the genesis of his book Resistance through an exploration of how photography exposed atrocities in the Congo early 1900s.
- He recounts collaborating with curator Clary Wallace and photographing year three London school children to explore racial and social awareness.
Saturday School Resistance
- Steve McQueen shares his experience of attending a Saturday morning school as a child, an act of resistance he disliked yet valued later.
- He emphasizes it as his first encounter with organized resistance and community activism.
Notting Hill Response: Carnival
- Discussion on the 1958 Notting Hill riots and cultural resistance sparked by Claudia Jones organizing carnival.
- McQueen recalls community defense actions and how cultural events became acts of defiance and joy against racial violence.
