a/political, WikiLeaks and the Team Behind Shangri-La Glastonbury Curate an Evening of Art, Music and Change.

a/political and WikiLeaks present: BEAT THE SYSTEM on 08 April at EartH Hackney as the closing event for the States of Violence exhibition at a/political. The night brings together artists and musicians to raise awareness around the importance of press freedom and to empower the public to create positive change.

BEAT THE SYSTEM features a back-to-back line up of world renowned acts including Bugzy Malone, Lowkey, Eva Lazarus, and My Nu Leng. Shangri-La’s creative team (wondercloud creations) are creating stage sets and installations for the show in collaboration with ShangrilART and artists from the a/political network.

Taking place just ahead of the four-year anniversary of Julian Assange’s imprisonment in Belmarsh Prison, weeks after the 20 year anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, during a moment of widening inequality and the worst strikes over pay in history in the UK, BEAT THE SYSTEM seeks to turn the spotlight back onto the public, emboldening young people in the pursuit of their artistic and political endeavors. It urges them to understand the realities of the world today and to speak up for their right to live in a society that is fair and just.

The night is in solidarity with artists, musicians, journalists and whistleblowers who are fighting to expose injustice around the world.

Robin Collings, Founder of Shangri-La Glastonbury, says: “Shangri-La exists to reflect the issues of our time, we invite our community to broaden their perspectives, and we promote free expression through music and art. We have always had an incredible and diverse line up and artistic team, all with important voices. It has never been more important to listen!”

a/political spokesperson says, “Music is a tool for change and empowerment. This night will show that politics affects everyone, and we will be encouraging people to actively engage with it.”

“Music moves people. At its best, it sings, if not cries, out with truth. It can be the engine of change and an indispensable vessel for truth when states fail us. That’s why so many brilliant artists, who touch the hearts and lives of millions, support this event. Together we stand for freedom: a world without repression. No more white noise. Sing the truth. London hear our call. Beat the system and Free Assange NOW.” Joseph Farrell WikiLeaks ambassador and Chloe Schlosberg, Wau Holland Foundation.

About a/political

a/political explores radical knowledge through the principle of Cultural Terror. Working with artists and agitators, the collective platforms voices that interrogate the critical issues and dominant narratives of our time. a/political functions through interventions, commissions and a collection of contemporary art. Projects include ORDER with Democracia; Black Flag with Santiago Sierra; The Game and INSURRECTION with Andres Serrano and Alamut with Laibach. Recently initiated, the a/political label uses the same methodology to collaborate on music projects that might be unsuitable for the mainstream industry. a/political is based in London, working closely with The Foundry and FOUNDRY UNIFORM in Maubourguet, Midi-Pyrénées. www.a-political.org / @apoliticalorg on social media.

About WikiLeaks

WikiLeaks is a multinational media organization and associated library. It was founded by its publisher Julian Assange in 2006. WikiLeaks specializes in the analysis and publication of large datasets of censored or otherwise restricted official materials involving war, spying and corruption. It has so far published more than 10 million documents and associated analyses. “WikiLeaks is a giant library of the world’s most persecuted documents. We give asylum to these documents, we analyze them, we promote them and we obtain more.” – Julian Assange, Der Spiegel Interview. WikiLeaks has contractual relationships and secure communications paths to more than 100 major media organizations from around the world. This gives WikiLeaks sources negotiating power, impact and technical protections that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to achieve. Although no organization can hope to have a perfect record forever, thus far WikiLeaks has a perfect record in document authentication and resistance to all censorship attempts.

WikiLeaks ongoing legal cases are best described in this UN report (2015) from the Center for Constitutional Rights
Julian Assange’s ongoing detention without charge is best described here: dontextraditeassange.com/assange-updates/

About the Wau Holland Foundation

The Wau Holland Foundation is an initiative for press freedom. Numerous documentaries and texts on and by data philosopher and visionary Wau Holland show how he influenced the world both as a public figure and the doyen and co-founder of the Chaos Computer Club throughout several decades until his untimely death on July 29, 2001. The area of conflict between new technology and media on the one hand, and ubiquitous surveillance on the other, risks and opportunities in information technology: these were key points Wau covered in his copious talks and public speeches. He developed and refined concepts like hacker ethics and teaching young people about the joy and passion in technology while stressing and showing the society’s role therein. Through founding the Chaos Computer Club in 1981, Wau Holland paved the way for hackers into legality and social responsibility. He continued to be a huge influence and a voice to be heard. It was on the day of Wau’s funeral in Marburg that five of his closest friends set up the Wau Holland Foundation in his memory, supported by his family who also gave the initial funding. In December 2003, the Foundation was registered as a tax-privileged charity.