Upcoming courses and events
February 11, 2024
Film Screening
The Leo Panitch School for Socialist Education and the Socialist Project presents Cradle Will Rock as the next movie shown in our ongoing FilmSocial series.
It’s 1937 in New York City. Labour strikes break out throughout the country and New York is alive with cultural revolution. Nelson Rockefeller (John Cusack) commissions Mexican artist Diego Rivera (Ruben Blades) to paint the lobby of Rockefeller Center, while Italian propagandist Margherita Sarfatti (Susan Sarandon) sells Da Vincis to fund the Mussolini war effort. Orson Welles (Angus Macfadyen) is directing the musical The Cradle Will Rock, which is under threat of being shut down by the House Committee on Un-American Activities for being sympathetic to communism.
Cradle Will Rock is a 1999 historical drama film written, produced and directed by Tim Robbins. The film dramatizes the development of the 1937 musical The Cradle Will Rock by Marx Blitzstein and the events surrounding it. It explores the role of art, power, and politics in the 1930s against the backdrop of the labour movement struggle and the increased appeal of socialism.
Following the film, there will be an open discussion on the broader context of the film and some of the key questions raised by it.
April 27, 2024
Book Launch
The Leo Panitch School for Socialist Education is proud to present the Toronto launch of the new book from Scott Aquanno and Steve Maher: The Fall and Rise of American Finance: From J.P. Morgan to Blackrock (Verso. 2024).
Today, it is all but taken for granted that finance is parasitic on industry. Financialization, in this view, amounts to financial institutions capturing the state, hollowing out the “real” economy, and hastening the decline of capitalism. Stephen Maher and Scott Aquanno challenge these arguments in their new book. They insist that, despite the costs to workers and the middle class over the last decades, financialization has boosted competitiveness and strengthened capital – all with the support of an ever stronger and more authoritarian state.
All are warmly invited to join us for the Toronto launch of this insightful and timely book. As global left and progressive forces search for ways to meaningfully confront the ever-evolving capitalism of today, works such as The Fall and Rise of American Finance ares a vital tool in understanding the shifting economic landscape we face.
What – A book talk with presentations from the authors, followed by discussion and Q&A.
When – Saturday April 27 – 7pm.
Where – The Centre for Social Innovation – Annex, 720 Bathurst St. Toronto, ON.
How – We ask all potential attendees to register for free via our TicketTailor page.
While this book launch is primarily a live event, please stay tuned for more information regarding online viewing options for those unable to attend in person.