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the Audacious Space free cafe & info-shop - Leeds City Centre 11-12 April

leedssquatter | 08.04.2008 13:21 | 2008 Days Of Action For Autonomous Spaces | Free Spaces | Repression | Social Struggles

Part of the International Weekend of Action in defence of squats and autonomous spaces - see  http://april2008.squat.net

Across the world, communities are under threat as city "regeneration schemes" favour faceless, sterile corporate takeover and overpriced yuppie flats over and above issues such as community, social housing and diversity.

Leeds is no exception as PFIs and similar privatised "regeneration" programmes threaten communities across the city.

We want to show that communities throughout our city are not prepared to lie down and accept this!

For the weekend of 11th-12th April we would like to invite you to join in putting on an event in a family friendly occupied/reclaimed/squatted space in Leeds City Centre, featuring:

- Free Café – Hot and cold drinks, Hot food and cakes served throughout the day. (small donations to cover costs welcome!)
-Free Shop – Clothes, books and toys free for anyone to take.
-Loads of information on housing issues in Leeds and throughout the world, highlighting peoples' struggles against corporate takeover and state control of their homes and lives. Practical advice about alternative housing options in Leeds.
- Acoustic open mike on saturday night

...but most importantly the space will be open for whatever you want it to be: an opportunity for films, displays, art, workshops... to get involved give us an email on  leedssquat@googlemail.com or call 07526 261061.


The venue will be an easy walk from Leeds city centre / train station / bus station - for location please call 07526 261061 or email  leedssquat@googlemail.com.

leedssquatter
- e-mail: leedssquat@googlemail.com

Additions

Audacious Space - NOW OPEN!

11.04.2008 18:41

Audacious space - outside
Audacious space - outside

Audacious space - outside #2
Audacious space - outside #2

Audacious space - banner
Audacious space - banner

Audacious space - "The Housing Advice Centre Is Changing" - oh yes!
Audacious space - "The Housing Advice Centre Is Changing" - oh yes!

Infoshop
Infoshop

Anti-gentrification display
Anti-gentrification display

Anti-gentrification/privatisation display
Anti-gentrification/privatisation display

So much to learn...
So much to learn...

Kid's area
Kid's area

Kid's area #2
Kid's area #2

Free Shop
Free Shop

Free shop #2
Free shop #2

Catering
Catering

The space was taken without too much fuss last night, and opened its doors to the public about 3pm today. On going in, it was obvious that a lot of effort had gone into preparing the infoshop and beautifying the inside. There was free coffee and snacks, some people were watching a film and some were handing out literature on the pavement outside.

For anyone who doesn't know the area, The Headrow is right in the very centre of town. The council vacated this building (it used to be the housing advice centre) so they could sell it on to be another exclusive boutique; the housing office was moved to somewhere further out of town and harder for people to access.

Perhaps they were prescient when they chose to write in their display, "The Housing Advice Centre Is Changing." It certainly has. If you go in now, you'll learn all about how to squat and take control of your own housing problems!

Come and pop in if you have a chance. The full program of film screenings is below:

Friday

7 - 8pm European autonomous Spaces Part I

Direct Action against Apathy shorts on 'autonomous spaces'. DAAA made
some documentaries back in 2005 about European autonomous spaces. Here
we feature three of them: Barcelona, our very own A-spire from Leeds and
a secret location!

8-9pm - Rob Newman
Live from the 2007 Camp for Climate Action, we have Rob Newman's
hilarious and political sharp stand up on oil, war and direct action.

Saturday

2 - 3pm European autonomous Spaces Part II
Back with 3 more shorts from Direct Action against Apathy: Nottingham
(Sumac Centre), Christiania and Amsterdam

3 - 4 pm Boom - the sound of eviction
Story of gentrification and resistance from downtown san Francisco

4 - 5 pm Those who dance
Inspiring story of resistance from Rossport in Ireland where a community
is taking on the massive multinational Shell to stop them building an
oil pipeline.

5 - 5.30pm The story of Joe Hill
Story of legendary itinerant, folk hero Joe Hill - a key agitator and
wobbly (IWW) organiser

5.30 - 6pm Hands of our homes
Short documentaries abot communities resisting privatisation and PFIs
from around the UK

6 - 7.30pm The Take
Story of workers in Argentina who occupy their factory after the 2001
economic crash.

7.30 - 9pm Dockers
Story of amazing 1994 Liverpool dockers strike whose struggle spread
around the world.

happy snapper
- Homepage: http://www.thecommonplace.org.uk/


brilliant action

13.04.2008 16:00

This really was an audacious space- reclaiming the old housing advice centre and giving out advice on squatting, autonomous spaces, alternative housing advice and anti-gentrification info.
It was the most open squat i've ever seen- having the doors wide open on a busy saturday right in the middle of the city centre... loads of people coming in for advice on squatting, to read some of the info, watch a film or just sit and drink tea.
The best thing i've seen in a long time...!

e.m


Cafe now shut

13.04.2008 20:51

The Audacious Space cafe is now shut as of early Sunday evening, but everyone is anxious to maintain the momentum of this weekend, so there will be a meeting for people interested in what to do next on Wednesday this week at 7pm to discuss ideas, and have a bit of an Audacious Debrief.

Call the usual number (07526261061) or email  leedssquat@gmail.com for location. It will be particularly good if people who didn't help in putting on the space, but came down and liked what they saw, came along to see how to get more involved.

And a MASSIVE MASSIVE WELL DONE to everyone who put on and came down to and participated in this amazing event! Let's keep the momentum going!

leedssquatter
mail e-mail: leedssquat@gmail.com


Comments

Hide the following 5 comments

Location

11.04.2008 15:45

The audacious space squat is now open - opposite Primark on the Headrow in the city centre at the old housing advice centre. See you there.

Rudiger


Viva!

11.04.2008 23:54

Viva!

Viva!


F****** great...

12.04.2008 15:07

...idea and setup! Hope to pop along soon and with some supplies and stuff for the shop if it's still going by then!

Q


Correction to above post

14.04.2008 12:26

That email address should be  leedssquat@googlemail.com, sorry! Get in touch to find out about what's going to happen next...

leedssquatter
mail e-mail: leedssquat@googlemail.com


audacious space gig this wednesday QUIRKY MUSIC!!

18.04.2008 23:55

starting potentially mid afternoon,
confirmed acts: MIRANDA ARIEH, The YAMAHA MANNEQUINS; THIS AMBULANCE CONTAINS SKITTLES; GARETH S BROWN; NANDA+RU FLUORESCENT EXPERIMENT; THAT FUCKING TANK

TBC: FULIBULBOUS, WORRIED ABOUT SATAN, HUB, QUIP, HANDS FINGERS; MONSTER KILLED BY LASER

performance art
art installations
fun!!!!!!!!!!!
donation entry benefit for MESHO newspaper!!
:)

Ru
mail e-mail: kanga73@hotmail.com