“Squats or free spaces have great history many have gone on host a wealth of unique exchanges and become centres of local and national activism by becoming centres for travelling plays, parties, music, cinema, talks, debate and workshops.

The spaces by their nature attract local residents, local activists and often create exchanges and meeting points that result in strong communities actively pursuing their civil power and asserting control over their own lives.

These communities that can grow can attract people growing up in the city and studying as students and activists to stay in the city after graduation and contribute positively too many causes…rather than as they become more involved just move to places were these communities exist like Oxford, Bristol, Brighton or London.

Birmingham is the city with the highest youth unemployment, the largest council cuts, and the most abandoned buildings and the highest rate of homelessness. Basically I think Birmingham is exactly where we should be.This city should be hotbed of alternative discourse, social empowerment and people forcing of change.”

In these goals we have achieved some measure of success, the question is now what next for the Birmingham social centre, although we are leaving the current location, the concept and the community built up around lives on.

So where do we go from here? do you want to be involved in what we do next, what should we do differently next time?

please come along this Friday at 7pm