An occupied autonomous space has been opened in Nottingham. The free space, at the former Conservative Social Club on Church Street in Lenton, is intended as a space to plan and discuss ways of supporting the strike on November 30th, as well as the wider anti-cuts campaign and other movements for radical social change.

On the newswire: The Bigger Society Social Club is open | Former Tory club occupied for the bigger society | Provisional programme for Notts Free Space | Notts Free Space

There will be a wide ranging programme running through the week:

Bike maintenance skill shares – running all week.

Intro to Indymedia – An introduction to the values and practice of Indymedia, a global network of independent media sites that will make you think twice about giving away your media to corporate sites. The workshop will explain why Indymedia is necessary and how to publish your news and be the media.

Introduction to Jun Fan/Jeet Kune Do – Covering primary theory & principles, stance, fundamental footwork, core strikes, stop hits, interceptions & sensitivity drills

JKD Kickboxing basic training.

Men against the patriarchy – Men are conditioned to reinforce patriarchal structures and behaviours. How can they reject and challenge this in their day to day lives? Nottingham based group “Men dealing with our shit” will facilitate this discussion to pick apart our behaviours, their root causes and collectively create solutions. All genders welcome.

Off-grid electrics – Theoretical and practical workshop on off-grid, solar panels and battery power.

Prisoner Solidarity – Those who participate in resistance against the state and capitalism run the risk of spending time imprisoned. This workshop aims to develop ideas and practices which mean that those who end up behind bars to not become isolated from the communities they were part of, as well as thinking through practical ideas to support imprisoned comrades.

Security for activists – From police infiltration to corporate smears and fascist attacks, any effective campaign against powerful enemies will have to deal with attempts to shut it down. This workshop will introduce participants to thinking about personal and campaign security and provide a space to share ideas about how to improve security within our movements.

Self defence foundation course

• pt.1 – Covering basic core strikes, personal space, defensive reinforcements, body language, verbalisation, use of senses/awareness, basic footwork & stance, & grab releases.
• pt.2 – Covering defences utilising use of opponents energy.
• pt.3 – Covering ground & seated defence.

Smash EDO

• A brief introduction on the origins of the campaign and past actions.
• A legal workshop in the form of QnA.
• A talk on direct action tactics.
• What we would like from the Summer of resistance.

Yoga – Occupation yoga is back by popular demand! Please bring a mat or blanket.

Films

Prison?
In October 1993 Charlie Ryder took part in a violent protest to shut down the BNP headquarters in Welling South East London. Two months later he was featured on crime monthly a program which appealed for some of Britain’s most wanted criminals. Arrested the next morning he waited nearly 2 years before he was sent to prison for 16 months.

Charlie has now developed his story into a feature film using shadow puppetry, marionette puppets, rod puppets, masks, visual art, poetry and dance to shine a light on his time inside. Charlie hopes that by painting a picture of his experience it will educate people and challenge perceptions of prison and prisoners.

http://bristol.indymedia.org/article/705951

The Take
In suburban Buenos Aires, thirty unemployed auto-parts workers walk into their idle factory, roll out sleeping mats and refuse to leave. All they want is to re-start the silent machines. But this simple act – The Take – has the power to turn the globalization debate on its head.

Armed only with slingshots and an abiding faith in shop-floor democracy, the workers face off against the bosses, bankers and a whole system that sees their beloved factories as nothing more than scrap metal for sale.

http://www.thetake.org

The Taqwacores
Yusef, a first-generation Pakistani engineering student, moves off-campus with a group of Muslim punks in Buffalo, New York. His new “un-orthodox” house mates soon introduce him to Taqwacore- a hardcore, Muslim punk rock scene that only exists out west. As the seasons change, Taqwacore influences the house more and more. The living room becomes a mosque during the day, while it continues to host punk parties at night. Ultimately, Yusef is influenced by Taqwacore too, as he begins to challenge his own faith and ideologies. The Taqwacores deals with the complexities of being young and Muslim in modern-day America.

Wikipedia entry

Tough Guise
While the social construction of femininity has been widely examined, the dominant role of masculinity has until recently remained largely invisible. Tough Guise is the first educational video to systematically examine the relationship between pop-cultural imagery and the social construction of masculine identities in the U.S. at the dawn of the 21st century.

In this innovative and wide-ranging analysis, Jackson Katz argues that widespread violence in American society, including the tragic school shootings in Littleton, Colorado, Jonesboro, Arkansas, and elsewhere, needs to be understood as part of an ongoing crisis in masculinity.

http://www.mediaed.org/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=211

END:CIV
END:CIV examines our culture’s addiction to systematic violence and environmental exploitation, and probes the resulting epidemic of poisoned landscapes and shell-shocked nations. Based in part on Endgame, the best-selling book by Derrick Jensen, END:CIV asks: “If your homeland was invaded by aliens who cut down the forests, poisoned the water and air, and contaminated the food supply, would you resist?”

http://endciv.com/