Our favourite autonomous social centre is 2 years old. It was opened on May 21st 2004 in an abandoned warehouse which was previously used as an Islamic girls school. Located in the East End of London near Whitechapel (15 Rampart Street, London E1 2LA) it has hosted over 200 cultural and political events in it’s two years of existance - placing the rampART firmly and literally on the activist map of London.
For many people the rampART has been a venue for many gigs and partys but the rampART is a highly political space and this is reflected even in the parties. The massive free festival for peace organised by The European Creative Forum and Peace Not War was accompanied by an afternoon of workshops.
From the very start the rampART has always be run as a not-for-profit venue. Entrance is free or by donation, nobody gets paid and the venue never asks for a cut. Thousands of pounds have been raised during benefit events for groups and campaigns such as London Rising Tide, PeaceNews, Real2Reel, and Indymedia. Argentinian, Bolivian and Chillean solidarity groups have raised money for political prisoners and there was fund-raising for the anti-G8 mobilisations in Scotland.
Beyond parties, the rampART has also hosted meetings, discussion and gatherings such as a week long Venezuela Solidarity event during the Hugo Chavez referendum, a week-long series of talks, films, food and discussion about Africa; and the highly ambitious consious fashion week. Amoung the groups which have used the space for meetings are the International Solidarity Movement, the European Creative Forum, London Adbusters and the Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army.
Indymedia has been using the rampART as a venue for a series of film festivals. The first, covering social struggles in India, drew threats from right wing Hindus seeking to censor films about the massacre of 2,000 Muslims at the hands rioting Hindus in Gujarat. Other indymedia screenings include ‘Caminos De Resistencia (Paths Of Resistance)’ and the Middle East Film Festival. The weekly Free Community Cinema presented documentaries including The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, The Globalisation Tapes, ‘Fahrenheit 911’, and Forth World War.
Another project to have emerged from the rampART is the internet radio station, RampART radio, which was set up to provide independent coverage during the European Social Forum last October. Streaming 24/7, it’s output is a mix of independent news, spoken word, plus conscious and revolutionary tunes.
During the European Social Forum, the rampART opened it’s doors to accommodate over 50 European visitors as well as laying on free food and a huge range of entertainment. Additionally, as one of the ESF autonomous spaces, rampART hosted the Home Education Forum and acted as homebase for the European Creative Forum and the Laboratory of Insurrectional Imagination.
Of course it’s important not to forget the ART in rampart. The venue has hosted the fresh talents of wide range of artists - from the mixed media of a beginning, the hardcore photos of ZDO9; the performance art from ‘chikukuango’; thought provoking sculptures in ‘the body’, a the hard hitting installation ‘the election’. Not to mention providing a painting studio for the creation of many of the large banners seen at protests in london.
And that's how we celebrate:
Saturday, 27th may from 4 pm:
Streetparty with live action painting, shanties and singalongs with Jan Maat, anti- folk/ folk, poetry and spoken word.
Live on stage in the hall:
Tom Alder
Themistoklis
GM 13
Jacknifekid
Davidcronenbergswife
Plus resident DJs:
DJNE Sexyrubbersole (dnb)
DJNE Mondstrom (berlin electro)
Sunday, 28th may from 4 pm:
Streetparty with shanties and singalongs with Jan Maat, anti- folk/ folk, ‘the Adventures of Charlie Chog’ and spoken word.
Live on stage in the hall:
Malcolm Kaksois
Marianne Hyatt
M-A-L-E
Glassglue
Earthieves
Plus resident DJs:
DJ Dizzy (jazz-funk-da world)
DJ Milo (old skool funk and new beatz)
Entry by donation. Surplus money goes towards the space and to pay the performers expenses.
Let everyone know- spread the word.
From the very start the rampART has always be run as a not-for-profit venue. Entrance is free or by donation, nobody gets paid and the venue never asks for a cut. Thousands of pounds have been raised during benefit events for groups and campaigns such as London Rising Tide, PeaceNews, Real2Reel, and Indymedia. Argentinian, Bolivian and Chillean solidarity groups have raised money for political prisoners and there was fund-raising for the anti-G8 mobilisations in Scotland.
Beyond parties, the rampART has also hosted meetings, discussion and gatherings such as a week long Venezuela Solidarity event during the Hugo Chavez referendum, a week-long series of talks, films, food and discussion about Africa; and the highly ambitious consious fashion week. Amoung the groups which have used the space for meetings are the International Solidarity Movement, the European Creative Forum, London Adbusters and the Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army.
Indymedia has been using the rampART as a venue for a series of film festivals. The first, covering social struggles in India, drew threats from right wing Hindus seeking to censor films about the massacre of 2,000 Muslims at the hands rioting Hindus in Gujarat. Other indymedia screenings include ‘Caminos De Resistencia (Paths Of Resistance)’ and the Middle East Film Festival. The weekly Free Community Cinema presented documentaries including The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, The Globalisation Tapes, ‘Fahrenheit 911’, and Forth World War.
Another project to have emerged from the rampART is the internet radio station, RampART radio, which was set up to provide independent coverage during the European Social Forum last October. Streaming 24/7, it’s output is a mix of independent news, spoken word, plus conscious and revolutionary tunes.
During the European Social Forum, the rampART opened it’s doors to accommodate over 50 European visitors as well as laying on free food and a huge range of entertainment. Additionally, as one of the ESF autonomous spaces, rampART hosted the Home Education Forum and acted as homebase for the European Creative Forum and the Laboratory of Insurrectional Imagination.
Of course it’s important not to forget the ART in rampart. The venue has hosted the fresh talents of wide range of artists - from the mixed media of a beginning, the hardcore photos of ZDO9; the performance art from ‘chikukuango’; thought provoking sculptures in ‘the body’, a the hard hitting installation ‘the election’. Not to mention providing a painting studio for the creation of many of the large banners seen at protests in london.
And that's how we celebrate:
Saturday, 27th may from 4 pm:
Streetparty with live action painting, shanties and singalongs with Jan Maat, anti- folk/ folk, poetry and spoken word.
Live on stage in the hall:
Tom Alder
Themistoklis
GM 13
Jacknifekid
Davidcronenbergswife
Plus resident DJs:
DJNE Sexyrubbersole (dnb)
DJNE Mondstrom (berlin electro)
Sunday, 28th may from 4 pm:
Streetparty with shanties and singalongs with Jan Maat, anti- folk/ folk, ‘the Adventures of Charlie Chog’ and spoken word.
Live on stage in the hall:
Malcolm Kaksois
Marianne Hyatt
M-A-L-E
Glassglue
Earthieves
Plus resident DJs:
DJ Dizzy (jazz-funk-da world)
DJ Milo (old skool funk and new beatz)
Entry by donation. Surplus money goes towards the space and to pay the performers expenses.
Let everyone know- spread the word.
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