Side stepping the property ladder in London

11.04.2008 11:35 | 2008 Days Of Action For Autonomous Spaces | Free Spaces | London

Coinciding with the Europe-wide days of action in defence of free spaces a new squat was opened in Shoreditch and a series of events took place in autonomous spaces around London.

The weekend kicked off on Friday evening with a social meetup and info night with fils and cafe at the rampART social centre and acoustic bands and performances at the NOID gallery.

On saturday, the newly opened social centre opened it's doors with an art-exhibition, films, workshops and discussions. It also hosted a free shop and very popular squatters estate agency. Also during the day there was a demo at a homeless hostel in London.

Saturday evening saw several hundred people partying at the Hackney Social Centre at a benefit gig for the Advisory Service for Squatters with Headjam, Skints, Ras Simeon Judah, 52 Commerical Rd and Pinstickers. Another benefit took place at the Wominspace.

Also see international days of action summary.

London followup @ Bowl Court Squat, Sat 19th

Squatters Estate Agents, putting people places

Space Is The Place

- side stepping the property ladder

This is a one-off series of events to coincide with the Europe-wide days of action in defence of free spaces and for an anti-capitalist popular culture. The events are based at a new squatted social centre in Shoreditch and other autonomous spaces around London

The themes for Space Is the Place is the appropriation of public space by big business through privatisation and speculation, the sell-off of council housing and how the current housing crisis affects the most disadvantaged, gentrification and redevelopment of East London for the Olympics in 2012, the mismanagement of land and its ownership by the wealthy elite...

There will be an open access art-space themed as above, discussions and skill-sharing to bring people together and share ideas on how we can solve the problems we face, info-station for DIY action, films, photography, music and cafe. There will also be a benefit gig to raise money for the Advisory Service for Squatters.

FRIDAY 11th

7pm @rampART Social Centre (yes, it's still open)
Free Spaces info night and social meet up with cafe, films, talks, stalls

8pm @NOID Gallery
acoustic bands and performance

SATURDAY 12th

12noon@Alexandra Hostel, Hackney
public action organised by London Coallition Against Poverty

10am-7pm@NewShoreditchSquat
Squatters Estate Agency, Art Exhibition, Films, Stalls, Workshops and discussion

8pm@HackneySocialCentre
Benefit gig for the Advisory Service for Squatters. Bands, stalls, vegan dinner.

SUNDAY 13th

10am-7pm@NewShoreditchSquat
Squatters Estate Agency, Art Exhibition, Films, Stalls, Workshops and discussion

OTHER HAPPENINGS

Sat 11th : Wominspace workshops and drag party from 9pm till late

Sat 11th : 7pm - 11:30pm Earth Circus Climate 4 Change Cabaret @ Circle Community

VENUES

New Shoreditch Squat : bowl court off plough yard, nr jnc Shoreditch High Street and Grt Eastern St.

rampART social centre : 15-17 Rampart Street, E1 2LA - www.rampart.co.nr

NOID gallery : 26 Calvert Ave, London E2 7JP - www.noidgallery.net

Hackney Social Centre : 231 Lower Clapton Road, E5 8EG - hackneysocialcentre.blogspot.com

Wominspace : 4a Corbridge Crescent, E2 - womynspace.blogspot.com

Circle Community : The Old Mercedes Showroom 341 Finchley Rd - circlecommunity.org

Additions

Friday Evening @ rampART

11.04.2008 12:47

Space Is The Place kicks off on the evening of Friday 11th with a social meet up and info night at the rampART social centre on Friday evening - a chance to chat about events and actions over the weekend and tell people about the autonomous spaces you are involved in.

Side Stepping the Property Ladder @ rampART
From 7pm at 15 rampart street, London E1 2LA

Vegan cafe with films, presentations, info and music.

Films include:
* video vox pops from manchester about free spaces
* Trainsquatting - eastern european squatters
* Uprooted - Greek Olympics evictions
and many more

Presentations include:
* Shane Collins revisiting the highly influential Cooltan
and squat actions against the Criminal Justice Act in the 90's
* Squatters mutual aid networks and the advisory service for squatter.
* The rampART, past, present and future
more to be confirmed

Info Stalls include:
* London Coalition Against Poverty
* Advisory Service for Squatters
* Rupture Squat Zine
* Indymedia Offline and Infousurpa
all TBC

Music includes:
* Marianne Hyatt
* Half of 52 Commercial Road
* Tom from David Cronenbergs Wife

Help making the evening happen would be much appreciated, email rampart AT mutualaid DOT org if you can help skip, prepare and cook food, present a project, contribute films etc.

For info about other events taking place in London over the days of action, see

http://publish.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/04/395938.html

15 Rampart Street E1 2LA
Homepage: http://rampart.co.nr

Saturday and Sunday at new Shoreditch squat venue

11.04.2008 12:49

Over the last three weeks people have been preparing an abandoned warehouse in Shoreditch to host events over the weekend of the days of action for squats and autonomous spaces. This week, artists have been transforming the place for an exhibition themed around land use, gentrification, housing and reclaiming space.

The building opens on Saturday at 10am with a program of films, discussion and skill sharing till 7pm and again on Sunday. The space will also be hosting a freeshop and squatters estate agency.

Right on the edge of the city of London, the squat is overshadowed by a massive new 700 million pound development site pushing out into Shoreditch. A huge glistening glass tower block is the first of many that will be built here, transforming the area completely. The warehouse stands alone with earth movers parked in the open area between it and the construction trains and tower blocks, an almost exact real life replica of the image used on the April2008 website.

The squat is located in Bowl Court which is up Plough Court next to the junction of Great Eastern Street and Shoreditch High Street.

You involvement is essential. We are looking for people to contribute discussions and practical workshops over the weekend. If you can help please come along to the meet up at rampART on Friday evening.

Bowl Court

The ASS benefit will be at The Hackney Social Centre on Lower Clapton Road

11.04.2008 12:50

Vegan Dinner, Info Stalls, plus

Headjam ( punky dub ),
Pinstickers ( live dance ),
52 Commercial Rd ( this is a prog/experimental band and NOT the venue ),
Ras Simeon Judah ( live hiphop ),
The Skints ( ska ).

and more

Your ASS is mine

Shoreditch free space pics

13.04.2008 18:40

Art work in the ally

Our towering neighbours

View of diggers outside the window

Another window has a more attractive view

The new stairs were a great help

Plenty of people come and go

Map aids London Squatter

Checking out the properties available in the squatters estate agency

Some of the artwork on the 1st floor

Free shop - fridge, kitchen sink and all

Some pictures from the new squatted social centre in Shoreditch

snap happy

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Dont forget: Squatting London Talk @ Housmans

06.06.2008 11:36

In tune with the above there is also this following event next week:

________________________________________

Housmans – radical booksellers since 1945
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Squatting London
Wednesday 11th June – 7pm
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For decades the squatting of vacant property has played an important role in the history of London; from the mass squatting by families who lost their homes in the blitz of World War Two, to the recent squatting by homeless migrant workers. But London’s squat scene has also been a hotbed of political resistance, not least in the squatted social centres that today provide one of the few spaces in our city where counter-culture flourishes untainted.

Representatives from three of London’s best-known squatted social centres, Hackney Social Centre, 56a Info-shop, and Wominspace, will be hosting an informal talk at Housmans to discuss the current state of the squat scene, to share experiences on resisting eviction, and to give advice on how to set up your own squat successfully.

Part of Housmans' London series. www.housmans.com/events
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Event information

Housmans Bookshop,
5 Caledonian Road,
King's Cross,
London N1 9DX
Tel: 020 7837 4473
Email: shop[at]housmans.com
website: www.housmans.com
[brand new website coming soon!]
Map:

http://tinyurl.com/2oq9vv

Drinks will be available.

Free entry.
Nearest tube: King's Cross

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"SUPPORT THE BOOKSHOP THAT SUPPORTS YOUR CAMPAIGNS"

housmans

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