Oxford social centre - photos and first events!

A massive industrial building in East Oxford has been squatted for use as a social centre. Some photos, updates and details of our first few events.

The view from the road outside

Inside the courtyard

The fire escape: sunbathing space for the local cat

Ground floor main space

Large and plenty of light; will be great for events

Second floor - cosy sleeping space

Third floor - more cosy snoozespots

From upper floors you can get good views of the gate

...and the yard

This ivy in the kitchen had grown THROUGH the window putty into the building!

You also get a good view of the gate from the kitchen

I'm quite tired so I won't give a detailed update. Things were a lot calmer today. A brief visit from the owner, but nothing major. No more cop hassle. We got a lot of constructive stuff done and are gradually making the place more habitable, more social, and more defendable.

Not pictured in these photos are the 'kitchen' and the darker downstairs middle rooms.

Events:

We decided to have an 'open session' every day 5pm-7pm. People are welcome to visit at other times of the day (within reason, obviously!) but we aim to make that a very socialable slot when lots of people will be around. A chance to come and chat, meet others, discuss ideas for projects that could happen here, or help out with jobs that need doing.

We also decided to have a practical meeting every evening around 8pm, at least for the first week or so, to talk about any issues that come up and organise stuff that needs doing.

This Saturday will be a work day when people are encouraged to come along and help improve the space. Times and details TBC.

This Sunday we will have a community meal, open to all, free of charge (we may ask for donations). Times and details TBC.

Come out and play! The potential of this space is inspiring!

cheesy bouncy dancefish

Additions

weekend events update

18.08.2011 14:06

Slight change of plan: the work day will still be on Sat, but we'll have the
meal on Sat eve instead of Sun, and then have workshops/discussions on Sun...

-----------------------------------------------------------
Saturday 20th Aug - 11am-6pm
Collective work day
Cleaning, decorating, fortifying the place together.
You could bring:
-nice throws/fabric
-decent wood for building
-furniture (chairs, sofas)
-anything useful you can think of
-----------------------------------------------------------
Saturday 20th Aug - 6pm onwards (food at 6:30pm)
Community meal
Tasty vegan food for free/donation + interesting company!
[Contact oxsquat at riseup.net if you want to help cook].
-----------------------------------------------------------
Sunday 21st Aug - 12pm-4pm
Free University
A day of workshops, skill-sharing and discussions.
[If you have an idea for a workshop you want to run,
bring it on the day or contact oxsquat at riseup.net].
-----------------------------------------------------------

Sam McSpam Cobwebby-Hair

Comments

Hide the following 9 comments

link to previous report

15.08.2011 23:53

Nice one...but the sink needs pruning

16.08.2011 08:21

Enjoyed my visit, but to paraphrase Godfather 3 - i am glad i escaped before i got dragged back in. Thanks people, good luck and i hope the social centre is successful.

The Former Mister T.....

looks great!

16.08.2011 08:55

hi everyone,

this looks great with loads of potential good luck with defending the place and keep it up! :)

riku

What's a social centre?

17.08.2011 09:53

Hello,

Forgive my not know but could you saying on what 'social centre' are? Is this like your places 'Leisure Centre' or more like places 'Nightclub'?

My thankyou,
Newcomer to Oxford and United Britain

Arun

Re: What's a social centre?

17.08.2011 10:27

Hi Arun

"Social centres are abandoned buildings - warehouses, factories, military forts, schools - that have been occupied by squatters and transformed into cultural and political hubs, explicitly free from both the market, and from state control... Though it may be hard to tell at first, the social centres aren't ghettos, they are windows — not only into another way to live, disengaged from the state, but also into a new politics of engagement. And yes, it's something that may be beautiful." (Klein, 2001).

Taken from this article gives some idea about what Social Centres are:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_center

scroogler

Wow

17.08.2011 12:21

That space looks amazing, best of luck holding it, i hope you get to turn it into something useful for people in the area rather than just an empty shell!

Sheffield Anarchist Bookfair

Disengaged from the state?

19.08.2011 14:08

How can occupation of property defined by the state as belonging to someone else, and the rights you have as squatters to occupy which are also defined by the state, and the probable repossession by the forces of the state with the legal backing from the state be disengaged from the state?

It's seems like a nice idea but the actual presence of a state able to impose it's will seems to limit the idea that the social centre itself can be an alternative to capitalist control of society if it is not part of a strategy to develop a force to counter that of the state forces.

Also how is crime handled in the social centre? I assume the forces of state will not be engaged, leaving it up to the people in the centre to impose their will on the criminals to desist/make reparations/be expelled or whatever the sanction. Is this not a form of state in itself in that one section of the group might have to impose it's will on others for behaving in a manner detrimental to the group?

Ian

re: Disengaged from the state?

19.08.2011 14:32

We've had similar questions on Oxford Indymedia before.

There's some interesting reading here that might help answer some of your questions:

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/oxford/2011/05/478899.html?c=on#c268860

re. re disengagement from the state

20.08.2011 14:00

Thanks for the link. An interesting discussion on how we can manage without capitalist relations, something I am very much in favour of, but the discussion didn't really address my questions about the issue of the state and the role the occupation played in relation to that, unless the answer being suggested was the book links.