SOCIAL CENTRE NETWORK LARC is part of the Social Centre Network - an attempt to link up the growing number of autonomous spaces to share resources, ideas and information. For information on the London Social Centre Network contact londonscn @ yahoo.co.uk
In London the SCN also involves: The Square: 21-22 Russell Square, London, WC1. As the 2006 New Year started, a new occupation began. The former School of Slavonic and Eastern European Studies (SSEES) which had been vacated some months previous, was occupied by students and non-students, aiming to create free accommodation, denied by speculative property prices and in refusal of the debt trap exacerbated by the creeping privatisation of education. We seized what has been denied, and we don't seek to re-create private property, but rather, to realise a new radical, public space for all. For info and events listing see: The Autonomy Club: Angel Alley, 84b Whitechapel High Street London E1. (Nearest tube Aldgate East). In the same building as the Freedom Press and Bookshop. For info on Freedom and a map see: Freedom Press RampART: The rampART Creative Centre and Social Space is an occupied building in East London. Since the summer of 2004, rampART has been hosting cultural and political events, including a community cinema, exhibitions, benefit gigs, discussions, meetings and workshops etc. The venue provides a large hall for public events upto around 400 people, a makeshift stage, and small PA, kitchen facilities, library, meeting rooms, workshop space, band rehearsal and recording room, video and audio editing, radio studio, internet access including public Wi-Fi, and a shared office. RampART 56a infoshop: 56 Crampton Street, London SE17. "The 56a is an unfunded 100% DIY-run space in London. We are a resource for local people, campaign groups and projects as well as selling books, zines, music and clothing. We have a radical archive of international info, a seed trading project and we share the space with Fareshares whole foods co-op and a DIY bicycle repair workshop. Stop by for a read, to check the squatters' bulletin board or for a cuppa. Open Thursdays 2-8pm, Fridays 3-7pm & Saturdays 1.30-5.30pm." 56a infoshop Carnivalistas Social Centre: The Carnivalistas are in the process of purchasing a space to run a social centre in South London. For more information on the carnivalistas email carnivalista @ yahoo.co.uk. Emmaz Social Centre: "We plan to buy a building in London for use as a club and social centre for anarchists / activists. If you are interested, have similar ideas, other ideas, time, practical skills and / or money to invest, get in touch by writing to Emma's, BM Active, London WC1N 3XX or e-mailing theegg @ easynet.co.uk www.emmaz.org.uk Use Your Loaf Centre For Social Solidarity: 227 Deptford High Street, London SE14. Hotline: 07984 588807."An old bakery, left abandoned for many years, has been occupied by local people, working for ourselves." (Sadly no longer but the website's still there to give you a taste.) Use Your Loaf Institute for Autonomy: (social centre - now evicted) 78 Gower Street, London WC1E. Near Euston and Tottenham Court Road. For a life of dignity without capitalism... Created in a disused university building that lay empty for over 5 years. The Institute for Autonomy aimed to be an open space for daily development towards autonomy. It was organised by open assemblies. See Indymedia page : Institute for Autonomy Radical Dairy Social Centre: 47 Kynaston Road, Stoke Newington, London N16. Contact them by email theradicaldairy@hotmail.com ('the dairy' is no longer - having been evicted - but the website's still up if you want to find out more.) Radical Dairy Social Centre Autonomous spaces in other places include:
The Basement 24 Lever St (just off Piccadilly Gardens) Manchester, M1. Manchester's new social centre and radical bookshop, with a wide selection of anarchist and radical books and journals, vegan cafe, radical library, free internet, meeting and exhibition space. Matilda 111 Matilda Street, Sheffield, S1 4QF. Tel: 0114 2787767. One short description offered was Massive Alternative Terrain for Insurrection, Love and Direct Action which if not entirely accurate (we haven't organised any insurrections yet) gives an idea of the spirit of Matilda. The Common Place 23-25 Wharf Street, Leeds, UK: We've been inspired by the examples of social centres like the 1 in 12 Club in Bradford as well as squatted social spaces such as Aspire. Like them we hope The Common Place will operate as a base for those involved in grassroots social change, and offer us control over our social space and resources. The shape of The Common Place will be up to all of us, but here are some of the ideas that have been proposed so far: cafe, gig venue, art space, library, meeting room, creche, yoga and health room, multicultural space, games room, radical bookshop, free internet access, food co-op, film nights, chill-out space. The Hanover Squares 34 Hanover Square, Little Woodhouse, Leeds, LS3 1AW. Email: hanoversquare @ riseup.net . We are a part residential, part public squatted social centre near Leeds city centre. We have a number of resources you are free to use, and we welcome any ideas on how else we can use the space! Maelstrom - infosquat The Old Post Office, Hyde Park Corner, Woodhouse Street. Leeds LS6 (Next to piana pizza's): reading group, cafe, discussions, films, workshops... For info on irregular events or if you are interested in holding an event @ maelstrom just keep checking indymedia or the front door. Aspire - Squat Autonomous Zone Locations around Leeds. For more details contact Aspire by email info@a-spire.org.uk or via their website. Oxford Action Resource Centre Located in Room One upstairs in the East Oxford Community Centre, Princes St and Cowley Rd, Oxford. The OARC is a DIY project, based on the PGA Hallmarks. Come along and get involved, either by joining an existing project, or by starting your own. The Nursery Social Centre Bournbrook nursery social centre in Birmingham is a place where a dynamic group of people are working to create a space for the local community and a resource centre for activists. The building occupied is a beautiful abandoned nursery which is being transformed into a useable space for the whole family. 1 Bournbrook Road, Selly Oak, Birmingham Bus no’s 61, 62, 63. Autonomous Centre of Edinburgh (ACE) 17 West Montgomery Place, Edinburgh, EH7 5HA Contact ACE by phone: 0131 5576242. The Autonomous Centre of Edinburgh (ACE) is a self-funded community resource centre for grassroots organisation, encouraging people to take more control of their lives. We do not provide solutions, but believe in joining together to support each other. George X Chalkboard Social Centre 34 Clarendon Place, Glasgow G207PZ (Off Maryhill Road. Underground: St George's Cross) Tel: 0141 332 2902. The main aim of the social centre is to engage local people in running the space, dealing with the issues that affect there community and enjoying community events of their own making. The Saorsa Centre 674 Pollokshaws Road, Glasgow Tel: 0141-423-9055 Email: g42collective @ riseup.net . The Saorsa Social Centre is a place where people can take back more control over their own lives. A space to provide resources and a meeting place for local groups and individuals campaigning for human rights, the environment, peace and co-operation world-wide. Colchester Social Centre 87 East Hill, Colchester, Essex Can be contacted by phone: 07986654583, by email colchestersocialcentre@yahoo.co.uk or via the website. The Cowley Club 12 London Road, Brighton BN1 4JA Tel.: 01273 696104 A collectively run libertarian social centre. The Cowley Club is a social centre on the busy London Road in Brighton. It houses a cafe and bookshop during the day, a private members bar during the evenings, and is a base for a variety of other projects. Kebele 14 Robertson Road, Easton, Bristol, BS5 6JY Tel 0117 9399469 email:info@kebele.org The Kebele Kulture Projekt is based in Easton, Bristol and provides a space for the development of radical community politics and international solidarity. Lancaster Re-Source Centre (La.R.C.) 78a Penny Street, Lancaster, LA1 1XN (Below single step/Whale tale cafe) Contact La.R.C. by email thebasement@webtribe.net or phone: 01524383012, or call in on Wednesdays between 12-7pm. LaRC is a collectively run resource centre and meeting space. It is open to everyone interested in or working on self-organised, non-hierarchical projects for radical social change. The centre is run by a collective of volunteers and decisions are made by consensus at the monthly LaRC meetings or via our email list. Number Zero 53 Castle Street, Cambridge centre Has a bar, cafe & library/quiet space. SUMAC Centre (formerley Rainbow) 245 Gladstone Street, Nottingham NG7 6HX Contact SUMAC by phone: 0845 4589595, by email sumac @ veggies.org.uk or via their website. The Sumac Centre provides resources and a meeting place for local groups and individuals campaigning for human and animal rights, the environment, peace and co-operation world-wide. Established in the mid 1980s as the Rainbow Centre, Sumac works independently of, but in co-operation with, other groups both locally and nationally. We receive no regular funding, but exist through the hard work of many people, all of whom are volunteers. 1in12 Club 21 Albion Street, Bradford. Contact the 1in12 Club by phone on 01274 734160 or via their website. The 1 in 12 Club was formed in 1981 by members of Bradford's anarchist orientated Claimants Union in 1981. The immediate objectives of the 'Club' were to generate and sustain a social scene, accessible and affordable to both the low waged and unemployed. The expectation and hope was that this would in turn encourage the anarchist values of self-management, co-operation and mutual aid. 217 Community Resource Centre 217 High Street, Swansea Contact them by phone on: 01792 642404 Or via their website. |