Social Centre
Dec 30 2003 17:32
we need one. i was reading do or die no.10 (incidentally, this is the single best radical publication i have ever read, get it or borrow it, it is amazing!), and among the many many great suggestions for what to do to advance the general libertarian revolutionary movement, was to create a counterculture, similar to the one built up in spain over the six decade preceding the revolution and civil war. and to start that, to really be effective, we need a physical base, i.e. a social centre.
so while we're on the tour, we need to be on the look out for somewhere decent to squat and turn into one, and i think it would be good to say something about that on our newsletter and website and suchlike, as it might encourage people to help, and we'll need people to help. it would need to be a proper social centre mind, not an activst doss house like can happen.
so anyone have any idea for where about we should look?
Dec 30 2003 20:27
#2
with the amount of people running the estates on ladywood and Nechells, we'd be landing ourselves in a whole manner of shit to just waltz in and set something up.
do we have enough people for a SC
baring in mind it will have to be occupied 24/7
and are we strong enough as a group to support it and deal with the shit that will come with it?
Dec 30 2003 23:37
#3
that's why i'm saying we should state as a medium term objective on prop and stuff, because if we just come along with our stall people might think, fuck that i don't want to get involved with just another political group even if they do wear sexier clothing than trots, but if we say we want to set up a social centre type thing, people might want to get involved to help with that cos it'd be fun and you can see it's something worth doing. so hopefully we'd then have enough people to occupy it and defend it. i also think that where ever we decide to go, we should ask the local people if they want it and what they want from it. so if they say "we'll burn you lot out if you come here" we won't bother...
Dec 31 2003 13:54
#4
a word of warning from London experiences - squatted centres take a lot of work. "Successful" ones seem to need about 10 people putting in a lot of time over a period of a few months.
But good luck if you do! 
Jan 1 2004 18:11
#5
yeah, that's what i thought, so there's no point in rushing into it at the moment, but if we have it as a fairly important medium term aim it might help get more people involved so we can get enough.
Jan 1 2004 18:26
#6
There's also the option of a "legally" owned building as a social centre, Radical Routes style (a la the Sumac centre in Nottingham, for example). Of course this is a much longer term project to set up than a squatted centre, due to the cost of actually purchasing a building, but there is added security and stability (ie the pigs cant evict you).
Such a centre would also have to finance itself some way (through bar or food sales is the usual way)... a squatted centre may be more financially feasible, but the other option is worth looking at.
There is probably some information about setting up co-ops and social centres on Radical Routes's website (forgot the URL, but it's probably something like radical_routes.org.uk).
I think if we can get a place in a run down working class area that should help, maybe ladywood? or Nechells?