Galway - Event Notice
Thursday January 01 1970

Galway Social Space gets ready for take off!

galway | miscellaneous | event notice

Tuesday August 12, 2008 13:53

by SpaceR - Galway Social Space Association

info at galwayspace dot org

24 Middle St., Galway, Connnaught

A new era for the west begins...

Exciting Times Ahead for Galway as the Long Awaited 'Social Space' Opens its Doors this Saturday.

After many months of gnashing of teeth and pulling of hair, Galway Social Space has found a location in the city centre to call a home. The space will be opening its doors to visitors this Saturday 16th August 2008 from 2pm.

The Galway Social Space Project has been underway since October of last year, when the process of building a non-hierarchical, autonomous, community based cultural and arts space in the city of Galway began. Months of planning, brainstorming, searching and fundraising have at last came to fruition and the group is delighted to announce the opening of the space this Saturday.

Space mission at 24 Middle St., Galway

The social space will provide a means for people to come together, express themselves, discuss and debate ideas, share information, learn, take time out and contribute skills that will enhance and expand the community. This might include art exhibitions, talks, workshops, poetry readings, film nights, skills sharing events and specific outreach and support projects for marginalised communities.

"It's a very exciting time for Galway", said Ken Baird of Galway Social Space: " We're really looking forward to getting more and more people involved in the project and to see the space being used to enhance the community of Galway. We firmly believe that each individual has something of creative and social value to bring to the project and are committed to creating a haven whereby this can happen. It's also a great opportunity to meet new people and socialise in an alcohol-free environment."

The group is interested in hearing from anyone that would like to get involved, be it in running workshops, skills sharing meetings, renting rooms for rehearsal space, temporary studios, showing films or whatever else comes to mind!

There is celebratory/fundraising gig in the Warwick this Thursday from 8pm. The evening will begin with 'The Angelic Orange', playing some funky disco to ease you into the night. Local masters of Dub Reggae, Intinn, will be headlining the show, with 'Flo' ending the eve with some drum and bass to get you moving! Tickets are 10 Euro on the door or 8 Euro with fliers. All proceeds will be used in the running of the space, so do come along and show your support.

For more information email Órla on galwayspacers@gmail.com or check out www.galwayspace.org or www.myspace.com/galwayspace

- So do come along and celebrate at the Warwick this Thursday at 8pm and come to check out the space at 24 Middle Street, (opposite the Taibhearc Theatre) this Saturday from 2pm. Everybody welcome!

- ENDS –

A space for community, campaigning, creativity, education...

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Comments (5 of 5)

Welcome to the Social Space!

by Fred Johnston - The Western Writers' Centre, Galway

Thu Aug 14, 2008 11:48

westernwriters at eircom dot net

087.2178138

I would like to forward my sincere congratulations to Galway Social Space and their organisers and wish them all the very best for the future. It would be the wish of the Centre here in Galway to work with them on poetry readings, prose readings, organising literary events and so on, and they may contact us regarding any future projects and we'll see whether we can't link up. Nice one!
It is difficult, however, not to remark upon the speed with which this operation was got up and running and the reluctance, for clearly political (with a very small 'p') reasons, of Galway City Council, for instance, to move forward on seeking out premises for the Western Weriters' Centre, though we are based in Galway SEVEN years.
Saying this, we did have a very successful presentation meeting with them some little time back and we would hope to build upon that; but the Council can no longer merely fund the Centre with crumbs from the cultural table.
While building bigger cultural edifices and promising more - one thinks of the proposed Concert Hall - the City ignores the needs of smaller but no less vital organisations that also require a home and whose lobbying seems curiously to have fallen on deaf ears at times, though there is no doubt that there is support at City Hall among Councillors for the Writers' Centre. One asks, then: what is holding them back from wholehearted financial aid and aid in terms of supported premises? It is all very, very mysterious, and worth someone's question.
Meanwhile, a city like Limerick steps ahead flushed with confidence and starts work on - a writers' centre, and more luck to them. Galway, for unrevealed reasons, could find itself left behind and not for the first time. An arts festival does not a city of culture make.

Space usage

by SpaceR - GSS

Thu Aug 14, 2008 13:21

Fred,
We have been tired waiting for the council and others to move forward on the provision of public space. Sadly we have found ourselves renting and incurring considerable costs, however this is aimed to be a first step. Details on how you can use the space will soon be posted online at www.galwayspace.org. Please keep an eye on this.

Thanks,

Galway SpaceR

social space

by gm - none

Fri Aug 15, 2008 21:40

I was going to ask why don't you just call it a community centre instead of a social space centre. I looked at the website and glazed over the list of weird and wonderful new age treatments on offer to the airheaded. This is a new age centre not a social space centre. The councils barely fund community services so to fund such a centre would be pure indulgence.

Take a peek at the about section of the website

by Another Spacer

Fri Aug 15, 2008 22:49

Well, the space is volunteer run and self-funded so that kind makes it different from most community centres. No funding for this project has come from government or any commercial, religious or party political forces.

The schedule isn't ready yet so your gift of foresight must be truly stupendous gm to be able to envision all the new age shenanigans that will go on in there. The about section of the website, while still in progress, might give you a better idea of other ways the space differs from traditional community centre.

Great gig last night. Fair dues to everybody for all the work that's gone into this.

by SpaceR

Mon Aug 18, 2008 11:12

'gm',
do you care to elaborate on why you think this is some kind of 'new age' centre? Perhaps you can 'enlighten' us.

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Galway Social Space gets ready for take off!

Comments (5 of 5)