Seomra Spraoi: Social Centre film

dublin | sci-tech | event notice Tuesday November 23, 2004 16:11 by krossie - Seomra Spraoi

Gathering to discuss development of social centre for Dublin.

This Friday evening, 3 December, a series of short documentaries will be screened, at a venue off Francis St in Dublin (details below), on the subject of autonomous social centres in Europe. This will be the first step in an ambitious attempt to establish an independent social centre in Dublin.

Many readers will be aware of the success of autonomous social centres in other European cities, independent of local authority, church, business, trade union or other controlling body. These spaces have provided a focal point for many of the social movements in the West, where public spaces have been eaten away by consumerism, property speculation and the culture of the car.

They celebrate collective cooperation and diversity and have numerous day-to-day uses: community drop-in centre, inexpensive cafe, political meeting space, library, gig venue, arts centre, internet cafe, to name a few.

Usually these social centres begin as squats in derelict buildings and eventually come to be accepted by the local authorities. Unfortunately, Ireland is unique in Europe in that the authorities are utterly intolerant of the tradition of squatting.

Several attempts were made in Dublin in the past couple of years to set up an autonomous centres in buildings that had been derelict for years, but these have been evicted by the City Council or by "heavies" employed by the owners. Clearly the Council would prefer to see buildings remain derelict rather than put to any use.

Today in Ireland there is virtually nowhere indoors for people to congregate that isn't a pub or overpriced cafe.

Seomra Spraoi is the provisional name of a collective which has come together to create such a space in Dublin. The aim of this Friday's screening is to bring together people who are interested in such a project and hopefully to inspire people through the examples in the documentaries.

Starting at 8pm, there will be a screening, photo exhibition and brief discussion, followed by live music, a dj and a raffle. The venue is the St Nicholas of Myra Parish Hall, Carman's Hall (a street running between Francis St and Meath St). Admission free or donation. For more information contact 087-2861238. Please come along!

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Seomra Spraoi I – St Nicholas of Mayra Community Centre,
Francis Street,
Dublin
December 3rd 8 pm

Direct action against apathy; Belfast media collective

Present 6 new films about social centres:
Our Kitchen Squat Café
Belfast’s first squat café November 2003, music,
vegetables, & talk about anarchy in a very cold dark &
secret place…
8 mins 2004

Aspire
Temporary squatted social centre in Leeds England
December 2003. 10 days & 10 nights. Hundreds of people
transform abandoned warehouse into kick-ass space for
workshops, discussion, parties, and cafes; chop
vegetables & huddle together to keep warm.
12 mins 2004

Canmasdeu
‘Rurban’ squatted social centre on the outskirts of
Barcelona, bringing ideas, skills & technology from
the countryside into the city. Sunshine, community
gardening, fancy d.i.y. plumbing, & experiments in
communal living. Canmasdeu is the squat your
grandmother would love.
28 mins 2004

Three Social Centres in Amsterdam
Does exactly what it says on the tin. A tour of three
legalised squats in Amsterdam; the Molli, the Film
Academy, & the Binnenpret. Squat actions, children’s
theatre & electro-acoustic concerts with musings on
the merits & pit-falls of ‘dealing with the man’.
34 mins 2004

A Winter Walk Through Christiania
A quiet stroll through the infamous squatted town in
Copenhagen; frozen lakes, wooden cottages & winding
paths in the brilliant winter sun followed by a raid
from the Danish police.

6 mins 2004
Sumac Centre
Vegan fries, vegan beer, vegans, & home to veggies the
probably the best vegan catering outfit on the planet.
The Sumac is a co-operatively owned ‘Radical
environmental community type social centre’ in
Nottingham. Some vegetables were cooked in the making
of this film.
18 mins 2004
www.geocities.com/directactionagainstapathy


+ music and discussion
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