[LAF] rampART and Bown Court news and events

[Volodya]

( news from rampART, Bowl Court and related people and places )




= Hi and welcome to the joint Rampart & Bowl Court Social Centre newsletter for
20th May 2008 =

As you can see from the opening sentence we have finally decided on a name for
our new space in Shoreditch. There's even a specific contact email address and
website!
bowlcourt at riseup.net
http://bowlcourt.co.nr/

But now for some surprising bad news.. shortly after settling on a name for the
place it is then under threat. Bowl Court was visited by the owners, Hammerson
plc, at the weekend and they told us to leave the building or they will start
legal action against us. As you can imagine this is pretty disappointing for us
but isn't seen as the end just yet.
http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/05/399226.html

And not only that, but now the Rampart building itself has two planning
applications on it and we need people to write objection letters to further
delay the ending of it. You don't want to see it go really do you?!
Planning permission for the part demolition of the row of houses has been
already been granted, so we are now the last in the line.

We have an example letter below if you do not have the time to write your own,
though if you are able, it would really help us if you could write your own
individual letters. See the main objections list for the key points. Deadline
for objections is currently Wednesday 28th May. Thanks a bunch!

PLEASE SEND YOUR OBJECTIONS TO :

planning at towerhamlets.gov.uk
ldf at towerhamlets.gov.uk
dr.developmentcontrol at towerhamlets.gov.uk
cllr.abjol.miah at towerhamlets.gov.uk


London Borough of Tower Hamlets
15-17 Rampart Street, London, E1 2LA
Objection to Application No: PA/08/00813 and No: PA/08/00814

YOUR NAME
YOUR ADDRESS
(Specify if you are local resident or a user of the building)

Please find enclosed with this letter my objections to the above planning
applications.

Main Objections :
- Loss of character with the demolition of the pitched roof.
- No affordable units or family units
- Poor accessibility
- Loss of community / social functions with the residential conversion
- Inaccuracies and false statement in the marketing report
- What is the community gain / section 106 agreement of this project ?

At present the Rampart is occupied by a "Public Social Centre", residential
spaces, small offices and workshops, a video room, an art gallery, a cafe', a
music-concert space and a rehearsal studio.
The conversion into flats will empoverish and limit the current mixed-use
character of the building.

All the proposed flats in the planning application are small units (max 2bed).
In an area where family houses are crucial to the community, this proposal
would be able to contribute only to the buy-to-let market sector. It would be
limited and economically unsound.

There is not provision of socially rented affordable housing.

The flats are not designed according to Life Time Homes standards, therefore
they don't provide enough flexibility to future generations (in particular the
elderly). The overall accessibility to this proposed project is very poor.

The ground floor of Rampart is a perfect example of multi-functional space.
This space could be very important for the future of the community as it has
been over the past years: From supporting bengali women groups meeting to local
musicians and artists.

The marketing report indicates that the only solution is the conversion of the
building into residential units. What it fails to say is that Rampart has been
actively used for the past years and this underlines the necessity, in London,
of small and flexible business, workshop, office and art and community space.
We want to see at least the ground floor of the building retained as a
community asset.

What are the community gains from this project? What is proposed in the section
106 agreement?

Please consider this objection in the process of deciding the future of this
building.

Kind Regards,

<< End of letter >>

Don't forget the collective meets every monday at 7pm. You will find Bowl Court
off Plough Yard which is next to the Drunken Monkey at the junction of
Shoreditch Hight St and Great Eastern Street.

And now on with our usual routine:

[[ Upcoming Events at Rampart and Bowl Court Social Centre ]]

WEDNESDAY 21 MAY, 8pm

-=: Vancover Anti Poverty Committee Fight the Olympics: Public Talk :=-

Action Eastend and London Coalition Against Poverty (LCP) are organising a
joint public meeting for a Canadian comrade involved in the Anti Poverty
Committee in Canada and anti-olympic solidarity there, she is going to be in
London on the Wednesday 21st May and is going to introduce the 'Five Ring
Circus' film about the travesty of the 2010 Winter Olympics and is willing to
discuss and answer any questions people have.
Please feel welcome to attend and please distribute as widely as possible.


THURSDAY 22 MAY, 7pm

-=: FREE SKOOL ON FREE SKOOL :=-

Thursday 22nd from 7pm onwards people will be coming together at Bowl Court
Social Centre to discuss the concept of a free skool and how this could be put
into practice within the space. So, this is a call for people who want to share
knowledge and skills to come and get involved.

Through the institutionalisation of education, knowledge is taken out of the
hands of the masses. A free skool aims to reclaim that education for all
through sharing theoretical and practical knowledge. This can involve anything
from a one off workshop on building a bicycle powered washing machine to
individuals with shared interests meeting on a regular basis.

Come along to bowl court social centre (6 Bowl Court, off Plough Yard, next to
the Great Eastern street/Shoreditch High street junction) at 7pm on Thursday if
you are interested. If you cant make it but would like to get involved email us
at bowlcourt at riseup.net


FRIDAY 23, SATURDAY 24 & SUNDAY 25 MAY

-=: City of the Sun, art exhibition :=-
@Bowl Court

With London as the theme, the works depict some of the many possible ways to
live this city from different points of view that usually are not represented
by the mainstream. “Many of us came here not long ago from other countries.
What are we looking for? What sort of dreams are we trying to make real? Why
have we left our ”cities of sun” behind?

As foreigners we usually keep strong links with our countries of origin. As a
consequence we look at London without forgetting what is happening
simultaneously in other parts of the world and with a special attention for
what is different from what we were used to, back home. Is the urban space
meeting the needs of its inhabitants?

Our artworks are our way to deal with the many dysfunctional elements of this
city and with the extreme sense of alienation that we often experience in the
disorientating geography of London.

* Friday 6pm -12 opening, drinks and djs
* Sat 1pm - 12 with live music from 6pm
* Sun 1pm - 12 sound performance and video


TUESDAY 27 MAY, 7pm

-=: KKR Private Equity campaign meeting :=-

We are planning a campaign against Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co.(KKR), a
private equity firm which 'flips' companies. KKR buys companies, strips their
assets, puts them into debt, lays off workers and outsources jobs, and then
sells them for a huge profit. The result is that KKR makes these companies tax
exempt and engages in some very bad labour and environmental practices, for
which it takes no responsibility.

The goal of the campaign is to do some education and creative activism, so that
people know more about KKR, private equity firms and the damage they cause. We
are preparing for both an international day of action (KKR has headquarters in
several countries) and an ongoing campaign.

If you're interested in getting involved, you are welcome to join us at our
meeting.

About private equity:

Will Private Equity Help Banks Out of Toxic Mess?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2008/03/02/ccequity102.xml

Behind the Buyouts: Concerns Growing over Private Equity Buyouts'
Impact on Students, Workers, the Environment
http://www.behindthebuyouts.org/media-center/2008/2/26/new-report-kkr-portfolio-companies-could-put-consumers-worke.html


WEDNESDAY 28 MAY, 7.30 pm

-=: Dos Americas and Down But Not Out film screenings :=-

Screening of Dos Americas and Down But Not Out by Upheaval Productions
followed by a talk with one of the film-makers

Post-Katrina reconstruction is still in progress throughout the Gulf Coast,
with much of the city of New Orleans still in ruins. Dos Americas: The
Reconstruction of New Orleans focuses on those rebuilding this city through
interviews with some of the estimated 100,000 Latino migrant laborers who have
converged in this area over the past two and a half years.

Despite terrible working conditions, massive fraud, a housing crisis, severe
harassment by law enforcement, and very limited resources, New Orleans’
Latino-community has mushroomed since the storm and is establishing an
infrastructure proportional to its size. Take a look at how this community is
organizing to defend itself against numerous injustices and the attempts to
bridge the gap between themselves as new residents and the pre-Katrina
population, all within the context of the extremely unique and tragic context
of post-Katrina New Orleans. Trailer:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=2zbIUn3s0h0

On August 29, 2005 Hurricane Katrina attacked the Gulf Coast of the United
States. A Category-5 hurricane, Katrina destroyed entire towns and left a trail
of destruction in her wake. But the impact was magnified by city, state, and
federal government negligence, and in no city was there a better example of the
government’s failure than in New Orleans, where thousands were killed—both
by water and bullets—and hundreds of thousands were left behind to save
themselves. In early August 2006, almost one year after the disaster, survivors
sit down and talk about their experiences of fighting for survival in the days
following Katrina, and how their lives have progressed since returning to New
Orleans.

Providing accounts of living in a city whose populace has largely been
forgotten, the survivors give a stinging description of a slow reconstruction
process that is ignoring the human cost of rebuilding. Down But Not Out shows
the people directly affected by the fallout from Hurricane Katrina, and lets
those who experienced it tell the stories themselves.


FRIDAY 30 May, 6pm

-=: Radical Theory Reading Group :=-

The readings for the next meeting are both by RD Laing: Ch 1 of The Divided
Self (’The Existential-Phenomenological Foundations for a Science of
Persons’) and Ch 1 of The Politics of Experience and the Bird of Paradise
(’Persons and Experience’).

Downloads here:
http://www.box.net/shared/static/rpoq8yn0gk.pdf
http://www.box.net/shared/static/y4abqs6kow.pdf


SATURDAY 31 MAY, 3pm

-=: Pre-meeting for anti-capitalist feminist event :=-

Feminist Fightback, Feminist Activist Forum, Left Women's network and others
will be meeting to discuss holding an anti-capitalist feminist event in the
autumn. This is our first meeting, agenda is entirely open, all welcome.
For more info contact laura_schwartz2003 at yahoo.co.uk or 07890 209479.


SATURDAY 31 MAY from 9pm till 2am

-=: Music and Lights, Riseup & A.S.S. fundraiser :=-

Music and Lights Benefit on the 31st May is a joint benefit party for
www.Riseup.net [who provide valuable web space and email/list services for
activist groups Advisory Service for Squatters [www.squatter.org.uk]

Music and Lights Saturday 31st May @ Bowl Court Squat, Plough Yard, Near
Drunken Monkey off Shoreditch High Street
9pm-2am

The Music and Lights Crew are staging a funky night of electro,reggae, funk and
eclectic tunes.
Two bands of super quality:
Captain Strange - Funk-ska with a ghoulish edge.
www.myspace.com/musicofcaptainstrange
The Juliets - Electro indie to please the dance floor

Djs: Steene, Catnip and CNTRST playing party tunes from afro,hip-hop to dnb
Grand Union Crescent come back with their positive reggae vibes and dubstep
Visual treats from Raul, Skiprat and slides from Mighty-I
& further guests tbc

In between all this there'll be a puppet performance and food. See you there

£4 suggested donation

Callout for helpers on the night. People to help out with door, bar, food, and
decor always appreciated.
Anyone with a car/van to help transport the PA on the Sat and then Sun/Monday
also would be helpful.
Should be a fun night!


FRIDAY 6 JUNE

-=: rampART's 4th birthday :=-
Anniversary celebration spectacular

Our favourite community creative centre and social space, the rampART is -
despite threats from all sides - still alive. Therefore we want it's 4th
birthday anniversary to be a gorgeous celebration spectacular on the 6th of
june. doors open at 7:30pm.

We will have an open house presenting the rampART at it's best:
- with fabulous films and footage, snippets and slideshows from 4 years rampART
- poetic social- political rants and spoken word performers
- fantastic cabaret and cabaretesque accoustic music
- jam session and live music of rampART's most loved bands
- dressing up, face painting, arty- crafty creativities
- tea bar, vegan food and drink

Everything is by suggested donations:
All proceeds for the socialcentre seed fund. This is meant to spawn new social
centres and help them to get started. There will be more info on the event.

Don't miss it! It will be the last one... :'(

If you want to help out with the organising, or have an idea for an activity
that should be part of the celebrations then email us at rampart at mutualaid.org



[[ Events elsewhere ]]

SATURDAY 24 MAY, 7pm

-=: PARTIDO PARA “EL BARRIO” :=-

@ Passing Clouds, on Richmond Rd, just off Kingsland road in Dalston, 10 mins
from Dalston Kingsland Station. Buses: 149, 242, 243, 67.

Free or donation entry to talk

- Films and speakers upstairs from 7pm

Juan Haro, a speaker from the Movement for Justice in El Barrio will talk in
Dalston, London about their struggle against displacement by gentrification in
Harlem, New York city.

Dalston, like many other parts of London is undergoing development that will
mean rent rises for tenants already struggling to pay extortionate London
rents. When an area becomes appealing for investors and “regeneration”
it’s those people with money who end up enjoying the new housing, expensive
cafes and shops, and the people with less money who end up having to move
further away from the centre of the city or who, if they stay, lose the shops,
cafes and resources they rely on.

Movement for Justice, the organization of tenants in Harlem, New York that have
been struggling against the landlords that want to price them out of their area
say;

“This displacement is created by the greed, ambition and violence of a global
empire of money that seeks to take total control of all the land, labor and
life on earth. Here in El Barrio (East Harlem, New York City), landlords,
multi-national corporations and local, state and federal politicians and
institutions want to force upon us their culture of money, they want to
displace poor families and rent their apartments to rich people, white people
with money. They want to change the look of our neighborhood, with the excuse
of “developing the community.”

The talk will explore issues around resisting gentrification and the model of
organization that Movement for Justice have used to work with each other – an
inspiring and educational example from across the Atlantic that we could learn
from in London.

“Together, we make our dignity resistance and we fight back against the
actions of capitalist landlords and multinational corporations who are
displacing poor families from our neighborhood. We fight back locally and
across borders. We fight back against local politicians that refuse to govern
by obeying the will of the people. We fight back against the government
institutions that enforce a global economic, social and political system that
seeks to destroy humanity.”

Talk organized by Hackney Solidarity Network, Hackney Independent, Haringey
Solidarity Group and London Coalition Against Poverty.

Contact: hackneysolidarity at hotmail.co.uk

- Movimientos hosts the music downstairs from 9pm

Live music from Kogui
"Rhythms, dances and melodies from the Caribbean coast of Colombia"

Sounds of Tambores, voices, flutes and guitars that have been passed down
through the generations, keeping the roots in a mixture of African, Indigenous
Indian and European influences
+ Tropical rhythms from Mexican maestro DJ Señor Priego (Movimientos)
+ Original Latin Funk and Boogaloo from Venezuelan crew Le Pico

Entry £5 / free before 9

Passing Clouds
Richmond Rd, just off Kingsland road in Dalston, near Dalston Kingsland Station

Contact:
hackneysolidarity at hotmail.co.uk
movimientosuk at gmail.com


-- Stay Informed, Get In Touch

  To join or sign off this list see http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/rampart

  If you would like to receive SMS alerts about London's autonomous spaces
  text 'follow londonscn' to 07624801423 then reply with a name as instructed.

  See http://rampart.co.nr for more info about rampART.
      http://www.myspace.com/rampartlondon
  See http://bowlcourt.co.nr for more info about Bowl Court.

  Email rampart at mutualaid.org or bowlcourt at riseup.net

  Phone 0208 8192596 (BowlCourt) or 07050 618445 (ExpensiveMobile)
  SIP calls to 30130392 at voipfone.co.uk

-- Locations

  rampART, 15 Rampart Street, off Commercial Rd, Shadwell E1 2LA
  Close to Whitechapel/Aldgate East, map http://tinyurl.com/3hfp2a

  BowlCourt, off Plough Yard (nr Drunken Monkey), Shoreditch Hight St
  Closest tube Liverpool Street (map http://tinyurl.com/4xeq2q)


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