[matilda] A few thoughts on publicity, and on dreaming

Fri Jul 1 22:59:19 BST 2005

http://www.wombles.org.uk/scn/socialcentres.php

I wonder if Benjamin Major shares this notion of social centres,

>     The creation of liberated zones
>
>
>       What are social centres?
>
> Social centres organise to create new worlds, new possibilities, real 
> leisure and social alternatives to wage labour and centralised power. 
> Although more established in countries like Italy and Spain, the 
> concept of social centres as a political strategy is taking off here 
> in the UK with new centres in Manchester, Nottingham, Brighton, Leeds 
> and London.
>
> Social centres can be either occupied [squatted], or financed through 
> loans and other community funding organisations. They are usually 
> funded day-to-day by donations given by the users, and they will often 
> raise funds through benefit nights such as gigs or cafes.
>
> The popularity of social centres stems from a need for space, both 
> political and social, outside the domination of capital. The 
> construction of a new 'political space', an extra-institutional public 
> sphere within which can emerge a common action, interest and identity 
> amongst people, in all their differences. The creation of an 
> autonomous and public political space is the fundamental condition for 
> any revolutionary movement to recognise itself, in a strong project of 
> transforming the city, territory, life.
>
> As more and more of our time becomes capitalised with the 
> commodification of everyday life in the new "social factory" it 
> becomes vital to create places where people aren’t judged by there 
> ability to consume or to produce, where real human discussion and 
> action can take place.
>
> As the idea of social centres spread we can begin posing serious 
> alternatives to capitalism and wage-labour and start creating a new 
> world in the shell of the old

> The 'living workshop' scheme. What is this? Are these something from 
> the meeting? Are these workshops involving practical elements.

sorry for the mis-spelling: i meant "live-in workshops" , yes some 
suggestion from another informal meeting.

Also, we could take into account the experiences of the "barrios" up in 
Scotland : you 've many things to tell on your return.
bye

Benjamin Major wrote:

>
> Have been out of the loop- haven't had chance to look at e-mails 
> till this afternoon. I assume this running one has been settled, but I 
> would agree that for the Lost Film Fest event it is probably best to 
> produce a press release which just refers to the address of the venue.
>
> I reckon we will get a good large crowd to this event (I was really 
> surprised to see my logo already up on the Lost Film Fest poster on my 
> way into work this morning- how quickly these things happen) and we 
> will also welcome through the doors many people who will want to take 
> part and actively use our space.
>  
> After this, the general meeting is where we will get together as a 
> group and decide on a short term plan and sketch out a longer term one 
> and get this embodied in a kind of constitution of sorts? This may 
> take more than one meeting. Whatever, the meeting in itself does not 
> need further publicity at this stage I don't think- look at how many 
> people attended the last one which Rocky facilitated, we'll likely get 
> that number again by just keeping it to lists. This will change 
> afterwards of course, where weekly/monthly meetings will have open 
> invites just as other social centres do. Only after this meeting 
> should we then send out a press release proclaiming ourelves as the 
> exciting new social centre in Sheffield.
>  
> There are good ways of actively building up some publicity to begin 
> with, by subvertising, as displayed by the modified street sign, 
> before we shout it all over the town. It would be nice to have a 
> regular meeting day / cafe opening day scheduled before this anyhow, 
> so we feel more grounded. When that time comes then we'll do just as M 
> would like and make Matilda as 'inclusive' a space as we can.
>  
>  
> Also, I thought that the Matilda fanzine that I would like to work on 
> could also act as continuing documentation of the project, and should 
> also co-exist in tandem with the website. The first one could contain 
> accounts, reflections and photographs of the G8 protests in Sheffield 
> and perhaps at the Sheffield neigbourhood at Stirling, and show the 
> convergence space as it slowly evolves into the exciting space it is 
> going to be. I have a photographer friend at work who has done some 
> very striking work with punk bands, and I thought it would be cool if 
> he could take some pictures of the event on the 11th.
>  
>  
> > therefore I am also interested in developing
> > the workshop scheme, or rather the "living workshop" scheme as soon as
> > possible.
>  
> The 'living workshop' scheme. What is this? Are these something from 
> the meeting? Are these workshops involving practical elements.
>  
> Are you all aware of the Other World Educational Project at 
> www.mundi.org.uk/otherworlds <http://www.mundi.org.uk/otherworlds> ? 
> They are looking for activists and educators to run this series of 
> critical, dialogue based, reflexive worshops on transnational 
> solidarity all over the country. I've been reading some Paulo Freire. 
> I'm trying to get to the nub of all this, trying to understand why so 
> many people I mix with on a day to day basis feel so disempowered and 
> cruelly silenced. If we could get have a summer school of some live-in 
> youths as amp seems to be suggesting here, a collective exploration of 
> what a maximum democracy society should look like...
> Whatever workshops emerge. I don't think I confident enough yet to run 
> but would love to be part of their conception, formulation, and in 
> taking part.
>  
>  
> Have a good weekend everyone. See you all either in Scotland or on the 
> 11th...
>  
>
> >From: dougald hine <writetodougald at gmail.com>
> >Reply-To: dougald hine <writetodougald at gmail.com>
> >To: matilda at lists.aktivix.org
> >Subject: Re: [matilda] Lost Film Fest in Sheffield
> >Date: Fri, 1 Jul 2005 06:46:52 +0100
> >
> >Hi,
> >
> >Let's not prolong the argument.
> >
> >I won't object to a press release which, as Gav suggested, simply
> >refers very briefly to the address at which the event is happening,
> >without anything about 'the new social centre...' etc.
> >
> >The June meeting gave its approval to seeking publicity for the Lost
> >Film Festival, but not to seeking publicity about the future of the
> >building. This is because we agreed not to make firm decisions on the
> >future of the building until the 18th.
> >
> >I work in newsrooms all the time. When a journalist gets a press
> >release, they don't necessarily report the story it's asking them to
> >report. They look to see if there's a more interesting story in the
> >details of the text. A 'new social centre in the heart of the Cultural
> >Industries Quarter' is a more interesting story to the Sheffield media
> >than the Lost Film Festival, so if we want publicity for the Lost Film
> >Festival, it's best not to refer to MATILDA at all, beyond giving the
> >address.
> >
> >Fabian, sorry if I've seemed ungrateful for the work you've put in in
> >writing the press release.
> >
> >If people are happy to go ahead with the amended press release as
> >suggested by Gav (simply referring to the address of the building),
> >I'm willing to help get it out to the local media - if that's useful.
> >
> >D.
> >
> >On 6/30/05, @mp <amparo2yo at telefonica.net> wrote:
> > >
> > > imho, both viewpoints may be compatible:
> > >
> > > I like very much the idea of openness, but on the whole i wouldn't go
> > > for publicity, journalists will come by themselves, or let them come
> > > without any more ado. I wouldn't bother with press releases but rather
> > > let it (the entire utopian project) grow little by little in a natural
> > > (wild) way. That will take time. Anybody is in
> > > a hurry?
> > >
> > > My interest is to contribute with skill- sharing (creative writing,
> > > literature and translation) and helping at workshops,
> > >
> > > The idea of the weekly or monthly meal proposed by doulgald might 
> be the
> > > ideal event  to "open" matilda as a social centre, perhaps a welcoming
> > > meal for those who have travelled to g8 in Scotland... why not?
> > >
> > > As you see, i am not expanding on any ideas or views, i don't know if
> > > this is a list only for doing and pragmatic things, but to be sincere
> > > again, some young persons i would like to be able to stay at 
> Matilda for
> > > a short stay say two weeks,
> > >
> > > Just projecting the flow of inspiration from yesterday's meeting,
> > > dreaming...
> > >
> > >
> > > Exchange-tours could be arranged with other countries;  the matilda
> > > could be twinned to other projects already under way in Europe. 
> (Berlin,
> > > Amsterdam...) Has anybody been to Christiania in Copenhagen recently??
> > >
> > > PS:
> > > Would second anything related to dreams and dreaming.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Fabian Frenzel wrote:
> > >
> > > > Hi Doughald,
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >> I'm not being paranoid.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > I was not saying you were paranoid, but you were suggesting we 
> should
> > > >  not adress to the media, because 'sniffing journalists' might harm
> > > > our position towards Matilda and that is were I disagree. What I was
> > > > saying is: If they start sniffing (which they might or might not,
> > > > unconnected to the press release), thats good for us...we do not 
> need
> > > >  to be afraid of that.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >> 1. We don't have the consensus of the group to start sending out
> > > >> publicity material announcing the opening of a 'new social centre
> > > >> in Sheffield's cultural industries quarter' - that goes against
> > > >> what was decided at the meeting on 19th June.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > it is not about annoucing the opening and by the way Matilda has
> > > > already been open for the G8. Also in the meeting on 19th June there
> > > > was a decision to have the event, which also makes it necessary to
> > > > publicise it...and also: Isn't the group process  based on the idea
> > > > to get Matilda going as a social centre (a wide open term, used 
> for a
> > > >  variety of different spaces throughout Europe)? Therefore I
> > > > understand it implicit to the process that there is a consensus on
> > > > starting Matilda as a social centre. (and not a hospital, a 
> cinema or
> > > >  a club)
> > > >
> > > > Anyway what could be more like seeking actively publicity then 
> having
> > > >  big banners hanging down from Matilda ?
> > > >
> > > > So what do we do wrong/new with a press release annoucing an 
> event in
> > > >  Matilda?
> > > >
> > > > (Is that our conversation only ? does someone else has an opinion
> > > > about this?)
> > > >
> > > > Fabian
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________ matilda mailing list
> > > >  matilda at lists.aktivix.org
> > > > http://lists.aktivix.org/mailman/listinfo/matilda
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > matilda mailing list
> > > matilda at lists.aktivix.org
> > > http://lists.aktivix.org/mailman/listinfo/matilda
> > >
> >
> >
> >--
> >Dougald Hine
> >46 Alderson Road, Sheffield S2 4UD
> >(+44)(0)7810 650213
> >
> >_______________________________________________
> >matilda mailing list
> >matilda at lists.aktivix.org
> >http://lists.aktivix.org/mailman/listinfo/matilda
>
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