Social Centres - United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The UK Social Centre Network aims to link up "the growing number of autonomous spaces to share resources, ideas and information" . This network draws a very clear distinction between the many autonomous social centers around the country on one side and the state or large NGO-sponsored community centers on the other. Despite there being a tradition of large squats, the recent upsurge in social centers has come about in the last five years. Antecedents of the social center concept include projects such as the Centro Iberico and the Wapping Autonomy Centre.

In London, notable social centres have included the London Action Resource Centre, rampART, the Freedom Club, 56a Crampton Street infoshop, The Square' and in the old Vortex Jazz Club on Stoke Newington Church Street.

Elsewhere in the UK, there is Oxford Action Resource Centre, Kebele in Bristol, the Sumac Centre in Nottingham, The 1 in 12 Club in Bradford, the Cowley Club in Brighton. In the past notable centres have included The Basement in Manchester, Justice not crisis in Birmingham, The PAD in Cardiff, Next To Nowhere in Liverpool, Forest Café in Edinburgh, Giros in Belfast, Matilda Centre in Sheffield and the Common Place in Leeds.

Many social centres are squats, and as such have a very short life span.

Read more about this topic:  Social Centres

Famous quotes containing the words united and/or kingdom:

    Vanessa wanted to be a ballerina. Dad had such hopes for her.... Corin was the academically brilliant one, and a fencer of Olympic standard. Everything was expected of them, and they fulfilled all expectations. But I was the one of whom nothing was expected. I remember a game the three of us played. Vanessa was the President of the United States, Corin was the British Prime Minister—and I was the royal dog.
    Lynn Redgrave (b. 1943)

    I suddenly realized that the devout Russian people no longer needed priests to pray them into heaven. On earth they were building a kingdom more bright than any heaven had to offer, and for which it was a glory to die.
    John Reed (1887–1920)