RampART Social Centre

RampART is a radical squatted social centre in the Whitechapel area of East London. It was established in a derelict building in Rampart Street which was previously used as an Islamic girls school. The centre provides a space for a wide-range of groups to carry out their activities. Like all such projects, it is managed by volunteers without any funding and with a strong emphasis on consensus decision making and DIY culture.

The centre is known variously known as the rampART social centre, the rampART creative centre and social space, or more commonly as rampART.

Background

RampART was opened May 21st 2004 and is located at 15-17 Rampart Street, London E1 2LA. The project was initiated by a mixture of artists, community groups and political activists. Within the first year, the building had hosted over 100 cultural and political events - placing the rampART firmly on the activist map of London.

The centre is run by an open collective as an autonomous space. It is open to all on the basis of equality for all. Projects are run on an entirely voluntary basis by the people involved. They are not charity workers or social workers. The projects are run in the spirit of co-operation, solidarity and mutual aid. They are not commercial enterprises run for profit - instead they are funded day-to-day by donations given by the users, or by raising funds through benefit events such as gigs, cafés or film nights. <P> The rampART constitution states that:
The rampART is run collectively. Any one is free to get involved or make proposals relating to use of the space by come along to one of the weekly meetings which are held Mondays after 6pm. We attempt to make all major decisons relating use of the space by building a consensus, both out of a desire to avoid hierarchies and also in recognition that decisions are more likely to be carried out when decided by consensus.

Social centers

Although more established in countries like Italy and Spain, the concept of these social centres has recently started in the UK, with new centers in Birmingham, Manchester, Nottingham, Bristol, Brighton, Oxford, Leeds and London.

Projects at RampART

Cultural activities

• Amateur theatre
• Art installations
• Acoustic concerts
• Film nights every Thursday
• Poetry slams
• Photo exhibitions
• Political discussions and meetings

Skill sharing and workshops

• Dancing classes
• Samba
• Radio
• Juggling
• Screen printing
• Banner making
• Tai chi
• Bike repair and maintenance sessions
• Language lessons
• Computer training

Resource exchange and other projects

• Free shop
• Info library
• Media lab
• WiFi Internet access
• Kitchen / Café

Events at RampART

Benefits

• Argentinian, Bolivian and Chillean solidarity groups raised money for political prisoners.
• There was benefit party for the Real2Reel videoactivist collective.
• Rampart hosted fund-raising parties for the mobilisations against the 31st G8 summit in Scotland.

Gatherings

• The Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army [1] held training sessions at the centre.
• During the Hugo Chávez referendum there was a week long ‘Venezuela Solidarity’ event.
• Conscious fashion week.
• A week-long series of talks, films, food and discussion about Africa.
• The festival for peace organised by the European Creative Forum and Peace Not War was accompanied by an afternoon of workshops at rampART.
• During the European Social Forum the rampART opened its doors to accommodate over 50 European visitors as well as laying on free food and a huge range of entertainment. Additionally, as one of the European Social Forum autonomous spaces, rampART hosted the Home Education Forum and acted as homebase for the European Creative Forum and the Laboratory of Insurrectional Imagination.

Film nights

• Since the closure of The Other Cinema, Indymedia London has been using the rampART as a venue for a series of film festivals. These included 'Caminos De Resistencia' (Paths Of Resistance) and the Middle East Film Festival.
• There have also been non-Indymedia organised festivals including 'Positive Global Movements', a week long exhibition of inspiring stories of resistance around the world.
• Prior to its official debut, Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 911 was premiered at the rampART on the 4th July as part of an 'Independence FROM America’ themed evening.
• 120 people squeezed into rampART's main room for a documentary about the McLibel trial and a sneak premiere of Supersize Me.

Radio

RampART radio, which was set up to provide independent coverage during the European Social Forum in October 2004 [2]. Streaming 24/7, its output is a mix of independent news, spoken word, plus conscious and revolutionary tunes. Many of the events that happen in the hall have also been streamed live and there is a diverse programme of shows.

Art

• A mixed media show entitled ‘A Beginning...’.
• Hardcore photos from ZDO9.
• Performance art from 'Chikukuango';
• Thought provoking sculptures in 'The Body'.
• The hard hitting installation 'The Election'.

Trivia

• The band Gertrude used the space to record tracks for their next album which carries the working title 'ramparts'.
• The first Indymedia film festival covering social struggles in India [3], drew threats from right wing Hindus seeking to censor films about the massacre of 2,000 Muslims at the hands of rioting Hindus in Gujarat.

References

• " Rebel Clown Trainings Begin In London" IMC UK, written 30 March, 2005 retrieved June 7, 2006.
• "ESF radio from rampart" written October 14, 2004, retrieved June 7, 2006.
• "Indian activist film festival" IMC UK written January 15, 2006, retrieved June 7, 2006.

See also

• Social centre
• Squatting

External links

• Official website
• Announcement of first opening
• RampART at the European Social Forum
• A samba band which practices at Rampart
• Rampart hacklab
• More social centers

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