PRESS RELEASE
Save Georges Theatre

Thanks to everyone for all the support, time ,effort ,donations, love and generosity from Circle Community, all the caretakers and volunteers.
All the thousands of people who helped to keep it running over the year and few months this environmental community project existed which was run voluntarily on donations.
Looking back over the year it is great to remember how much we managed to achieve
We provided community space for thousands of people of all races and cultures, from the local community to all over London and the world a true Rainbow blend!
our community centre hosting international cultural events from many continents including:
The Earth Circus helped to facilitate,
Brazilian Capoiera, The Master Drummers of Africa, a Palestinian Theatre Group, Kogi Indian awareness, London Green gathering for Peace, Nepal street kids awareness cabaret, Venezuelan and South American Solidarity Events, Greek International Arts, Serbian ,Belgian, Spanish, Muslim, Tibetan and world performers.
Also Resonance Arts Radio nights, IndyMedia benefit, Gods and Goddesses cabaret, Forest school events.

Many Circus Theatre and Cabaret Nights, Rejuvenation & Community Healing Days, Ceilidhs (Irish Dancing), Invisible Circus Tsunami Fund Raisers, London International School of performing Arts, Cardboard citizens performance.

A diversity of workshops ranging from Eco solutions, Yoga, Rei-ki, Tai-Chi, Computer & IT, Deejaying & Sound Engineering, Time Travel, Theatre, Arts and Crafts, kids and clowning, Circus skills, conference facilities.
Puppet making & carnival arts, Samba, conflict management, Recycling awareness. Peace not War events and action.
Magic Hat Café feeding thousands by donation, Free Internet café, Care in the community counselling & out reach
Recycling & Urban Permaculture ,Kids space and many activities.

As well as supporting many direct action campaigns including Mayo Eire anti-Shell campaign, G8 resistance, 9-11 Truth Movement, stop Dsei Arms Trade, Survival International and many more . We were also a networking hub for many eco projects and people.
Our Friday Night Cabaret hosted hundreds of performers, being a showcase for old and new talent the open Mic allowing many new acts and local youth to try out.
We will be endeavouring to put video of the best of many of these events onto our website in the future.
We also had requests to use the space by British Trust for Conservation volunteers, National Youth Theatre, the Vagina monologues, Mountview Academy of Drama and Muslim groups, we wonder how many of these groups House in the Rock will be able to accommodate and whether the censorship clause of the planning agreement will be honoured.

Many people are lamenting the loss of this amazing multi cultural community venue and questions should be asked why Islington council was not more willing to listen to the people, the planning meeting did appear to be a foregone conclusion.
We have been illegally evicted on Tues 11th October in an early morning raid.
We sped to high court on Tuesday but no judge would face us on the day.
We were awaiting a high court appeal and due process of law.
We finally had a hearing on Thurs 2 days after illegal eviction.
Agenda 21 calls for Community based learning centres, many skills were exchanged, people met ,gathered and took community and environmental action. Many new projects and networks were created or supported.

We provided a welcome drop in free space nowadays so rare in London.
We are calling for a public enquiry into the use of this historic building as a community resource.
We are also asking for a judicial review of the planning process that ignored the obvious public concerns at the February planning meeting.

We are calling on all theatrical groups and community campaigners to put pressure on the relevant authorities.

Please contact English heritage the press and their local MP, Ken Livingstone, councillors and to take direct action.
Most important contact Graham Loveland at the planning dept. Islington who has the power to grant an open meeting about this hotly contested community issue.
English Heritage are currently reviewing changing Grade2 to Grade1 listing, and we are requesting a spot listing, so that demolition work may not commence until the full review of the use of this national heritage buildings listing is complete..
Jeremy Corbyn MP had recently called for an inclusive partnership panel and an open meeting to determine the use of St. Georges’ Theatre. We hope this expression of concern by the local MP will lead to an open meeting and many groups from the St. Georges’ Forum and others can be included in the inclusive partnership panel.
We were actually lied to about the court hearing being held on the next day. Our possessions, we were assured would be respected, however this was not the case.
Our office and vital campaign information was trashed, personal belongings and centre workshop and computer equipment dumped into a container in the yard before we had chance to sort through or organize removal.
Legality of the original sale of the building is in question this building was saved with GLC and ILEA public funds which then was transferred to the Murcell Family private offshore company. This was one of the issues to be covered in the High court case we were awaiting.
Also questions over the sources of House on the Rocks funding.
St. Georges’ was architecturally based on Shakespeare’s Globe, the Byrom drawings (ancient pre- Greek and Roman theatre designs: more info from My Kingdom for a Stage by Joy Hancox - Google iit).
This building is of national importance and this ancient acoustic knowledge is soon to be part damaged by House on the Rocks building works.

The story of St. Georges’ is by no means over yet.
Check our website circlecommunity.org for further info.
P.S if anyone has an empty building they would like to give to a good cause get in touch.
U cant kill the spirit!

Circle Community Caretakers
Contact via 07769 791 387
 circlecommunitycentre@yahoo.co.uk
www.circlecommunity.org