Leeds Bradford Culture Feature Archive

Do you think Leeds needs a radical space for information, to hang out and to hold meetings and events?

If so come to the next Leeds ARC (Action for Radical Change) meeting on Thursday May 6th 7.30pm at Holy Trinity Church Café on Boar Lane.

Through the Dissent! network (a network of resistance against the G8 - the Group of Eight most industrialised nations, whose 2005 summit will be held in Britain.) cash (max £10 K) may be available for local groups involved in the Dissent! network to set up and run a local Social Centre.

A number of people involved in Leeds ARC (Leeds’ Dissent! info point) have been discussing whether to open a rented social centre in Leeds. If this is to happen it will need to involve as many people as possible in the process right from the start deciding exactly what the project is, finding a building, plus organising and running of the centre. We hope for a radical space, 'owned' by many people and groups, beyond Leeds ARC, who we see as a facilitator in getting this idea off the ground.

At our last meeting we brainstormed some ideas of our vision for a social centre, which included an autonomous space, not focused on consumerism, which presents people with alternatives. It could include a café, library, info space, food coop, a large room (for meetings, gigs, workshops etc), a free shop, office space, creche, health space and garden. Obviously a lot of this will depend on the people involved and the space it ends up in.

We decided that we need a big meeting of everyone who might want to be involved in a social centre in Leeds, and decide how to move forward from here.

So come along and lets talk about what kind of a social centre you think Leeds needs and get involved...