Friday, June 27, 2008
Beyond Mary's Abbey
It's been a slow process finding a new Seomra but we are close. More details about that will be coming soon so watch this space for updates.
With each move we have grown and have seen more people taking an interest and getting involved in our project. Mary's Abbey saw a huge surge in involvement. We were surprised and inspired by the diversity and imagination that was present in the wide range of projects that grew up in the little gap in Dublin's concrete that Seomra Spraoi provided. Mary's Abbey wasn't just a place for meetings or having a good time at the weekend. It became a focal point for action, a place to perform, a space to be creative, and perhaps most importantly of all, a place for people of different backgrounds and nationalities to discuss and have lively arguments about anything, from politics to the music of Stevie Wonder.
The reactions that users of the space had to our shutting down re-asserted the desperate need for such a place, and our duty to keep the project alive. We were rarely short of people to help out or of donations to pay the rent and the bills. We are committed to rebuilding the project and we encourage new people, and people who were involved in the project before, to come and support us now. We say this every time we start in a new premises but it's true - now is a great time to get involved. A new building provides a new opportunity for people to begin with something of a blank slate.
It's been seven months since Seomra Spraoi closed its doors at Mary's Abbey for the last time. The drama and disappointment that came at the end of that amazing experience created a space for reflection. Since then we have been getting back to our roots and re-evaluating the project. A new organisational structure has been put in place. General collective meetings will now be held monthly with four working groups feeding into that meeting. Each working group is taking on specific tasks related to different aspects of the project. These working groups give people a chance to give a more focused and less time-consuming commitment to the project.
The next general meeting is on Thursday the 3rd of July at 7:30 (venue to be confirmed). Alternatively you can email us on seomraspraoi@gmail.com if you are interested in working with us on the project.
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Sunday, March 30, 2008
Scoil Spraoi invites you to our first Social Centre gathering, on April 11th-13th!
Social Centre Gathering
"A space to share our experiences and knowledge about Social Centres. By sharing these things and making them collective we can sharpen our tools, develop our ideas; create new forms of non-hierarchical and anti-capitalist organisation. Through collective discussion debate & action we create communities of resistance"
Social Centres
Social Centres have been an important and stable development of social movements. Social Centres create space for meetings, workshops, benefit gigs, not for profit cafes, libraries, internet access, craft activities, bicycle workshops, self-defence training: the list goes on. What more can we use them to do? What forms of collective activity do they make possible? What forms of resistance emerge form such a social space? What are their limitations?
We have part of the answers to these questions in our collective experiences. This is a chance to share, discuss and debate those experiences.
Seomra Spraoi
The Seomra Spraoi collective was started three years ago with the intention of setting up an autonomous social centre in Dublin. We reckon we’ve been pretty successful…
Since our humble beginnings we have occupied three different spaces of our own, each bigger than the previous one. Our move to 4 Mary’s Abbey in July 2007 saw a huge surge in activity and an expansion of the collective. Over 20 groups held regular meetings or events there, with hundreds of people using the space on a weekly basis. After a month of bureaucratic dealings with the landlord, fire authority & police the collective decided to terminate the lease. From this experience we learned a lot...
We keep on learning. The collective is highly organised, with around 30 people managing the social centre, via working groups, and an open meeting of the collective every Thursday.
Europe wide days of action
This gathering coincides with a European wide call for "decentralized days of action for squats and autonomous spaces" - a weekend of discussion & action in defence of free spaces.
See http://april2008.squat.net/
We want to make autonomous spaces and social centres more visible as a political movement. We want to develop interconnections and solidarity between social centres and autonomous spaces. We want to keep linking our spaces with new people and new struggles, and support the creation of autonomous spaces in places where there has not been a history of this kind of action.
First things first - Friday
…will kick off around 7 and is shaping up to be a nicely chilled and fun evening.
Location
The venue for the gathering is CASADH, 19 Newmarket Square, The Coombe.
Click on the map below for a larger graphic.
Please note that CASADH is a DRUG & ALCOHOL FREE SPACE,
it is used as a drug rehabilitation centre during the week and drugs/alcohol are not allowed on the premises at any time.
Group presentations
So far we have individuals who will tell us about their experiences of working in autonomous spaces and social centre projects in Italy, Poland, Germany and Seomra Spraoi...more presentations to be confirmed.
Food
Dinner will be provided by the skilled ’Peoples Kitchen’ collective. If you think you’ll be arriving late let us know and we’ll try to keep food for you or if you have special dietary needs, again, do let us know. Lunch and dinner will be provided on Saturday also.
Movies
While we’re chowing down we’ll chill out watching some short movies on various international social centre projects. If you have an interesting short documentary that you think we could show feel free to bring it along.
Saturday’s discussion topics
Saturday will be broken into 3 discussion sessions – each session will deal with a variety of themes – we are currently working on the structure of the discussions to enable full participation so please mull over these topics – we wanna know what you think!
Session 1 - practical issues associated to running a social centre
1. From shaky ground to safer spaces
Can we make social centre spaces free from oppression? How do we deal with behaviour and language that perpetuate oppression?
2. Decision making by consensus
Why do it without leaders? How can we increase democratic participation in social centres?
3. Avoiding the ghetto and increase accessibility.
How can we broaden the appeal of social centres and not just serve the needs of the familiar activist scenes?
Session 2 - Discussion topics relating to viewing social centres as a political project
1. From autonomy to bureaucracy and back
Can Irish social centres remain truly autonomous in the face of bureaucratic challenges? How do we raise finances without being limited or diverted in our aims?
2. Creating spaces of resistance
How do we see the role of social centres in social movements and wider revolutionary currents? Are we just providing services that the government provides?
3. Developing aims & principles
How do social centres develop their politics?
Session 3 - Futures
1. Creating a social centre network - developing social centres in Ireland
What ways can we support each other in creating social centres and other spaces?
2. Social centres as places of skill sharing and popular education?
In what ways can we tap in to the full potential of social spaces to share and develop skills; inspire and create amongst each other?
3. Creating spaces beyond the social centre
How can we create temporary autonomous zones? What role can social centres play in campaigning and taking action to reclaim spaces?
Sunday’s antics
A fun and kid friendly picnic marking the privatisation of public space. We’re encouraging creative participation so get any costumes out and start making banners!
Accommodation
If you need somewhere to crash over the weekend please email us - seomraspraoi@gmail.com - and we’ll try to sort you out. There is limited space so we can’t guarantee everyone a place but we’ll do our best to sort you out.
Over and Out!
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Tuesday, March 11, 2008
The search goes on...
Similarly, if you are involved in any groups or activities which have used Seomra Spraoi in the past send on any details of your current activities. We can put them up here on the blog and let other Seomra Spraoi friends know what's cool and happening in the city!
seomraspraoi at gmail dot com
www.myspace.com/seomraspraoi
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Thursday, January 24, 2008
Movin' on up ...
We are looking at a number of different possible new locations and hope to re-open as soon as possible. Now, more than ever, all help and assistance is needed.
Here is a link to an excellent story about Seomra Spraoi on Indymedia: http://www.indymedia.ie/article/85489
The energy and spirit of all involved in Seomra Spraoi is as strong as ever. Watch this space for further developments!
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Sunday, January 06, 2008
Fundraiser for Seomra Spraoi - Friday January 11th
Ballroom of Romance #72: Seomra Spraoi Benefit Gig. 11th January, Lower Deck
Ballroom 72: Seomra Spraoi BenefitFeaturing...
Estel http://www.myspace.com/estelrocks
Large Mound http://www.myspace.com/largemound
Party Weirdo http://www.myspace.com/partyweirdomusic
Hounds http://www.myspace.com/houndslikejumpers
The Lower Deck, Portobello
Friday 11th January
€10, doors 9pm
http://www.ballroomofromance.com
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Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Fundraiser for Seomra Spraoi - Saturday January 5th
Saturday January 5th 9pm - Lower Deck
gz present
A fundraiser for Seomra Spraoi social centre, featuring
The Freebooters http://www.myspace.com/irishfreebooters
Party Weirdo http://www.myspace.com/partyweirdomusic
The Worthwhile Experience http://www.myspace.com/theworthwhileexperience
Swing Youth http://www.myspace.com/swingfuckingyouth
DJ Richie Kaboogie
Running order TBC on the night
Sat 5th January 2008
The Lower Deck, Portobello
9pm. Minimum donation €6.
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Sunday, December 02, 2007
Seomra Spraoi Closed
Sunday, December 2nd 2007.
Seomra Spraoi Closed
For Now…
Seomra Spraoi (& the entire building in 4 Marys Abbey) was closed down by the Fire Authority last night.
At 8pm around 10 Police and 4 Fire Officers arrived to inspect the space. Less than 10 people were present in Seomra Spraoi. The Fire Authority stated that the building did not meet fire safety regulations and closed the building. An hour was negotiated with the Fire Authority to move out any of our stuff we might need whilst we don’t have access to the building. The Fire Authority were, supportive and apologetic, but ultimately had no choice but to close us down.
Phonecalls went out and around 30 people supporters arrived within the hour in solidarity and to help move out stuff we might need.
Around 20 people from the Seomra Spraoi Collective reconvened for an extraordinary general meeting (at midnight). We see this as a temporary setback and obviously agree that we’d like the building to be fire safe. We have booked a fire consultant to see what work needs to be done and will be working with the Fire Authority to get the building re-opened as soon as possible.
We’ll be having a public meeting on Thursday to keep all the users of the space informed on what’s going on. Details of time and venue will be posted on Indymedia.
Thanks for your continued support
Seomra Spraoi Collective
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