Brixton Village/Granville Arcade indoor market, Brixton

[Ms T]

Firstly, please can we have the old name back. Brixton Village just isn't right.

Anyhow, me and han popped in today to see what was going on with the regeneration attempts. Quite a few units have been occupied - there's a vintage clothes shop, a deli, a shop called the Sweet Store which is opening in January, what looks like an art installation and a shop selling interesting looking fabrics. Not sure how long all of them are going to be there. No 1 Village Bakery (taken over by Rosie of Rosie's Deli) is definitely a pop-up shop.

I'd like to see a few more shops that are going to appeal to the wider community in Brixton but I think it's definitely worth popping down there when they open on Thursday, I think. There are still a lot of empty units, so the whole market really needs our support.

There's also an oral history project which is looking for people to talk about the market and how it used to be. (Mrs M - I think you should definitely give them the benefit of your Brixton knowledge.)

 

[ajdown]

We had an email about it today at work.

INVITATION: Spacemakers Christmas Celebration this Thursday

You are warmly invited to the Spacemakers Chirstmas Celebration this Thursday between 4-9pm at Brixton Village Atlantic Road/Coldharbour Lane, Brixton SW9 8PS.

Here is the link to the Facebook page for the Spacemakers Brixton Market

Christmas Celebration this Thursday. The event is open to everyone so please pass round the invitation:
http://bit.ly/7PmGVe

Gruff and Tackleton are celebrating Saturnalia on the 17th.

Saturnus is the Roman God of seeds and sowing, so we would like visitors to the event to bring seeds they have collected or have left over from this year in a small paper envelope with a brief note of what they are (or might be!) written on it. When you bring your seeds to the shop, we'll give you a G&T Christmas Card with seeds someone else has brought along inside for you to plant in the spring.

Saturnalia was the time of giving and receiving gifts in Roman times and culminated with the solstice.

We look forward to seeing you at the shop on Thursday.

www.gruffandtackleton.com

Io Saturnalia!

Chris Boyd
www.kitboyd.com

 

[Gramsci]

A few photos of the new shops

 

[Gramsci]

Transition Town in conjunction with Friends of Brixton Market have set up a community shop.At the moment its rent free for 3 months. After that they are hoping to try and keep it open longer.

Other photos are a new clothes shop and view of arcade. They have revealed the old shopfront which looks nice-see old lettering at top of shop.

 

[Gramsci]

from email about Community Shop


Brixton Community Shop: 6, First Avenue, Granville Arcade (Brixton Village), Brixton Market, SW9 8PR
and Remade in Brixton Work-Shop, 5, First Avenue.

We are delighted to announce that Transition Town Brixton, together with the B£, the Brixton Market Traders Federation and Friends of Brixton Market, has been given a free space in the heart of Brixton! As part of the Space Makers initiative, what was an empty market unit will be transformed (initially for three months) into a buzzing community space for people to come together, discuss and contribute to create and enact a vision for Brixton as a thriving, inclusive and sustainable community and economy. It also has a large room above which we hope to develop as an office, resource, reading, meeting, training space. Remade in Brixton TTB's 'waste as resources' group has the shop next door. See below for details of workshops and what is for sale there.

Opportunities:
We are are looking for volunteers to keep the spaces open Monday-Saturday, in the New Year and help develop them. There is the beginning of a TTB library and resource centre in the room above the shop. Much needs sorting and cataloguing. Please email with Community Shop in the subject line or, better still, sign up via the webform. We will be in touch to arrange to meet you at the space and work out how you can contribute.

We are applying to the Future Jobs Fund for 3 paid posts - Shop Manager and Assistant Coordinator for TTB, Project Manager for the B£, and a Outreach and Marketing Person for Remade in Brixton. If you are on Jobseekers Allowance and would like to be considered for these paid posts please email with Future Jobs in the subject line.

Stuff needed: stacking chairs, bookshelves, filing cabinet,

We have a to do list and a wants list here. Please visit and sign up for stuff. Let us know on the email that you have.

 

[editor]

It's certainly brightened up what was a seriously ailing part of Granville Arcade (yes Granville Arcade - not this rubbish 'Village' nonsense) , even if it bits of it are a bit art-hipster-wank.

Still, it's better to have something going on than empty spaces, and hopefully it'll kick start some life into the arcade.

Anyhow, I popped by a few days ago and took a few pics on my iCrap camera:

http://www.urban75.org/brixton/photos/brixton-village-indoor-market.html

 

[Tricky Skills]

I really enjoyed the food event last Saturday. It's really hard not to warm to the idea of making positive use of empty spaces. I was slightly concerned at the number of tight jeans and silly haircuts in attendance though.

Councillor John Kazantzis confirmed at the full council meeting last night that Space Makers have been invited to set up similar schemes in Streatham and Norwood. Plenty of empty space in Streatham right now...

 

[dougald]

Hi everyone! Thanks for giving us the benefit of the doubt, despite the tight jeans/silly haircuts. (No one could accuse me of having a haircut... ;-) And the photos are great.

We're doing events at Granville every Saturday, 11 till 5, so do come down and say hello. Tomorrow is Craft Crazy - we're organising a pop-up craft fair with stalls around the market, and there are loads of workshops and activities going on in the shops.

If you'd like to sell your handmade stuff, we still have pitches available free of charge. (Our neighbours at the new academy on Somerleyton Road just offered us as many tables as we need for the day, so we've got room for everyone.) To book a pitch, sign up here:

http://granvillecraft.eventbrite.com/

Then next Saturday (30th) we're planning a performance festival with stand-up comedy, performance poetry, magic, clowning and more - and on Sat 6th Feb we're going to have a Granville Cultural Festival, celebrating all the nationalities represented in the market, with food, music and activities.

We're very much open to suggestions for other events at the market - it's all coming together in a pretty DIY fashion (i.e. chaotically), but we've had lots of people pitching in.

Also, I put up a post on the Space Makers blog the other day, trying to get a bit of perspective on how the project's gone so far. Interested to hear anyone's opinions:

http://spacemakers.org.uk/2010/01/space-makers-in-brixton-how-are-we-doing/

 

[netbob]

Welcome to the boards

 

[katzstar]

Hello all,

Here's a bit more info about the performance festival at Granville that Dougald mentioned. The event runs from 11am to 5pm on Saturday 30th January and there's a bunch of great stuff lined up!

For one day only, the 1930s Brixton Village market, aka Granville Arcade, will be transformed into a playground of pop-up acts and show-stopping performances. The market will play host to a mesmerising medley of diverse and dynamic acts, arts and entertainers, including: a flash mob comedy show; Tom Matchett’s one-man mini pop opera; Artinavan’s interactive photo booth; a Sweet Tooth storytelling session for the under-10s, an improv theatre production; one of Adrian Lee’s 'All Marble Crew'; an accordionist-led children’s musical parade; Nichol Keene’s ode to Brixton, a brilliant burst of harmony from the highly acclaimed Pegasus Opera, and hourly performances of ‘The Little Shop Of Lost Toys’- the latest theatre experience by Spontaneous Productions. Plus lots more pop-up surprises, magical mystery guests and musical showcases which really aren’t to be missed!

Just like all the best shows, there really is something for everyone, so we warmly invite you to roll up roll up for what promises to be an unforgettable day of entertaining experiences in Brixton’s best and buzziest market.

We look forward to seeing you there; and, if you fancy getting involved and would love the chance to show off your talent, then fear not - we still have a few pop-up slots available. Just get in touch with Space Makers: info@spacemakers.org.uk

 

[netbob]

I just spotted this on twitter saying that the shops are being run by local artists and activists, anyone know how true that is: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/02/creating-community-brixton.php

My feeling is it is not, but don't know for sure.

 

[Planty]

There was a fantastic pop-up 'shop' there on Saturday - a chap with a collection of artworks (characters) that he'd carved from wood he'd found largely around the market, alongside a couple of animated films including the characters propelling themselves around the arcade. I was very inspired by it all - and by him, really interesting guy. Can't remember his name but I'd absolutely recommend you go have a look if he comes back.

 

[Orang Utan]

i was there today and it looked cheerful and bright, if not exactly busy.
ps i like the name of brixton village - it gives it more of an aura of community, which ain't a bad thing. i've always known it as brixton village though.

 

[mrtea]

The only problem I have with Granville, is 'Open All Hours'

 

[editor]

It's not really my kind of thing they're doing there and most of the people involved seem more hipster than Brixton, but I can't complain about them breathing new life into what was a truly dead part of the market. I now always walk through the arcade because there's usually something going on. The new coffee place is good too.

 

[innit]

i was there today and it looked cheerful and bright, if not exactly busy.
ps i like the name of brixton village - it gives it more of an aura of community, which ain't a bad thing. i've always known it as brixton village though.

It's been Brixton Village for donkeys, hasn't it? I think I just about remember it changing - but I'm not even sure about that - and I've been here about 11 years.

oh and ed, I'm going to check out the coffee place today - it looked good in your pictures.

 

[pboi]

It's not really my kind of thing they're doing there and most of the people involved seem more hipster than Brixton, but I can't complain about them breathing new life into what was a truly dead part of the market. I now always walk through the arcade because there's usually something going on. The new coffee place is good too.

welcome to the new Brixton

 

[Orang Utan]

he's right, loath though i am to agree with him.
it's as brixton as you are ed.

 

[pboi]

ewww a ginger just agreed with me. Take it back.

 

[innit]

I liked the coffee place - the guys who ran it seemed friendly and nice. The coffee was good. Between the super strong latte and the super sugary brownie I am absolutely flying

 

[editor]

he's right, loath though i am to agree with him.
it's as brixton as you are ed.

Not really, seeing as most of those shops will be long gone in a month or two, such is the nature of the 'pop up shop' concept.

I don't think they represent the new face of Brixton either: step outside the Granville Arcade enclave and it's business as usual.

Besides, I haven't got any problem with having a slice of Hoxton tucked away in the arcade. Variety is the spice of life and all that.

 

[Orang Utan]

why compare it to Hoxton?
it's Brixton!

 

[editor]

why compare it to Hoxton?
it's Brixton!

Possibly because some of the pop up shops in the arcade are based in Hoxton/East London.

 

[Tricky Skills]

Possibly because some of the pop up shops in the arcade are based in Hoxton/East London.

True, but not all of them. One of the main faces behind Spackermakers has liked the area so much, he's staying around to see what else can be achieved.

I buy the hipster thing to an extent, but I also like the way that Spakemakers have been keen to learn from the locals.

Bit more on Spacermakers here.

 

[editor]

Hey, I'm not knocking it all. I think it's great how they've rejuvenated what was a totally dead and forlorn part of the market.

 

[Tricky Skills]

No worries!

...although I did stroke my chin and ponder the whole point of the 'geo piano' that was outside the old boy selling his sweetcorn on Saturday

 

[matt m]

I had a great business idea to run past them yesterday: a £1.01 shop.

Basically, I will buy tons of crap from the 99p shop, and it all for £1.01 per item. Thus making a profit of 2p on every item I sell. If I sell 500 items, that's a tenner!

 

[gaijingirl]

the arcade is on the BBC evening news at the moment as an example of what could be done for similar run down shopping areas...

 

[editor]

Anyone been to the cinema yet?

Federation coffee is ace.

http://www.urban75.org/brixton/photos/brixton-village-indoor-market-more.html

 

[pboi]

I want to make sweet sweet love to that cawfee