Angel pub on Coldharbour Lane becomes arty community space run by Brick Box

[ddraig]

yes but just imagine how much gothic chic you can buy with more!!!!!
and the more money there is, the nicer the things that can be put through on expenses etc

they could get a big flashy corporate tent to take to more fundraising jaunts! even a vehicle all branded up etc etc etc

 

[Dan U]

I may have misunderstood, but I thought the cash had already been raked in from some sort of community grant.

the drugs have to be paid for somehow.

 

[teuchter]

Sorry, but my club nights only take place in venues where the admission is free and open to all, there's beers on tap and there's a decent sound system.

I don't believe the Brick Box/Angel fit any of those criteria as all of their evening events are priced at a minimum of £5, there's no decent sound system and - AFAIK - there's no beer on tap.

However, if there was a chance the pub could reopen as it was - i.e as a proper community pub - I'd be the first offering to help.

The reason they charge £5 for things is that they probably don't attract a heavy-drinking crowd so they can't cover their costs with bar takings. I wouldn't be surprised if they were happy for something like offline to be free.

As for beer-on-tap or sound systems, I doubt these would be insurmountable problems. and when I've been to nights in these kinds of places in the past, usually the beer is a fair bit cheaper than somewhere like the Albert or Jamm, even if it is just cans from an ice bucket.

If having beer on tap is more important to the Offline concept than avoiding lining the pockets of brewery shareholders, then fair enough, that's your decision.

 

[boohoo]

It might be that what they want to do and what they are able to do are too different things?(do all events need to generate cash?)

All events are organised by groups looking for a venue to use. As we do not know how many proper local groups have asked and found it not to their liking, we can't say why it seems to be expensive events using the space.

Interestingly, last weeks project (Open Doors) seems to usually be free - so the SW9 project is the first one to do a late evening paying session. It'll be interesting to see if the rest of the Open Doors projects go that way or if that is something Brick Box has encouraged them to do.

There have always been tons of well off people in and around Brixton - little pockets of people in posh houses - so Brick Box is serving the local community (just not the immediate local community)

 

[ddraig]

The reason they charge £5 for things is that they probably don't attract a heavy-drinking crowd so they can't cover their costs with bar takings. I wouldn't be surprised if they were happy for something like offline to be free.

As for beer-on-tap or sound systems, I doubt these would be insurmountable problems. and when I've been to nights in these kinds of places in the past, usually the beer is a fair bit cheaper than somewhere like the Albert or Jamm, even if it is just cans from an ice bucket.

If having beer on tap is more important to the Offline concept than avoiding lining the pockets of brewery shareholders, then fair enough, that's your decision.

how much do you want to bet that they would most likely not want someone else's event in there that wasn't dress up debauchery and they didn't control?
i can see what you are saying but again, going from what i've gleaned, how many of 'these kind of places' are there?

 

[editor]

If having beer on tap is more important to the Offline concept than avoiding lining the pockets of brewery shareholders, then fair enough, that's your decision.

The Offline concept is all about putting on great entertainment that is free for all to enjoy, in places that are welcoming and affordable.

I'm not particularly interested in getting involved in places that seem to have shown no interest in engaging with the local community and hold expensive, exclusive evenings behind blacked out windows that I can't afford to go to. Not my thing, sorry.

As for 'lining the pockets of brewery shareholders' I'd rather be doing my bit to try and keep traditional community pubs open than be involved in helping a developer sell his luxury flats.

 

[CH1]

naiive
firstly, why should an established night at an established location move to bolster some half arsed attempt at occupying a building for what mostly seems their needs? and to get the funding rolling in rahrah.
2 why can't they even try and live up to their stupid spiel and try to be more inclusive themselves.
oh unless there's a royalty a visiting and they have to round some urchings up, take down the boards and play to the brief for a few hours... imagine all the riches it'll bring! chingching

Prince Charles has been pretty Naive on this one.
I could of course send him a copy of one of my favourite LPs - by the current Master of the Queen's Musick as it happens. Eight Songs for A Mad King. By Sir Peter Maxwell Davies - well-known scourge of the Blairite war on Iraq

 

[editor]

Interestingly, last weeks project (Open Doors) seems to usually be free - so the SW9 project is the first one to do a late evening paying session.

It wasn't free. It cost £5 in the evening.

http://www.thebrickbox.co.uk/archive.html

 

[editor]

There have always been tons of well off people in and around Brixton - little pockets of people in posh houses - so Brick Box is serving the local community (just not the immediate local community)

The Brick Box is only actually serving the Brixton Villaaage 'community'.

 

[editor]

The reason they charge £5 for things is that they probably don't attract a heavy-drinking crowd so they can't cover their costs with bar takings.

What 'costs' by the way? It's staffed by unpaid volunteers.

 

[teuchter]

how much do you want to bet that they would most likely not want someone else's event in there that wasn't dress up debauchery and they didn't control?

Over the next six months we aim to​

• Provide a welcoming, inspiring and safe space for people
• Build an artistic community
• Offer local people opportunities to curate and host events
• Experiment with a varied and exciting programme

Seeing as they specifically are offering exactly this, then shouldn't we presume it's a genuine offer, unless we have reason to believe that they are turning people down?

Rather than them offering this, then a load of reactionary internet people just assuming that they wouldn't, without even approaching them?

i can see what you are saying but again, going from what i've gleaned, how many of 'these kind of places' are there?

Loads of them - they come and go in London all the time. Disused building, bunch of mainly artist types putting stuff on which usually consists of a mixture of wanky art stuff, so-so art stuff, late night events with music and whatnot which are often quite good and usually relatively cheap drinks/entry.

Everyone seems to be jumping on them because they have put on a couple of not-so-affordable events that are obviously aimed at middle-class waged people, but I don't see how this is deviating from what they say they want to do which is offer a varied programme. If everything they do is £40 in then fair enough, they aren't living up to their aims. But I don't see why they can't do that alongside other stuff. All their daytime events at Tooting were free. They haven't claimed they are there to cater solely for the least affluent portion of their immediate neighbourhood.

 

[boohoo]

It wasn't free. It cost £5 in the evening.

http://www.thebrickbox.co.uk/archive.html

That's what I said... probably phrased it badly. Open doors does postcode projects (SW4 and one in Shepherd bush) and everyone they have done seems to be entirely free. The one at the Brick Box (SW9) looks like the first with a late night event which cost £5. Whether this is because it's a good way to generate cash for both projects or a suggestion from Brick box, I don't know!

 

[teuchter]

places that seem to have shown no interest in engaging with the local community

Over the next six months we aim to​

• Provide a welcoming, inspiring and safe space for people
• Build an artistic community
• Offer local people opportunities to curate and host events
• Experiment with a varied and exciting programme

We are very keen to hear your ideas and thoughts. Get in touch via hello@thebrickbox.co.uk​

 

[teuchter]

What 'costs' by the way? It's staffed by unpaid volunteers.

Materials
Electricity
Stuff they need to hire for the event
Transport

the usual stuff in other words

 

[boohoo]

The Brick Box is only actually serving the Brixton Villaaage 'community'.

I use Brixton Villaaage. And am a genuine local person - born and raised - council house, local schools. Lived here 3/4 of my life. now living in Central Brixton. I've ate cheap meals at the village, bought some tad and had some nice coffee. How can people tell that I'm not a new comer - even worst I have a pushchair so must be one of those mummy types from Herne Hill.

 

[editor]

We are very keen to hear your ideas and thoughts. Get in touch via ​

hello@thebrickbox.co.uk​

If you're so keen and think its such a great idea, why don't you get in touch and put on your own events?

I've already clearly explained the reasons why I'm not interested, but it seems that you're incapable of absorbing them.

 

[editor]

I use Brixton Villaaage. And am a genuine local person - born and raised - council house, local schools. Lived here 3/4 of my life. now living in Central Brixton. I've ate cheap meals at the village, bought some tad and had some nice coffee. How can people tell that I'm not a new comer - even worst I have a pushchair so must be one of those mummy types from Herne Hill.

How many of the £40 diner jaunts have you been to at the Brick Box? And who cares what people think anyway?

 

[kalibuzz]

Yet it will probably still be well attended.

of course, ''freely accessible to a diverse audience, many of whom would traditionally self-exclude from arts experiences'', i.e. creatively challenged wankers. What about calamari straight off a dick? Don't think many people would pay £40 for that, would they?? They can do what they want, what annoys me is the fakeness of it, presenting it as community art, and what not, and it's 'oh, so rude'. WTF?

 

[Onket]

And so it continues.

 

[Orang Utan]

Brickbox reminds me very much of the organisation that ran the 'pop-up' club Shunt in London.
Here's an ecstatic review I found on the Internet:
http://www.urban75.org/2009/04/shunt-club-london-bridge-absolutely.html

 

[ddraig]

the clincher being 'curate' and 'host' teuchter not 'have', 'put on' or 'run'
and i'm guessing that phrase also unlocks funding for "community engagement", "outreach","opportunities for the disadvantaged" yada yada

 

[ddraig]

Brickbox reminds me very much of the organisation that ran the 'pop-up' club Shunt in London.
Here's an ecstatic review I found on the Internet:
http://www.urban75.org/2009/04/shunt-club-london-bridge-absolutely.html

naughty naughty!
how many events like that have they put on then? do they have a roller disco? how much do you think they'd charge if they had the Actionettes there?
and surely shunt was liked due to location and size?

 

[editor]

Brickbox reminds me very much of the organisation that ran the 'pop-up' club Shunt in London.
Here's an ecstatic review I found on the Internet:
http://www.urban75.org/2009/04/shunt-club-london-bridge-absolutely.html

Did they claim to be a community group that likes to hang out where the 'street drinkers are and when the bins are kept'?
Did they take over a traditional West Indian pub and start putting on exclusive £40 toff dinners?
Did their premises face social housing?

No? Oh, I'll have to look elsewhere for your 'point', then.

 

[editor]

naughty naughty!
how many events like that have they put on then? do they have a roller disco? how much do you think they'd charge if they had the Actionettes there?
and surely shunt was liked due to location and size?

It was in the disused arches under London Bridge station. It's a truly facile comparison.

 

[boohoo]

and surely shunt was liked due to location and size?

Partly - but we have the old vic tunnels which have had some nice art shows but although great location doesn't put on the same kind of stuff as Shunt did. You might find that "locals" would not like the shunt type of stuff even if it was for free.

 

[editor]

Partly - but we have the old vic tunnels which have had some nice art shows but although great location doesn't put on the same kind of stuff as Shunt did. You might find that "locals" would not like the shunt type of stuff even if it was for free.

Not that many locals living directly under London Bridge station, I'd fancy.

 

[ddraig]

obviously
how many locals are there in london bridge?

 

[Orang Utan]

naughty naughty!
how many events like that have they put on then? do they have a roller disco? how much do you think they'd charge if they had the Actionettes there?
and surely shunt was liked due to location and size?

It was on a much grander scale, but its aesthetic was very similar. Dancing girls, dressing up, sorta cabaret/circussy,
little bit exclusive as the events weren't publicised hugely. I bet both places had people in the crowd rocking the Victorian strongmen look

 

[ddraig]

anyway i don't bloody live in brixton or even london anymore but have come across these sorts before and they proper irk me they do!

 

[Orang Utan]

Not that many locals living directly under London Bridge station, I'd fancy.

No, but there is a large local community very nearby.