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

[editor]

Incidentally there was a question before about which other art groups work withh BB, and i seem to have read that 198 Gallery does. given Hustlebucks us in my opinion one of the best things in the Arcade that can't be a bad thing can it?

I'm not 'against' Brick Box at all. I just don't agree with the non-inclusive way they're doing things at the Angel.

This photo seems to sum it up, really. No doubt that makes me a 'NIMBY' in your eyes.

 

[quimcunx]

Yet so many other businesses and ventures have managed to strike up a positive relationship with these boards with no problem at all.

With 22 likes for 10 messages I think brickbox has made a good start even in the face of a lot of hostility.

 

[editor]

With 22 likes for 10 messages I think brickbox has made a good start even in the face of a lot of hostility.

So not so 'intimidating' after all, then.

Like all users, they're welcome to contribute to these boards, engage with posters and add their own opinions.

 

[teuchter]

If you think that a public money-supported arts venture putting on unadvertised £40 'decadent' shindigs for their pals

Have you not read a single word that Brick Box has posted on here?

Or are you just outrageously dishonest?

 

[editor]

Have you not read a single word that Brick Box has posted on here?

Or are you just outrageously dishonest?

Are you outrageously stupid?

Brick Box have received public money. They have said so themselves.

 

[quimcunx]

So not so 'intimidating' after all, then.

Like all users, they're welcome to contribute to these boards, engage with posters and add their own opinions.

How do you interpret that from what I said? You said other businesses have struck up a positive relationship with the boards. I say brickbox have too, in as much as it's early days - this despite how intimidating it must be to come here to talk to a pretty hostile audience.

Not so much welcome to contribute as goaded into coming here to defend themselves.

 

[editor]

How do you interpret that from what I said? You said other businesses have struck up a positive relationship with the boards. I say brickbox have too, in as much as it's early days - this despite how intimidating it must be to come here to talk to a pretty hostile audience..

So you don't think their real world behaviour - you know, the blacked out windows, the toff-tastic private £40 supper club jaunts, the shite about hanging out with street drinkers, zero local advertising, the 'cunt' show, and the lack of meaningful engagement with the immediate community - may have played any part in how opinions were subsequently formed?

 

[teuchter]

"real world"

 

[CH1]

Except that's not really what happened is it - turned out that they were in the process of closing up when raverdrew arrived, and CH1 didn't try and go in - he didn't want to because of the "butch" woman apparently on the door.

This is not actually true. I was carrying a 4 pint container of milk and I did not want it contaminated by whatever they were getting up to in there!

 

[snowy_again]

Are you speaking on behalf of that man though? Do you know him, does he know that some random bloke on the internet is making inferred comments on his behalf?

In the BBC vid he's there smiling and waving at Charlie Boy, who does the same back and they have a bit of giggle.

 

[editor]

Are you speaking on behalf of that man though? Do you know him, does he know that some random bloke on the internet is making inferred comments on his behalf?

I haven't "inferred" any opinions on his behalf. Stop trying to twist my words.

I'm just expressing my personal opinion and it's one that seems to chime with quite a few of my neighbours who are equally unimpressed with the way they're doing things. Truth it, I'm rather more more interested in the actual local community than what you think.

In the BBC vid he's there smiling and waving at Charlie Boy, who does the same back and they have a bit of giggle.

Shame he had to do it through a window, no?

 

[Yelkcub]

How do you interpret that from what I said? You said other businesses have struck up a positive relationship with the boards. I say brickbox have too, in as much as it's early days - this despite how intimidating it must be to come here to talk to a pretty hostile audience.

Not so much welcome to contribute as goaded into coming here to defend themselves.

That sums up how I feel about this thread perfectly.

 

[purenarcotic]

I have to say, isn't it very common when royals / PM's / other 'VIPs' come to visit that they are bundled into said project, chaperoned around it, they ask some questions, they smile and nod politely for the cameras and then they fuck off home again?

I'm not saying it's necessarily right, but it's not unusual for the VIP to only communicate with those directly involved in the project as opposed to the community at large.

 

[uk benzo]

I enjoy reading Urban a lot. But threads like this make me realise how bipolar U75 can be. Here we have knee-jerk hostility to what some perceive as genrtrifying poshness (which it may be, but who am I to judge when I have not personally been to any of their exhibitions) and within the same breath shun Nandos chicken for not serving organic free range chicken and because "shit people eat there". Go figure.

 

[gabi]

This thread is pretty shit yeh. Not a great advert for urban.

 

[Badgers]

within the same breath shun Nandos chicken for not serving organic free range chicken

Not correct. It was a response to another post.

and because "shit people eat there". Go figure.

Tongue in cheek (somewhat)

 

[teuchter]

I have to say, isn't it very common when royals / PM's / other 'VIPs' come to visit that they are bundled into said project, chaperoned around it, they ask some questions, they smile and nod politely for the cameras and then they fuck off home again?

I'm not saying it's necessarily right, but it's not unusual for the VIP to only communicate with those directly involved in the project as opposed to the community at large.

It's also a bit off to blame the project itself for the way this happens.

 

[Crispy]

If I was opening a new business in Brixton, I would actively avoid promoting it on the urban75 forums.

 

[Badgers]

If I was opening a new business in Brixton, I would actively avoid promoting it on the urban75 forums.

Word of mouth through the street drinkers?

 

[editor]

If I was opening a new business in Brixton, I would actively avoid promoting it on the urban75 forums.

I'd imagine the owners of Cafe Sitifis and Crown and Anchor would strongly disagree with you, as would the many businesses who have thanked me for the support they've received from the urban community over the years.

Instead of blaming urban, perhaps you should look at the businesses themselves.

 

[gabi]

If I was opening a new business in Brixton, I would actively avoid promoting it on the urban75 forums.

Better off promoting it on Facebook?

 

[Orang Utan]

Many people who comment on gentrication are part of the gentrification process. We're a bunch of hypocrites really. Moving to Brixton and then slagging off anyone else who moves in years later. I'm thinking of all the hipster comments on here, not just the Brickbox issue.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

I enjoy reading Urban a lot. But threads like this make me realise how bipolar U75 can be. Here we have knee-jerk hostility to what some perceive as genrtrifying poshness (which it may be, but who am I to judge when I have not personally been to any of their exhibitions) and within the same breath shun Nandos chicken for not serving organic free range chicken and because "shit people eat there". Go figure.

I'd tend to agree tbh.

For me there's two different objections to this sort of thing - there's serious points about the nature and impact of gentrification, which is a complex and important subject, and there's 'I don't like them because they're posh/hipsters/cunts/whatever.' The second one might not be entirely unjustified but it destroys much hope of discussing the first properly.

 

[Crispy]

I'd imagine the owners of Cafe Sitifis and Crown and Anchor would strongly disagree with you, as would the many businesses who have thanked me for the support they've received from the urban community over the years.

Great for them, but I wouldn't want to take the chance that my business would be deemed a "bad" business.

 

[editor]

Great for them, but I wouldn't want to take the chance that my business would be deemed a "bad" business.

Who's calling BB a 'bad business'? I've never criticised their Villaaage venture, and helped publicise their Angel venue on my blog. And here's how I described their cafe in 2010:

Further inside Brixton Village is Brick Box, a friendly arts hub and cafe bar, run by a “team of artists, dreamers, hopers and no hopers.”

But for a 'community arts' venture, I do think they've gone about this very badly indeed by putting on upmarket, essentially private events for their pals held behind blacked-out windows while refusing to let locals know what is going on.

They read these criticisms some time ago, and could have easily rectified things just by putting up a poster in the window, but they elected not to.

And whether you like it or not, there is a growing resentment in the area about what they're up to, and - to be honest - I would have thought most businesses would be grateful for the honest feedback, even if they don't agree with it.

 

[editor]

Many people who comment on gentrication are part of the gentrification process. We're a bunch of hypocrites really. Moving to Brixton and then slagging off anyone else who moves in years later. I'm thinking of all the hipster comments on here, not just the Brickbox issue.

That's not really the point. For me, it's more about inclusiveness and engagement with the local community.

 

[Crispy]

Please, editor, I'm not trying to insult you and there is no need to defend yourself.

 

[purenarcotic]

It's also a bit off to blame the project itself for the way this happens.

I personally suspect it's done this way because security dictates that is how it will be done. These things are always heavily orchestrated so that there's little chance for a dissenting voice to 'break in' and make a comment deemed inappropriate.

I don't disagree with ed at all in that I'm sure there would have been lots of members of the community who would have loved to see charlie boy, but over this specific incident I don't think we can lay the blame at the project's doorstep.

 

[snowy_again]

But for a 'community arts' venture, I do think they've gone about this very badly indeed by putting on upmarket, essentially private events for their pals held behind blacked-out windows while refusing to let locals know what is going on.

They read these criticisms some time ago, and could have easily rectified things just by putting up a poster in the window, but they elected not to.

And whether you like it or not, there is a growing resentment in the area about what they're up to, and - to be honest - I would have thought most businesses would be grateful for the honest feedback, even if they don't agree with it.

See this is to me is the first time you've expressed your valid opinions about BB without sounding like Disgusted from Tonbridge Wells, and leaping from one bit of fauxrage to another.

 

[editor]

See this is to me is the first time you've expressed your valid opinions about BB without sounding like Disgusted from Tonbridge Wells, and leaping from one bit of fauxrage to another.

My opinions haven't changed at all from the start of the thread, although my tone may have grown more exasperated in the face of snidey comments.