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

[editor]

I dunno, is this starting out neutral? Page 1 of this thread.

And now some context: that comment was about the "fops and dandies in the Opium Den" who were going into a "Hysteria Treatment Room" and then off to "do something dark in the cellars."

I was referring to that one night, and, yes, I stand by those comments. Fucking idiots.

 

[Orang Utan]

Why are they dickheads? Sounds like fun.

 

[editor]

Why are they dickheads? Sounds like fun.

Not sure if they'll have the unlimited funnel of frozen roasted potatoes on tap for you, though.

 

[Orang Utan]

Have you never been to a themed fancy dress party?

 

[editor]

Have you never been to a themed fancy dress party?

I do believe this discussion has been well and truly had many moons ago.

But let's get right back up to date: what do you think of Brick Box's efforts to engage and inform the local community so far?

 

[Orang Utan]

I think they can do what they want, just as long as they drop the bumf about street drinkers.

 

[boohoo]

All this stuff about internships can be misleading. You have to get people who actually want to be involved and do want to do PR. I've had a keen volunteer who wanted to sort out the events for the mural project which was great as I was expecting to have 2012 looking after a baby. However, life got in her way and from November to now she's been out of the picture meaning I've had to organise events (which means a lot I have wanted to do has gone out of the window.

Maybe they have a good fundraiser but no-one with the intelligence to engage the community outside of twitter and facebook,etc. I have met groups that fail to engage the internet audience because they only do snail mail.

 

[TruXta]

And now some context: that comment was about the "fops and dandies in the Opium Den" who were going into a "Hysteria Treatment Room" and then off to "do something dark in the cellars."

I was referring to that one night, and, yes, I stand by those comments. Fucking idiots.

Yes, I know. You're perfectly entitled to think they're fucking idiots btw. I can see why to an extent. What you're not entitled to is to arrogate for yourself any semblance of neutrality, on this thread. You've been anything but. Even from the start.

As for the question you're posing - it rather depends how you define the local community doesn't it? Going back to page 1 (or 2 mebbe) Kanda says you're micro-zoning Brixton. I'll have to agree. While the immediate, stones-throw area isn't the hoity-toitiest a mere 5 minutes away plenty of local, long established residents are well off enough to easily afford a 40 quid night, or a 5 quid for a walking around??outrage! night. I should know, I live on one of the streets with the highest house prices in the area (Sudbourne Rd). And I'll bet there's a good few people living within your manor that could afford this too, if they were at all interested.

However, taking your question at face value, and granting that I've not been in Brixton since March and can only go on this thread, it doesn't seem like they've done a very good job of advertising physically/locally, no.

 

[editor]

I think they can do what they want, just as long as they drop the bumf about street drinkers.

Not much of an inclusive community arts venture if they're only doing what they want, no?

 

[editor]

However, taking your question at face value, and granting that I've not been in Brixton since March and can only go on this thread, it doesn't seem like they've done a very good job of advertising physically/locally, no.

Which then begs the question: why have they made no apparent effort at all?

And that, I believe, is the rub.

 

[TruXta]

Which then begs the question: why have they made no apparent effort at all?

And that, I believe, is the rub.

A worthy question, for sure. And TBH I was a bit disappointed with the answers given by Rosie(?) earlier. It's dead easy to do a few posters and fliers. I bet if they asked nicely even you would put one or two up on your estate.

Still, you're pretending to speak for the local community, when you're really not, at least not in any sense of local community that includes long-term residents of Brixton rather than just your immediate surroundings. Like it or not, the area is a lot more affluent than it was just 5 years ago.

 

[Badgers]

Has anyone actually been in yet? I know people have looked and stuff but nobody on Urban risked a fiver? I am going to do so.

 

[TruXta]

Has anyone actually been in yet? I know people have looked and stuff but nobody on Urban risked a fiver? I am going to do so.

 

[teuchter]

Wow. That's a particularly unpleasant and malicious piece of wild and gross misrepresentation there. I suggest you exercise caution before posting up any further groundless slurs.

The point I was clearly making is that some people may find it bit odd that a company that clearly has great skills in putting its case forward and promoting itself still seems singularly unable to produce even a single, basic, readable poster in the window. I certainly find it a little odd.

Why didn't you just say that, then? Why mention a specific amount of "public money" and make no effort to explain that none of that money was anything to do with the ex-Angel project?

Don't you think that someone who didn't know anything about the background, maybe, just maybe might take it to mean that they'd been given £130,000 for projects including this Angel project, and that that's why you were so worked up about the poster/lack of poster? Especially when you used the word "trousering"?

I see you've already retracted the "trousering" bit - perhaps you could edit the post with a "clarification" about the money too.

 

[editor]

Why didn't you just say that, then? Why mention a specific amount of "public money" and make no effort to explain that none of that money was anything to do with the ex-Angel project?

Because that would be incorrect. The Angel project is run by Brick Box, and Brick Box have been in receipt of substantial sums of public funding. That funding has helped build up their brand, infrastructure, contacts, and operating skills and some of that has been transferred to the Angel project. That is why, for example, the Angel project is listed as being an integral part of their website and not on a separate site elsewhere. I've no idea why you're finding this so hard to grasp, tbh, or why you keep trying to twist it into something else. Most odd.

Anyway, so how do you think they've done in reaching out to the local community and getting them interested and involved in the project in the last three months? Reckon one little hand written poster in the window for a few days was more than enough, and all a 'community' arts venture needs to do?

 

[editor]

A worthy question, for sure. And TBH I was a bit disappointed with the answers given by Rosie(?) earlier. It's dead easy to do a few posters and fliers. I bet if they asked nicely even you would put one or two up on your estate.

Indeed it is. And yet they still show no interest in doing so and after not bothering for such a long time, it's dificult not to reach a rather damning conclusion about their motives.

Still, you're pretending to speak for the local community, when you're really not, at least not in any sense of local community that includes long-term residents of Brixton rather than just your immediate surroundings. Like it or not, the area is a lot more affluent than it was just 5 years ago.

I'm not pretending to speak for anyone other than myself, although as a long term resident and member of the Residents Association, I do get to hear quite a few opinions, some of which I've put forward here.

 

[TruXta]

Indeed it is. And yet they still show no interest in doing so and after not bothering for such a long time, it's dificult not to reach a rather damning conclusion about their motives.

I'm not pretending to speak for anyone other than myself, although as a long term resident and member of the Residents Association, I do get to hear quite a few opinions.

Pretending was lazily and perhaps incorrectly put. But as a long term resident and member of a Residents Association, you should be more aware than most of the tremendous social, economic and cultural changes that Brixton is undergoing. Simply put, your idea of what and who the community is is no more valid than that of people with more money and more expensive tastes than yourself. What you're saying is that locals who can afford a 40 quid dinner night aren't part of the local community, or, at the very least, they're not someone you would bother listening to wrt Brickbox/ex-Angel.

By all means slag them and their taste off, but if you imply that you're speaking for the wider community, which, again IMVHO you have implied, then you're simply deluding yourself. This thread, featuring several local voices contrary to your own, should be ample proof of that.

 

[editor]

Simply put, your idea of what and who the community is is no more valid than that of people with more money and more expensive tastes than yourself. What you're saying is that locals who can afford a 40 quid dinner night aren't part of the local community, or, at the very least, they're not someone you would bother listening to wrt Brickbox/ex-Angel.

But by hosting what are essentially secret, private events for those in the know, I don't think they're really reaching out to the community. Some friends of mine went to the first £40 jaunt and said almost all the people they met weren't even from Brixton - which would be fine if it wasn't for the 'inclusive community arts' guff.

By all means slag them and their taste off, but if you imply that you're speaking for the wider community, which, again IMVHO you have implied, then you're simply deluding yourself. This thread, featuring several local voices contrary to your own, should be ample proof of that.

Who's been there from here, then?

 

[Orang Utan]

Not much of an inclusive community arts venture if they're only doing what they want, no?

No, it might be best if they stop crowing about that.

 

[editor]

No, it might be best if they stop crowing about that.

But that's their entire raison d'être!

 

[TruXta]

But by hosting what are essentially secret, private events for those in the know, I don't think they're really reaching out to the community. Some friends of mine went to the first £40 jaunt and said almost all the people they met weren't even from Brixton - which would be fine if it wasn't for the 'inclusive community arts' guff.
Who's been there from here, then?

I hope you see the tension there?

As for who's been there, apart from your mates I wouldn't know. That's not what I meant tho. My point was that several people in this thread, local long-term residents, have disagreed that what Brickbox does in the old Angel pub is all that bad. Sure, they've overegged the pudding wrt their PR spiel (like most artists do, and an accusation that pretty much any promoter needs to face head on), they could surely do better at engaging their immediate neighbours... etc etc.

And for the record, you STILL insist on calling these nights £40 jaunts, when in fact you can get in for a fiver. It's like when mates say "I can't afford to go out to Offline" - I say "you don't have to drink double vodkas all night, have a lime and soda". No?

 

[Orang Utan]

But that's their entire raison d'être!

I mean the bit about them being truly inclusive. They don't really want to let street drinkers in and why should they?

 

[TruXta]

I mean the bit about them being truly inclusive. They don't really want to let street drinkers in and why should they?

Why shouldn't they? Lots of street drinkers are quite interesting people. Some of the time at least.

 

[Orang Utan]

Street drinkers are drinking on the street for a reason

 

[TruXta]

Street drinkers are drinking on the street for a reason

They're lonely, it's cheap, they're a bit eccentric? Lots of reasons, ape.

 

[TruXta]

If anyone wants to see something truly cringeworthy that BB are involved in, surely this is it http://schoolforcreativestartups.com/ ???

 

[bluestreak]

Why didn't you just say that, then? Why mention a specific amount of "public money" and make no effort to explain that none of that money was anything to do with the ex-Angel project?

Don't you think that someone who didn't know anything about the background, maybe, just maybe might take it to mean that they'd been given £130,000 for projects including this Angel project, and that that's why you were so worked up about the poster/lack of poster? Especially when you used the word "trousering"?

I see you've already retracted the "trousering" bit - perhaps you could edit the post with a "clarification" about the money too.

oh god you're so fucking dull you hurt my eyes. give it a rest.

 

[editor]

Street drinkers are drinking on the street for a reason

Because the pub they used to drink in has now been closed, bought up by a property developer and is currently hosting unadvertised events?

Or because it's part of a cultural thing?

 

[editor]

I mean the bit about them being truly inclusive. They don't really want to let street drinkers in and why should they?

Because they said that they like to hang out where the street drinkers are?

 

[TruXta]

Because the pub they used to drink in has now been closed, bought up by a property developer and is currently hosting unadvertised events?

Or because it's part of a cultural thing?

Again with the misrepresenting... it's not unadvertised, it's badly advertised, and probably mostly advertised to people who're already following them on twitter, on their mailing-list etc. It's hardly the first time a smaller event organiser hasn't bothered much with paper ads.