>>>GREEK UPRISING: News from the streets here <<< SOLIDARITY NEEDED for those arrested!!

OUR BASIC POSITION ON CLIMATE CHANGE: "When you consider that climate change is caused by the over-consumption of fossil fuels by the rich, often extracted at the expense of the poor; that the first people to feel the effects of climate change are the poor because only the rich can pay for expensive adaptation measures; that the process which is designed to prevent climate change is dominated by the rich, who come up with solutions that displace the poor but make money for the rich; then you stop seeing climate change as a problem of atmosphere and gases and start seeing it as a problem of class war."

56a Infoshop Social Centre - London
radical social centre since 1991

What's new at 56a? CLICK HERE

Lots of different radical, non-hierarchical groups working for social change have graced the 56a Infoshop with their presence. Here are links to some of the groups currently working with or out of the building:

BIG LIST of ACTIVE
GROUPS
in LONDON

FARESHARES
FOOD CO-OP

WHAT WE SELL AT 56a

56a ARCHIVE

ACTIVE DISTRIBUTION

THE MAP ROOM (is open...) + FESTIVAL of MAPPING

FREE BICYCLE
REPAIR SPACE + BICYCLE BALLET

ERODING EMPIRE EVENTS LISTING

PRACTICAL SQUATTING

56a ZINE LIBRARY

PAST TENSE PUBLICATIONS

GENTRIFICATION IN OUR AREA

PRECARI-PUNX PROJECT
(temporarily down!)

S LONDON RADICAL HISTORY GROUP and MAPPING

ONE RESPONSE TO A CRITIQUE OF RENTED SOCIAL CENTRES

 


' How weak and thin are our dreams and desires, how insubstantial the intrigues of politics and everyday life compared with the cold winds of Kars. It is because we failed to find happiness in poetry that we found ourselves hiding in the shadow of politics '
Orhan Pamuk, in 'Snow'


The Advert
Archive
Pamphlets
People
Reading
Books
Music
Action

(What's new + Infoshop events)
(help needed + Empties List)

are you a STUDENT RESEARCHER? or JOURNALIST See below!!

56 CRAMPTON ST LONDON
SE17 3AE UK
The 56a Infoshop is a volunteer-run, 100% unfunded DIY-run social centre in Walworth, South London.

We are a resource for local people, campaign groups and projects as well as selling books, zines, music and t-shirts. We have an extensive radical archive of international info with hundreds if not thousands of publications that we have saved over the last 16 years of being open.

We are part of a larger Social Centres Network in London and part of a global network of Infoshops, autonomous spaces, projects & people dreaming and working for a better world.

We share the space with Fareshares whole foods co-op and a free D.I.Y bicycle repair space. Stop by for a read, to fix your bike, buy some veg, to check the squatters' bulletin board or just for a cuppa.

• Wednesday 3-7pm • Thursday 2-8pm
• Friday 3-7pm • Saturdays 2-6pm

(Elephant & Castle or Kennington Tube
Loads of buses to Elephant + Castle: Click this for map!)

email address

you can join our low volume 56a email list for news , events, actions etc >>

Email:

check this site for good updates from LONDON and beyond>>>

If you would like to receive SMS alerts about London's autonomous spaces text 'follow londonscn' to 07624801423 then reply with a name as instructed (This ins't a 56a initiative but is useful, no?)

 

WHAT's NEW!

•In 2008 we published two new pamphlets in solidarity with the struggles and resistance in Oaxaca (Broken Barricades) and in Italy (The Anomalous Wave Rebellion In Italy). The Oaxaca pamphlet is still available (as well as being online). It's one of the best overviews of the Oaxaca Uprising of 2006. You can get a printed version (with a great comic drawn by someone who was active there) from Active Distribution (£1). The Italy pamphlet details some history and analysis of the ongoing Italian Anomalous Wave rebellion. The free 16 page pamphlet goes also into an analysis of the movement. We highly recommend people to read it, copy it, email it out to encourage solidarity with the Italian Wave but to also inspire people in the UK to act. Download here: L'Onda Anomala or here in Greek

• The 56a Zine Library is undergoing an overhaul right now. We are doing a major resort of all the hundreds of zines we have. We hope eventually (it's a slow process!) to have it all re-jigged and maybe catalogued too. Anyway, it's gonna be more user-friendy! Come on down and use the resource. We got tons of great zines going back to 1980!

• We've just put up a new LONDON ACTIVE GROUPS page where you can access info and resources about loads of active groups, events and resources for the London area. We thought it would be useful for people, old and new, wanting to connect with other people doing local stuff. Something for everyone.

• Also, in this spirit, we just created a very low volume email list so you can receive our news, events and useful sundry other postings. We won't flood your inbox with crap you've already got. To join, put your address in the box above this News box

Come to our 56a ARCHIVE worknights: First TUESDAY of every MONTH at 7pm - No experience needed. Just willingness to shuffle papers and sort leaflets. Get to know the archive!! Meet the nerds at 56a. Be a nerd yourself! Drink tea, file and destroy capitalism (slowly)!! See you there

• The FREE BIKE WORKSHOP is up and running again, mainly due to sterling work by Mr T. So check it out WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY and FRIDAY, SATURDAY. Build a bike, mend your bike or help others. We got tools, bike parts and cheap new stuff like tubes, spokes, cables, lights etc.

.• We had a few small cafes here - beans on toast and Zapatista coffee. You probably missed them. Keep an eye here. We had a load of technical problems with our site but some we like loads sorted out what was basically our incompetence.So now we can actually change what is written here again and keep you posted.
There's a great strong collective here and we have been sorting out stuff...the yard, the book exchange (see below), the free bike space. We have begun to finally archive the boxes and boxes of stuff we have not touched since 2005. So pretty soon everything we have will be in the proper place, accesible to all. We have a load of great stuff (50,000+ items), all open-access for reading and researching, republishing and dreaming with. Our next move is to begin the process of cataloguing it first electronically and then in a paper format. That's a big job

. Practical Squatting nights are twice a month here. Check that link<<

• We drank a lot of coffee this month...again! And we keep going. We never sleep!

 

• 56a INFOSHOP EXHIBITION SPACE! What's on now.....

DESIGNER ANARCHY:
The covers of Anarchy Magazine 1960's / 1970's


We are currently showing a selection of the beautifully designed colour covers of the U.K magazine ANARCHY that was published between 1960 and some time in the 1970's. Most of the covers were designed by Rufus Segar, who we are in the process of trying to find information on. Do you know?

NEXT EXHIBITION in the making!@!@


YES! We have a small exhibition space at 56a Infoshop. If you have any ideas for small exhibits..photos, propaganda, themed displays...get in touch. We have space for 3 frames at 90x60cm and 2 frames at 50x60cm plus a few little frames. Stuff can stay up 2 to 3 months.

• BOOK EXCHANGE
Up and running. Bring a book and leave it in the exchange. Look at what books we have and take one away! Recent goodies - Vaneigem, Goldman, Primo Levi, etc

• INTERVIEW WITH SOME OF US...
There is also an interview about 56a in the Spanish language magazine DIAGONAL

• INTERVIEW WITH SOME MORE OF US...
There is also a short video about 56a on BLIP TV thats nice. Made by Erika Ransom for Channel Zero.

• LOCAL NASTY STUFF..
Crazy GENTRIFICATION is at work in our local area: We've put up a webpage about what's going on...
and wow! there's a lot happening. 8-(

• VOLUNTEERING AT 56a
If you want to get involved in working a shift, helping out in the bike workshop, doing archive work, planning events, publicity work etc then come on down..Potential volunteers should come to the Infoshop>>>>>

Come on down if interested in volunteering..!


Oh!...WE ARE A SOCIAL CENTRE!!


56a Infoshop was born in June 1991, sharing a squatted space with Fareshares food co-op (purveyers of fine wholefoods and organic veg. since 1988). After a recent dark period of no electricity and possible eviction, the premises has gone legit and has a new (10 year!) lease of life. There has been a major refurbishment of both Fareshares Food Co-op and 56a Infoshop. Right now, we face a happy future with great possibility. We've added a new Zine Library Room and have been thinking of things that we would like to happen here: reading groups, small caffs, a dedicated archive group, oh! lots of things...Come by and check out the building work that's been done... and get involved and make the space happen!


Non-profit - Non-funded -Volunteer run for 17 years -
Built by us! Endless adventure...



our recent SETH TOBOCMAN exhibtion


Open again! 56a Book Exchange


Drink our coffee and destroy!


Free Bike Workshop

Usually Weds, Thurs, Fri, Sat during opening hours.

Mend your bike or learn how.

Cheap new parts available.

Volunteers needed too!
See here!!

56a Publishing Wing present 'GRIME & NOURISHMENT'
A Vegan Cookbook benefit for 56a!!!

NOW BACK IN PRINT. Catch up on all these vegan recipes and the story of the 56a as told by it's eclectic day-book. Homebrewing, book reviews, everything bar the (ex-)squat's kitchen sink. Only £3 for 118 pages of grimy radical food and revolution. Buy from us in the shop or mail order from ACTIVE DISTRIBUTION

Are you a STUDENT researching SQUATTING?
Hello there! We probably get one or two people a week who approach us for help on written or film projects. This usually takes the form of wanting info and answers to specific questions OR wanting to interview us, OR putting them in touch with other people to be interviewed. To simplify things here are two points that we recently decided upon:

:-) 1) We simply don't have time to help everyone. Sorry! We have a huge archive that you can come and look through and we can help you find info and material and chat about your ideas etc. However, if you want to interview someone here about squatting or radical social spaces, it's probably unlikely that people here will want to be interviewed. What you can do is place a message on our noticeboard looking for people to interview.

:-( 2) Here are a few reasons why we discussed this matter and came up with the above. We would rather put our time and efforts into running the Infoshop. In the main, those we agreed to help in the past had no interest in radical change and just wanted help with what they saw as a 'cool' project idea. Subsequently we never heard from them again despite promises to give us copies of what they wrote or filmed. Off they went to their new careers!

We certainly are not against talking to people who are just getting into radical ideas or who already involved in some way in radical change want to do something investigative and interesting as a college project. The people we have helped have usually come to the space and got to know the place a little bit first. In that way we got to know each other a little bit.
So, don't let the above put you off - it may sound a little harsh - but we are open 4 times a week and we don't bite.

or JOURNALIST?
We make our own media. We don't care if you can put us in The Guardian, Time Out or on C4. We don't care about exposure, publicity or putting our side of the story etc. in the context of mass media. We are definitely not interested. ;-)

RECENT-ish ACTIVITIES at 56a INFOSHOP and nearby...a partial list!
• Sunday 4th May 08 SQUATTERS EMPTIES HUNT:
A few brave souls went out on foot and by bike to uncover the Capitals empty buildings to add to a list of possible future homes for all. Despite some fine flyers, no one outside of 56a turned up to help themselves.

• Sunday 25th October 07 SUNDAY BREAKFAST:
Once again the incredible free breakfast for all...this time we brought you 100% cheap- ass Beans on Toast, and deathbrew Zapatista coffee..It was timed to be post- Anarchist Bookfayre so we met some nice cool people who were in town. They are still awake probably hoping to come off the caffeine jag

• Sunday 18th February 07
SUNDAY BREAKFAST:
Yes back as promised - the free breakfast for all...this month we brought you vegan Tofu Scramble, Beans, Toast, Potato Waffles and strong, strong Zapatista coffee..plus some punks said it looked rank!!

5th November 06 SUNDAY BREAKFAST:
We were rustling up a load of pancakes and toppings with strong, strong Zapatista coffee for any and everyone. Look out for the next one..
.


APRIL 22nd : In association with the 2nd Annual Zine Symposium, we hosted a Zine Readers and Bands room!!

with Butchers Boy (two piece lo-fi honeys doing bass guitar sturm and drang ); RachelAPP (more lo-fi angled punk rock )
Grip Right Swing Right (madness and sunglasses) plus Kitty Chronic (Chronicles Of A Cheating Heart); and author of Jerusalem/ London Mink reaading

25th SEPTEMBER: In association with 56a, the Bakery Ladies put on Kimya Dawson (of Moldy Peaches) plus Strand of Oaks and Grip Right Swing Right and Toby and also Debi at The Pullens Centre It ran from 9am til midday on a Sunday morning and there were six people/acts playing. No-one fell alseep and there was a breakfast. It was rammed by 9.30 so Kimya and Strand of Oaks played a few songs upstairs to those who couldn't fit in the hall downstairs before going downstairs to play songs to those who had missed the songs upstairs. All in a wonderful morning of acoustic songs and really nice people.

JULY 31st 2005: In association with 56a, the Bakery Ladies put on a Lo-Fi AFTERNOON SHOW just up the road from us!!

JULY 4th 2005: A ZINE READERS LISTENING NIGHT: Did you miss it?

JUNE 18th 2005: URBAN FARMING and FREE FOOD TALK + CAFE: Very Tasty!

zine library reading night flyer

 

all of JUNE 2005: YOU ARE HERE BUT WHY? A Free Festival of Mapping
presented by The Map Room (is open...) we had a map festival and people came: see the photos and what you missed -full festival programme at:
www.mdx.org.uk/mapfestival.html

were not squatting anymore but you still can!!
They're in here for us, we are out here for them!
SUPPORT PRISONERS!!


 

Updated Jan 4th 2009 - 12.45pm - by Bill Grates of the 'wanky punk Infoshop' (Libcom website)