WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT?

Welcome to The Factory Social Centre
Anarchist Squatted Self-managed Space

We welcome community group use for meetings, workshops, activities and events. There is no charge for use of the space but in order to maintain the building we rely on donations and your participation in care taking. The ground floor and first floor are public social centre space, the above floors are residential only.

We aim to create a non-hierarchical, safer space for everyone. You are responsible for yourself and your friends’. Respect the space, please clean up after yourself and respect others using the space. Don’t let your substance use/misuse affect those around you. Please leave your prejudices outside the door. If you see something that needs to be done for the space – you can do it! If you need help, just ask, we’re all in this together.

We have open meetings every Thursday at 7PM, everyone is welcome. If you have a plan for a project or activity, or just want to get involved then come along.

There is a lot of building work being done on the building and help is always needed. We have work days on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11AM. Come along and share your skills or learn some new ones.

Please respect us and our neighbours, leave quietly and don’t shout when outside the building.

There may be some confusion as to the state of affairs at the factory – we’re still here and still open and still going! There have been threats of eviction but we are not going anywhere soon. So please come and use the space, below is a list of the different rooms we have up and running. There is a lot of potential for almost any type of project to go on.

Here are the spaces we have up and running that are free and open for people to use, and bring any new ideas or projects to…

FIRST FLOOR

art room

-screen printing facilities (in progress, dark room near finished and materials arrived)

-paint and other art materials

-massive work table and other work surfaces

-space for creating whatever you want

function room

-space for small and/or quiet events

-large room with sofas and armchairs and light

-has been used for meetings, discussion, yoga, dance practice, skillshares, meditation, board games nights, film screenings

-‘board game night’ is here every Wednesday night from 8pm

-‘social centre meetings’ are here every Thursday at 7pm

-‘men confronting patriarchy meetings’ are here every Friday at 6pm

apothecary

-this is adjoining the function room and is a space for learning about herbal medicine

-this has many tinctures and herbs for medicinal use

-equipment (bottles, funnels, muslin cloth) to make your own tinctures, salves, oils etc.

-drying racks for your freshly foraged herbs

-books and information concerning nutrition, plants, gardening, herbs and more holistic ways to look after body and mind.

-please call, email or drop in to arrange a consultation time with ‘witches in tracksuits’ (the informal apothecary crew)

haklab

-computer room with printers, scanners and internet connection

-geek club meet here every Tuesday night at 6pm and are happy to help with fixing computers and installing linux, discussing networking, servers etc. come hang around and talk about geeky stuff!

infopoint

-a smorgasbord of information concerning the social centre and other anarchist events within the city and beyond. (a table with a bunch of flyers on it)

-first aid kit

-incoming telephone

social centre bathroom and shower

-please come and use if you need

GROUND FLOOR

main room

-the largest room in the building

-suitable for a variety of different activities

-‘people’s kitchen’ runs here every Tuesday at 8pm (this is a donations based vegan dinner) with a film showing after

– Factory Film Night runs here every Wednesday at 7pm, free entry and free tea and nibbles.

-other events in this space are and have been: circus skills practice, cafes, tea parties, film nights, larger meetings and discussions

-we have a pool table

-there are two toilets adjoining this room

Cafe / Sewing Room

-small light room on Portland sq. used for cafe during events

– sowing machines

-the old factory safe-room is now storage for vittels

workshop & tat room

-communal tools for using round the building

-building materials

cinema/ramp room

-this room was totally destroyed by water damage coming in from the roof over the last few years.

-it has been saved but work needs to be done fixing the roofing better and turning the space into a cosy cinema room

-downstairs skate ramp to be installed.