Archived post from setting up of website during Glasgow Gathering The Social Centre Network (SCN) is a grassroots initiative that links together the radical independent community social centres throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland. Its aim is to improve communication and co-operation between autonomous spaces by sharing resources, ideas and information.
The SCN traces its roots back to autonomous clubs in the 1980s such as Centro Iberico, Wapping Autonomy Centre and the 1 in 12 Club in Bradford. A second generation of networking activity was launched on 1 January 2007 at the 1 in 12 Club. The fledgling network was profiled in 2008, in a pamphlet titled What's This Place? (https://socialcentrestories.wordpress.com/) In 2014 the Sumac Centre in Nottingham hosted the re-launch of the SCN in late November. The event organised around topics such as gentrification, transformative justice and safer spaces. It was initially agreed that the network would meet twice a year. The SCN assembled again in April 2015 at the Next To Nowhere Social Centre in Liverpool. Discussions focused on the general election, squat evictions, the remit of social spaces and expanding upon safer spaces policies. A safer spaces working group was proposed, as well as collating a list of safer space policies and resources from related and affiliated groups to be made available online. The next meeting was held at the Kebele Social Centre in Bristol on 1 November 2015. Themes at this event included the role of politics of social centres, practical networking and outreach, anti-oppression work and improving accountability processes. In 22-23 September 2018 the SCN was held in Scotland for the first time, convening at the Glasgow Autonomous Space. Discussions and skill sharing on sustaining collectives and spaces including a focus on understanding intersectional oppressions and posing the question of how to make spaces truly inclusive. Members from GAS expressed that the event provided them with a better framing of their shared identity within a network of other centres. Other related organising that has happened over the past few years includes the establishment of a London regional network of social centres. These centres meet quarterly and provide mutual support and share resources among each other. Future plans include support for more regional meet ups in-between international sessions.
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