Don't Moan! Get Busy! We'll never give up!!!

SQUATTED SOCIAL CENTRE open in HACKNEY now!!

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

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 56a SHOPPING!! 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 ARCHIVE OF RADICAL GRAPHICS (ARG!!!) S LONDON RADICAL HISTORY GROUP and MAPPING RADICAL PRACTICAL FEMINIST SELF-DEFENCE for WOMEN ONE RESPONSE TO A CRITIQUE OF RENTED SOCIAL CENTRES All links to finalised (probably) soon! how many times can you ask people?

' 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!)

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

WHAT's NEW!

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 yr address in above the box above this.

• 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 THURSDAY and FRIDAY, usually about 5pm onwards. 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!

• EXHIBITION SPACE!

* Soon we will have a big show of the amazing Just Seeds Celebrate People's History series:

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 Thursday or Friday, Saturday during opening hours