Wednesday 31 August 2011

Can we reopen Hornsey Baths to the Public?

Posted on behalf of Bethany Wells

INVITATION
Informal meeting over a drink in the 3 Compasses, 7pm, Saturday 24th September 2011

A couple of months ago I made some posters suggesting that we might find a way to open up Hornsey Public Baths to everyone in Haringey as a community design centre, www.fairgroundcollective.net. By the railway bridge, could it help bridge the West and East of the borough, a space to visit to be surrounded by challenges, practical ideas and skills for local resilience?

I will be back at the end of September and would like to see if anyone else in interested in adding ideas for this space, and coming up with a plan to take it to the council/developers more seriously.  See below for the ideas so far!
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IDEAS SO FAR:
  • Design, sustainability, resource centre
  • Studios and workshops available at cost price to hire for an hour (or a year) for artists, technicians, e.g. bike repair, consulting rooms, designers, music lessons
  • Meeting space, music, educational and film space
  • Non-profit locally sourced vegetarian catering for events
  • A growing space - sister to FFTS project
  • Linking with local schools, youth groups, residents
  • Keep the character, raw, hints of its past uses, bare industrial surfaces contrasting with neat, new, low budget timber insertions
  • Make it watertight, and add heated, insulated, small hireable studio spaces, with an open central event/reception space
  • Refurbishment in a low energy, step-by-step way, with a blog and exhibition showing the processes
  • Rainwater collection, reclaimed wool insulation, linking with the recycle depot to supply materials
  • Workshops and volunteer sessions at all stages of refurbishment, providing opportunity to learn skills in making, and about an ecological approach to space
  • Using reclaimed materials, a case study in permaculture retrofititting of existing buildings
  • Research and test economic models for a community resource and education space 
  • Set up Fairground Collective as a social enterprise
  • Run as a co-operative or social enterprise business model

3 comments:

  1. Any chance of getting in touch with Bethany Wells? My email is opinion8@rocketmail.com my name is Adrian. I think this is a good idea and would like to lend support.

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  2. Have posted this on the Facebook group Crouch End Creatives.
    Picked it up off OpinoN8.
    Alas away on 24th but think we should put pressure on Haringey Council. Especially as it looks like the Sainsbury isn't happening. Have you been inside?
    Chris Arnold. chris@creativeo.plus.com. m: 07778 05 6686.

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  3. This is a great idea. I am also happy to support. I would vote for some of the space to function as a communal co-working and learning space.

    Anke, formerly of The Unlibrary anke@hol.st

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