… you gotta see this!”

I heard someone shouting outside the door on Monday. I’d just got over the weekend’s postcourt success blues and was joyfully peanutbuttering some toast for breakfast.

I didn’t actually hear the words at that point. Just the volume of someone outside the door, shouting on the phone.

Then I tuned in, and realised they were shouting with joy!

“GRAN-MA!! Gran-ma!.. you gotta come down and see this!
Its a proper old school squat!!!
– a person shouting into their phone outside the window.

I peeked my head around the window and smiled enormously. “A proper old-school squat!” Ahh those were the words I’ve been yearning to hear. That really made me so overwhelmingly happy!!!

The idea this person was so excited that they were motivated to call anyone about it, and that it was their gran! Oh wow. It was so affirming to be reminded that there are people out there who know what this is all about. I wonder what gran will remember about the last time there was a housing crisis of this level of intensification…

They took a photo of the poster, I hope they’re gonna visit this website soon!

The Cookie Crumbles in the Direction of Time

Pirates Coding across the treasure map

Until about two hours ago, it was the Pirates’ Code day of the week: itself a quarter of a month in the Gregorian calendar, and approximately a quarter of a Lunar Month.

We have been exploring Pirate symbols, designing Project InfoTorrent and of course, practising the Pirates’ Code (see fig 1).

A cohort of cowardly buccaneers and idle pleasure pleasers found some wisdom Down in the Sett today. Using the Treasure Map as a visual and tactile aid, we travelled through time and had a look at our relative positions with regard to activity at the Flowerpot. What a journey it has been too!

Navigating

Today is about navigating. A lord is indicating they want possession of the Sett back, so we might do well to scout some locations and do some scrolling.

Really free school timetables

TL, DR: New treasure map coming very soon!

As I understood the way things worked at the Really Free School, there was this simple web form which sent event or workshop proposals to an email. These were then scheduled onto a large paper calendar which hung on the wall in the main space. This was then also transferred to a google calendar which was embedded back onto the website under the Events Schedule tab.

This level of digital integration was new. Twitter was only about 4 or 5 years old, and I seem to recall lots of people were tweeting via sms from their brick phones back then.

There was a lot more to it than the digitals though. There was also a whole social infrastructure around it too. Like every other squatted social centre I visited back then, they had a big noticeboard area with at least one main calendar and surrounding it a host of infoshop materials kinda like a mini Freedom Press, and maybe some crafty things and kids’ chairs…

Other key aspects were the weekly open meetings, and in a fractal, meta, synecdochical… hmm what’s the word… way lots of the workshops themselves were about organising and reflecting on what was happening there at the time. Hmm … it’s hard to describe that dynamic properly… It was a fine balance between self-awareness and self-absorption.

Here are some more captures from the Wayback machine. They are nostalgic for me to look at, I could get lost in them for hours! And it’s such a voyage exploring the links that still work… and wondering what the odd empty image frames once held. I think there’s a huge amount to be learned from reflecting on those days. I’d love to organise some meetups and reunions for projects past…

I’m thinking about how far communication technology has developed in the last decade or so. It makes me think of that paradox whereby we seem to be communicating less as the channels or options increase… I wonder if that is just an illusion. Even if it is, it’s certainly part of what makes me feel the need to organise to the extent I do… for example, I now have at least 4 extra messaging services all of which are only slightly more advanced than text messaging… anyway back to the here and now…

Whatever the reason, I think that we really ought to focus on our own personal Space Pirate communication technology: The Pirate’s Code! Especially in its form as a treasure map. I peeked through the letterbox of the Fire Station the other day and took this photo of our old treasure map there! I’m going to put one together for the Sett as a matter of urgency…

The (blank) Treasure Map on the left, seen through the Fire Station’s letterbox.

I’m also thinking the HASS4AGTE (Holding A Safe Space For A Group Transformative Experience) model will help to frame things. I can start to feel the intensity picking up again as the curve steepens. This is how I think that curve will pan out over the next 6 months or so:

How we might be HASS4AGTE over the coming months

I think we’ll have each place for about a month, but to be on the safe side we’ll allocate 2-3 weeks each so we can allow for setups and pack-downs between.

Maybe it’s crazy to plot HASS4AGTEs onto a HASS4AGTE, but if you do, I found it looks kinda like a dino…

Oh, I love that model! I think it’s supposed to be more like this though:

But it’s also useful to see that dino version – it highlights to me that it could be even harder this time to drop the intensity by July, and while that feels like a long way off right now, I think it’s important to have that ‘end’ in mind… That’s basically what ‘holds’ the space in a way, it’s like the frame for a work of art.

So yeah… lots of nitty-gritty to get stuck in with… we’re gonna need a nifty new treasure map… I’m gonna make one tomorrow. I think it’s gonna get quite advanced…

Daily posts from today…

As usual, I have been trying to catch up on posts that I haven’t got around to posting. But it’s a real pain in the arse. And whenever I do get around to it, it seems to take forever. And as yet, I’ve never managed to get up to today whenever that is.

This morning, for example, I posted a couple of posts, back-dating them both to when I took the photo or wrote that thought in my notebook. Doing things like that just seems to be too out of sync though. So maybe it’s best to just draw a line in the sand and commit to posting “live” as of today, by which I mean every morning for example, as if this were my morning pages. Hmm yeah that would be great! And it’s gonna be awesome when others start posting here in large numbers….

The thing I most want to write about today is the idea of being open to the public, the passsers-by, the meanderers the yokels. That’s something that I know is vitally important for the future of Space Pirates. It’s how I found out about the wonderous potential vested in squatting, its how DA! grew, and I’m sure it’s how we’ll grow, both in numbers and in strength of diversity.

It’s a tricky thing to open a squat to the public though.

Both for the squatters who live there and for the potential visitors. For the squatters there’s always the concern that the owner will turn up and for the visitors there’s the challenge of stepping over the threshold into an alternative reality.

I wonder what the ASS’s take on the owner-turning-up-sitch is… Of all the squats I’ve opened to the public, I’ve only once been visited by someone claiming to be the owner. I explained that they clearly entered the building as a member of the public, not in their capacity as the owner and asked them to leave as the owner, or remain as a member of the public. They weren’t exactly happy about this but it was in the middle of an opening night arty party where there were hundreds of people wandering around amid the performance art etc. I think he realised people listening to him exalting his status as a landlord wasn’t going to earn the respect he imagined it would. I wonder how many people thought he was a perfomance artist…

For the visitors to a squat, I think the main challenge is the lack of ‘script’. Going to a pub for example has its own script: 1 Walk up to bar, 2 buy drink, 3 drink drink, 4 chat drunk shit. When you go round to a friend’s for dinner there’s a script too bring a bottle or something, share dinner, offer to wash up etc, and so on with pretty much every other social situation. But with squatting, you arrive, hopefully there’s an address, but you can probably figure out which door it is, maybe not… You get inside – its commercial interior architecture has been transformed more or less into a home. Whose part of which room you’re in is not usually clear, there’s probably someone sleeping somewhere, and there’s a pervasive sense that you shouldn’t really be there, but you are! You’ll probably get into some elaorate conversation about whether it was the Spanish Civil War or the Spanish Revoultion, and there’s likely to be vast quantities of skipped food making its way to the bin for the third time. But which bag is the bin exactly?

Hmm not really sure how to end this post, but I don’t want to go on and on for the sake of it… I guess in conclusion, there’s a lot more to be considered about these challenges. I guess it would have been a good idea to focus today’s theme: Safety & Security… hmm yeh ok, tomorrow I’ll do that and post about Domesticity.

Domesti-City

The species problem is the set of questions that arises when biologists attempt to define what a species is. Such a definition is called a species concept; there are at least 26 recognized species concepts.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Species_concept

The Space Pirates have been busy for days, scrolling hard and getting set up down in the Sett downstairs.

Let me fill you in a little about what we’ve been up to with the badgers…

Squatting

Yesterday was the safety and security day of the Space Pirates’ week.

We have installed a digi-lock on our inner door downstairs and secured the external doors. The Space Pirates have a new battery drill, and have cobbled together some other tools to this end.

An ongoing safety concern is water leaking from above the ground floor, dripping into the lobby, running out onto the street and sometimes even reaching the basement.

One pirate posted a note in the neighbours’ door, alerting them to the leak and including our new email address, ‘spiceparrots@proton.me‘.

Possession of the Flowerpot, our much adored location in Bethnal Green, has been awarded to a lord of the land by the courts today.

This figure, Circuit, a time guardian (and clearly a pirate), was discovered on a slide at the Flowerpot only recently.

Did you know that pirates at sea, apart from flying the Jolly Roger, have also flown the hourglass symbol on flags? (Graeber, Pirate Enlightenment, or the Real Libertalia 2023) This image will take any “ex-XRs” back!

This time guardian was discovered down the Sett, but nobody has named her yet…

Domesticity

Domestic comes from the Latin Domus:

any dwelling-place or abode (of people or animals)
Synonyms: domicilium, habitāculum, habitātiō, tēctum, mānsiō, sēdēs, aedēs
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/domus#Noun_2

I found it interesting that, on the other hand, it also seems to me at Wiktionary.org that the Latin word, habitatio similar to the one we nowadays use for animals, has less a sense of home, than one of rent!

An inhabiting, dwelling.
A habitation, residence, dwelling; lodging.
The rent (for a dwelling).
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/habitatio#Latin

What does this mean? I dunno! But the Sett sure is coming along nicely…

I also found out *domesticity* shares a common Proto-Indo-European root with the English word *timber*!

An act or instance of staying, remaining; stay, continuance.
‘Mansio’ https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/mansio

We have been enjoying the sunshine when we can too.

Where in the city do the foxes live? If you know the answer, why don’t you come on down the Sett for a jam tomorrow evening and let us know?

The Space Pirates story so far…

I’ve been thinking about writing this post for a long time and finally, the time feels right!

I think there’s a complementary post to write to this – something along the lines of Cyborg’s story so far, which begins with 59 Rivoli in Paris in 1999 and continues through 2009 with DA ! and then on into another realm of activism altogether: radical education, before coming back to Cyborg’s squatting this time around. Although that’s at least another post or two, I’m gonna start by quickly skimming over it quickly now…

So yeah, my squat adventures all started a long time ago. I’d moved to Paris in 1999 and was walking down the equivalent of Oxford Street when I passed a very curious-looking doorway. I stopped, looked inside for a bit, and someone welcomed me in. I can’t remember who but it was probably one of the KGB. Anyway, there were 6 floors of artists’ studios, open to the public during opening hours.

I hung around Chez Robert a lot and encountered some of the most significant life-changing opportunities I’ve ever had there. I’ve visited regularly ever since, but have yet to go back since the pandemic. After Paris I moved back to London after a short stop in Japan where – thanks to 59 Rivoli – I’d landed a job teaching hairdressing in a beauty college in Nagoya.

Inspired by the highly creative and organised squat scene in Paris, I wanted to create something like it back in London, and so began DA ! at 43 Kensington High St in about 2004. I’ve been thinking about how much I’d like to do some retrospectives, not only on DA !, but more widely too on the recent squatting scene in London over the past couple of decades or so.

This post really starts in about 2020 with the proto Space Pirates adventures of the Nomadic Funk Temple & Voodoo Squid crews. These were two crews I co-founded with some ex-XR friends when I returned to squatting after becoming homeless during the pandemic in early 2020. Potentially both of these fungible crews (it was never clear to me who was in which) eventually opened a building that, as far as I know, has been passed on through several different crews and is still squatted to this day!

We were almost exclusively composed of people who were new to squatting, and within 24 hours we were threatened by the usual somebody claiming to be a relative of the owner. Despite the fact we had (still have?) their threats of violence on camera, we retreated back to the Animal Rebellion house where we were fast becoming default squatters by overstaying our free-sub-tenancy-sofa-surfing-welcome.

The next place we squatted was a bank on Bruce Grove, we stayed there for a good few weeks, we called it The Time Bank. Accessibility was a bit of an issue. We used to squeeze ourselves and our bikes through the hole where the cash machine once was. We took cash to leave this place and the next, which was the Michelin Garage in Camden. Us Squids did a lot of close emotional connecting with each other there in our Temples. We generally started the day with meditation, exercise or both followed by a 9am daily meeting. We hosted jams on the weekends and invited our new friends from the different squat crews we were getting to know.

After the first few buildings we squatted, the core of the crew took a break together and went North to see the sea for a bit. Then we all came back to London for a bit longer, semi-squatted an office which came to an end in mid-winter and so we opened another bank, on Hoe St.

This one had an even nicer safe and toilets! After that, we moved into a community centre in Leyton and from spring 2021 we bounced back and forth between there and a couple of new places in Camden until the summer came.

This was about the end of the road for the Nomadic Funk Temple and Voodoo Squid crews. Space Pirates are now the custodians of a delightful archive of those times. It’s on the Space Pirates Open Collective page for about £1.5k which is a guess at how much money is left in the coffers from those adventures I don’t think any of us actually know what’s left over…

Adventures of Voodoo Squid and The Nomadic Funk Temple

From then on, I went to stay with the Canning Town crew, who were well into their 2nd or 3rd year by that point, I hopped between there and the pub in Cambridge until the end of that summer. By September 2021 Space Pirates felt ready for a test squat, to see how things would go during a one-off weekend. So we did a trial run of Squatfest, the first purposeful Space Pirate event, I made this tinyzine to accompany it.

It was a retrospective of about a dozen squatted social centres and about half a dozen sessions on the Pirate’s Code and Cypher. As there was still no contact by the end of Monday evening, we decided to stay there and it naturally developed into a hostel where new squat crews and individuals found help opening places for themselves.

High court bailiffs turned up one morning and after one last pit stop in Canning Town, I moved into RAT’s ballet school on the Monday following a full-on weekender of events and activities they had put on. After a month or so there St Peter from the church evicted us for Christmas.

Numbers at the ballet had ballooned by this point and when push came to shove, we squeezed into a tiny shop around the corner on Southampton Row. About 20 of us didn’t last long there and so a nearby University building soon took on the rest of the Ballet exodus.

This left the shop empty which presented an opportunity Space Pirates couldn’t resist and so began the Christmas Freeshop on Southampton Row. This also was arguably the first Space Pirates location. Although it wasn’t a deliberate choice, the location was perfect for a freeshop and it was Christmas! So we went for it and we had a great time there! For me the main event was the coat rail where the wealthy of Holborn would drop off last winter’s coats which the local homeless would be delighted with. And then there was Amazon’s Black Friday Red Carpet event.. Oh again, there’s so much more detail to post on all of those adventures.

For most of Spring 2022 I took it easy. I did a lot of drawing and painting, some writing, a little thinking, and a healthy dabble of Space Pirates tappy tapppy. But mostly drawing. Then by late Summer 2022, it was clearly time for the first full-on deliberate Space Pirates location: Area 51!

It’s hard to believe that was only a few months ago! We had so much fun! We got to have a couple of amazing parties there and met a lot more people! We even came to an agreement with the landlord in the end! After a couple of months there, we moved into Clerkenwell Fire Station and left Area 51 on our agreed date, that felt good, and we had already moved into the Fire Station!

Wow the Fire station was its own whole trip too! After this, we took some hibernation time and overwintered in the Flowerpot…

…so here we are now…

As comfy, cosy, and successful as the Flowerpot has been, Space Pirates squats aren’t primarily residential places, they are social centres. And so fresh out of hibernation and a little bleary-eyed we’re setting up a new base here in West London!

From this new base, we’re going to begin getting things back on track and planning larger-scale squats for 2023. We’ll also be reflecting on where we’ve all been together so far. Perhaps we’ll have a summer break later in the year, but from now on, it’s organising time again!

There are a few things on the cards right now, along with plenty more to come – that’s where the Pirate’s Code is going to come in!

Liverpool didn’t happen last Christmas but it is still very much on for this year …
We’ve also been on a few very exciting scouting expeditions around central London since the new year. They need following up on..
And sooner or later there’ll be a lot more people looking for shelter of some sort or other, so whether you’re interested in staying overnight casually, or living with us permanently we’re exploring a range of much more residential options, including cooperative ownership.

And of course there are plenty of other projects we could get going too, like a good ol’ boogie-woogie,

Exactly what all those other things are, will be very much up to all of us. This is because Space Pirates aren’t about any one “thing”. We’re not about this or that. We’re about a way of doing things, rather than any particular things themselves. This is quite a hard concept to get across, and yet as if by magic it feels like it’s slowly starting to be understood and put into practice, which is wonderful!

That’s not to say we don’t protest about housing for nurses, or the destruction of heritage, for example. Rather it’s that we organize in a certain way, ie consentably and accountably using the Pirate’s Code.

So in that way, you could say there is something that Space Pirates are about: The Pirate’s Code, a diagram of consent and accountability. And that is what this base is dedicated to. Spreading a deeper understanding of and engagement with the Pirates Code!

To get the ball rolling I’m going to share what the Pirate’s Code is, how it’s being used, or both every day with individuals or groups here in person in the Sett. If you’d like to join via video chat, that can be arranged. If you have a strong understanding of the code and would like to help me with this, please signup for your website login details, and use the Pirate’s code offers form on the skills exchange.

Freedom Press flyer pickup

Every month or two I pop into Freedom Press in Angel Alley, to collect a bunch of flyers with the intention of contacting these groups to see if / how they’d like to collaborate and, of course, to offer them use of our spaces.

I never seem to get around to actually following through with contacting all these organisations, it all gets a bit overwhelming, even for a Cyborg, but the flyers do get left around and looked through by people when they visit us.

Actually there are a lot of these flyers already added to a kanban somewhere which need working through. If you’d like to help with some admin, that’d be a great place to start!

While I was there I saw this poster which looked interesting… I just had a look at their website now, and it seems they’re just getting started with only one item available there, an ebook: The Forerunners of Anarchism – Emile Armand. Hmmmmm surely it’s also available for free on libcom though..? – yes, it is…

Anyway we’ve been thinking for ages about where we could host our images and larger audio / video files recently, I hope they’re talking about digital storage…

CRACK-A-SQUAT – Space Pirates style aka Submersion Week aka Keelhauling aka Space Pirate’s Rehab aka The Cabin aka… probably a lot of other names!

Soooo the names are all very appealing – I know! A few people have asked me though:

“What’s exactly is the line up for this week then?”

So here it is:

Saturday 7th- get-to-know and look ahead.

11am-3pm Arrivals

There is no set plan for Saturday, arrive anytime between 11am and 3pm for this informal day where we’ll all get to know each other a little more, start to tell one another our back stories and maybe do some omming together or something. By Friday we will have established and be part of our own fully autonomous Space Pirates Squat! – no pressure ! : )

>3pm Dorming

From 3pm you’ll be given your space in the cabin, a 6 person dorm with the other 5 proto-pirates. There’s a shared locker in the cabin you can keep any valuables in but you’ll need to have everything you personally need for the week in a rucksack.

Sunday 8th, The Pirates Code

Sunday is dedicated to the Pirates Code – the foundation of Space Piracy.

12-2 Origins & Background

After an early lunch/late breakfast we will look at the origins of the Space Pirates Code. Beginning with a brief recap of the Pirate’s code, we’ll go on to cover how it was discovered at consentframework.org and how it’s been adapted from that text-based document. We’ll also look at ways in which the Pirates Code can be used: as a treasure map, as a personal mnemonic for navigating consent and accountability, and so on.

3-3:45pm Treasure-map for our week

During this brief session we’ll set out a treasure map for the week ahead which we’ll adapt and use to guide us through the rest of the week.

4-5:30 pm Pirate’s Code public session (optional)

This is a public session where people will be able to come and learn more about the Pirates’ Code. You’re welcome to join in and observe, but this session is dedicated to others who have expressed an interest in learning more about the Pirates Code.

Monday 9th, Navigating

Monday is dedicated to Navigating – Plotting buildings on maps and ways into them.

10-12 Route planning

We’ll be learning all about plotting our way into buildings, this will be an intensive session in which we will select 6-8 buildings, start doing some desk based research on them and plan a route for the afternoon.

3pm & 3am – Recce tours 1 & 2

Prepared for quick in-n-out internal inspections with very minimal kit, we will go together on a group tour to shortlist the 3 best options that afternoon, and aim to get inside for a look around. This may be repeated in the early hours of Tuesday morning if necessary. Once safe rentry has been secured message the general chat saying “We’re in! Come round for a house warming on Friday!”

Tuesday 10th, Scrolling

Tuesday is dedicated to administration and organising

10am-1pm – Pirates Code presentations.

Tuesday begins with confirming today’s timings and reviewing the treasure map so far, Then we’ll share our thoughts on our organisational strategies in pairs present the Pirates code to an imaginary audience. We’ll wrap up by starting to prepare for the Compass sharpening session later today.

3-7pm – Compass sharpening

During this session we will agree exact coordinates of our compasses on the treasure map and prepare for the rest of the week’s action.

Wednesday 11th, Squatting

Wednesday is dedicated to Securing the building setting-up and maintaining safe occupation

<10am Special Breakfast Check-ins & Final prep

This will be the most intense day so far, so we’ll start off with a special breakfast check-in and final preparation meeting.

asap – Occupation begins

According to logistics, we will begin occupation of the building at the earliest opportunity on Wednesday. Beginning by securing the perimeter we’ll go on to ensure the safe supply of services such as water and electricity and assess and mitigate for any new risks, not obvious from our initial inspection on Monday.

<10:30pm Check-outs

Having been the most intense day so far we will settle down and rest well for an early start and another busy day ahead making our new home place comfy cosy!

Thursday 12th, Domesticity

Thursday is about settling in, getting comfortable and making sure everyone’s got somewhere to rest

>10 am Scavenging

This will be another highly practical day starting with this morning session where we’ll buddy up into pairs, two of which will go out and scour the neighbourhood’s dumping grounds, skips, Olio collections and generally locate any other resources to collect from. The remaining pair will hold down the building and show around any other set-up volunteers who’ve made themselves known by this point.

!!Bonus session!! – Court for the Flower Pot!! 11am

12 noon – Scheduling meeting

According to the building and numbers of people involved at this point there will be a meeting at 12 noon to establish what affinity groups have formed by this point and what their priorities are.

Friday 13th, Welcoming

Friday is about welcoming our friends over and starting to think about who else we’d like to share the place with

Friday morning will begin with another review of the treasure map and affinity groups will continue sharing offers requests of assistance and duties according to their own rotas etc.

>12 noon House-warming prep begins

Preparations for the house-warming party will begin to get underway from midday depending on the amount of work involved

6 pm Final checkouts and last supper!

This marks the end of our keelhauling and the beginning of a whole other set of stories…

>8 pm house-warming party

From 8pm guests will start to arrive and perhaps there’ll be a new group of proto-pirates meeting for the first time somewhere among them…

PLEASE NOTE

The above information is specific to Friday 13th Crew a new post will be created for future submersion weeks.
Precise timings are to be agreed on by those involved.
A lot more detail will be handled by affinity groups more and more so towards the end of the week, this will be determined by the nature including it’s size and location.

Reimbursement

All tickets are fully refundable on completion of the week.
Tickets are sold as part of a registration process to ensure commitment of participants.

Food

Breakfast lunch and dinner will be a shared event three times a day which we’ll all take responsibility for.

Shelter

You’ll be provided shelter at 43 Teesdale Street from 3 pm on Saturday night until 11 pm on Friday 13th, however
we will be in occupation of the new building by Wednesday night, but you will still be able to access the cabin in an emergency.

Drugs

There will be a high threshold on all drugs including nicotine, caffeine and alcohol
You will be encouraged to commit to following these optional extras if you feel abstinence may challenge your participation.

Optional extras

5 tibetians
extra help preparing meals
morning pages
meditation (group, guided or individual)
early morning excercise
yoga
9am & 9pm Keelhaul checkins
the opportunity to contribute your own optional extras!

Claim your invitation here:

https://opencollective.com/spacepirates/events/space-pirates-submersion-week-aka-keelhauling-this-one-ends-on-friday-13th-lucky-for-some-811bc436

Questions, comments, suggestions?

Please login and comment here or visit the ticket link above.

Protected: 🟡 🟢 🔵 🟣 🔴 🟠 Friday 13th crew! 🟠 🔴 🟣 🔵 🟢 🟡 .

Website update 99% complete!

I’ve just ‘finished’ doing a significant update for the website. Loads of work has gone on behind-the-scenes, and yet it feels like there’s nothing obvious here from me about it. This feels kinda odd. Even though everything is edited live – it feels like there’s something missing or as if there’s nothing to show for it, apart from the slowly evolving website itself… So I decided to write this post about where things are up to..

Originally I had intended for the signal chat groups to be only accessible to people who understood the Pirate’s Code. Then for a few reasons, I decided it makes more sense for the website to do this, mainly because its generally a much more fertile environment for communication.

The main thing I’ve done with this update is to create a set of forms which people can use to offer and request help within the 6 areas of the Cypher. The forms are hidden unless you’re logged in. They are designed to make it easier to ask for or offer help. They do this by breaking requests and offers down into chunks. This makes you think more deeply about whatever you’re doing. It will also help to line up all the different offers with one another .

When I filled out these forms for the first time, I went through them all. I found that was quite an overwhelming experience. They’re intended to be used one at a time. I embraced struggling to compose sentences, by just using lists of 3 or 4 words without worrying about grammar. That helped me to offload my ideas a bit more easily. Maybe that’ll help you when you fill them out…

No doubt you’re itching to see these hidden forms! Well there is one form that you can fill out without logging in… It’s the request for help with learning more about using the Pirate’s Code form – obviously! (oh, but it took me sooooo long to figure that oot!)

Send a request through that form, and you’ll be supported by the Scrolling Affinity Group to learn the Pirate’s Code. Once you can explain it to someone else who has never come across you’ll be all set-up to collaborate cohesively with Space Pirates in the remaining four Affinity Groups. Then you’ll be given your Space Pirate’s username and website login details.

I’m really pleased with the end result of all this hard work and while there’s gonna be a lot more work to come this has been fun. And its also been great to write this post about the whole thing too..

Now I’ve finished this stage, something inside me – probably my ego – expects hundreds of people to suddenly start registering immediately! As if I’ve just made a hole in the internet! I think it’s gonna work at a much slower pace though, at least to begin with.

I hope you’ll use the form to ask for help in learning the Pirates Code. Its available here at this snazzy URL:

https://411615.squat.net/#pirates-coding-requests

…and here’s that URL again in glorious technicolour…

411615.squat.net/#pirates–coding–requests

The Flowerpot

First things first… or so it seems… here’s our signal chat… requires admin approval and here’s a kanban if you’re into that kinda thing.

Soooooo there’s a few of us been in occupation of the Flowerpot for a good few weeks now.

We’ve also been following up with Shared Assets about setting up a housing / workers / some other multi-stake-holder cooperative. Although this was initially focused on 234 Mare Street we’ve decided to see how that might work here… If you’re interested in getting involved in a long term initiative that explores how we might go about this, join the Space Pirates Scrolling signal chat and say “Hi!” there.

Liverpool’s not happening, but as you can see there’s been lots of strange goings on here at the Flowerpot while we’ve been taking things slower recently.

There’s plenty of links below you are welcome to scroll through and we’ll post more info here soon… ish…(soz!) Cyborg’s going to look into a new sign-up process for the website that will incorporate Space Pirates learning resources If you have a website account already, please leave a suggestion, question, comment, observation or anything to indicate that you know how to comment and are using your account.

Flowerpot Scrolling Links

tinyurl.com/fpcht1 Flowerpot Signal general chat (requires admin approval)
tinyurl.com/flororor Kanban for the flowerpot with cypher swimlanes – Real nifty!
tinyurl.com/floprewot A spreadsheet outlining some sums about how we might buy the Flowerpot and run it as a cooperative hostel(node) and community creative space offering short and medium term accommodation rest, recouperation etc, which generates other such self-sustaining places. This link can be edited on a taptop (but not a phone) tinyurl.com/floprewotedit
tinyurl.com/flowcomp1 A Compass outlining the above

Clerkenwell Fire Station

Space Pirates have been very busy in real life. We will be posting lots more to the website soon… Sorry for the slight radio silence here… An in depth Signal chat group index is clearly a priority…

For now here’s our main SPOCAGs and their QR codes!

Holding a safe space for a group transformative experience at Area 51 Space Pirate style using Signal Chats, Affinity Groups, Compasses, The Treasure Map, etc.

3 weeks at Area 51 seen through the lens of a Transformative Experience

There’s lots more that could be plotted on the Holding A Safe Space For A Group Transformative Experience diagram above, I’m just starting this long post off by touching briefly on that. This post will take about five to ten minuets to read, hope you’ve got that kinda time!

As seen in the video and photo below, I finished updating and archiving all the compasses and re-positioned them on the Treasure Map yesterday. Its looking a lot tidier this morning! I’ve also filled out a few new compasses, and there’s plenty more to add!

Archiving compasses

There’s a lot of information on these compasses which relates to recent and upcoming events, for example: Court, the IPO, Parties, Cops & risk of arrest, Mare Street Co-op, the Washing Machine Installation, and lots more also on the whiteboard, here in the squat in real life.

There’s also lots of chat about these and other things in the Space Pirates General Group Chat.

The pace of that Group Chat has started to pick up, with more and more people responding to posters, word of mouth, etc, and so the dynamic of that group has started to change. As we start to approach 100 people that will obviously accelerate.

To adapt to this – and as part of my painfully slow decapitation process! – messages there are starting to be colour-coded by some of us using emoji heart reacts to reflect the colours of the Cypher.

For the rest of this post it helps to be familiar with the way affinity groups work as set out in this zine, for example but the basic idea is that:

You and your friends already constitute an affinity group, the essential building block of this model. An affinity group is a circle of friends who understand themselves as an autonomous political force. The idea is that people who already know and trust each other should work together to respond immediately, intelligently, and flexibly to emerging situations.
Affinity Groups: Essential Building Blocks of Anarchist Organization

Space Pirates is an affinity group based on a shared understanding and use of the Pirate’s Code.

As so much importance is dedicated to group chats generally, it feels necessary to point out that sharing an affinity for the Pirate’s Code, ie being a Space Pirate does not depend on being in any group chat. The Pirates Code Space Pirates Original Cipher Affinity Group aka SPOCAG chat is just one of many ‘places’ where The Pirates Code is shared, used and understood.

Joining and/or leaving any group chat is still a new experience socially and there’s plenty of chattiquette that remains undeveloped as yet. But getting back on track…

As this slightly chaotic diagram shows, having joined the first Affinity Group, the Pirates Code, there are then five further Affinity Groups to choose from in a variety of sequences outlined here:

Slightly chaotic and incomplete diagram of potential SPOCAG journey routes.

There are a range of reasons for the Pirate’s Code being a ‘gatekeeper’ SPOCAG. If you’re unclear about these, please feel free to ask for clarification in the General group chat..

For the sake of clarity… a ‘SPOCAG’ is a Space Pirate’s Original Cypher Affinity Group. ‘Original’ is used in the sense “present or existing from the beginning; first or earliest.” rather than the slightly contranymic “created personally by a particular artist, writer, musician, etc.; not a copy.”

As with any of the SPOCAGs anyone who shares an affinity for 🔵 Scrolling (ie admin), for example, is automatically part of the Scrolling SPOCAG.

Being a member of the group chat on signal means you’re part of the SPOCAG. But being a member of the SPOCAG doesn’t mean that you have to join or be in the signal chat, it’s just there as one of many ways to collaborate within the Scrolling SPOCAG.

Other ways to collaborate in real life include using the treasure map, the whiteboard, and with the scrolling example, looking over the legal docs here, and of course actually talking to people in real life!!!

Here’s another slightly chaotic diagram to show how the signal chats relate to one another and to the Space Pirates General Signal Chat:

A splodged diagram of how hectic it’s gonna get in the Space Pirates general chat when all the SPOCAGs are being spawned and posting updates there.

In the above hypothetical snapshot, there are two aspects of scrolling (bottom right in blue) which have their own dedicate affinity group chats: ‘£’ and ‘Legal’. These group chats would have Originated in the SPOCAG signal chat dedicated to Scrolling with a message like “Anyone want to discuss our court case?”

This new Affinity Group would then be called something like ‘Court on Tuesday’ and anyone interested would join that new Affinity group set self destruct timers etc and potentially leave it when it’s over, or go on to create a new more relevant group or be followed-up with on the next court date.

To wrap up this post I’m going to encourage you to read about Affinity Groups with this quote:

But an affinity group need not be a permanent arrangement. It can serve as a structure of convenience, assembled from the pool of interested and trusted people for the duration of a given project.
A particular team can act together over and over as an affinity group, but the members can also break up into smaller affinity groups, participate in other affinity groups, or act outside the affinity group structure. Freedom to associate and organize as each person sees fit is a fundamental anarchist principle; this promotes redundancy, so no one person or group is essential to the functioning of the whole, and different groups can reconfigure as needed.
The affinity group is a flexible model

I hope this long post has made sense, and will prove useful. Please let me know your thoughts, questions, concerns etc. I’m sure there are areas that don’t fully make sense and I’d love to iron them out with your help.

Thanks, Cyborg

Protected: Pub 7.7

How well could you explain the Pirate’s Code?

As part of today’s weekly Cypher meeting, I’ve decided it would be a good idea to find out who feels capable of explaining the Pirates Code to someone who doesn’t understand it.

That other pirates should explain the Code is a key part of the decapitation I was requesting at last weeks Sunday evening check-in.

Please answer the following questions so that we can start to organise some in-depth use of the Pirates Code together

Thank you.

Sorry that form was deleted this one should help:

This contact form is available only for logged in users.

Space Pirates event proposals for Fri 6pm to Sunday 1am (4-6/11/22)

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As submissions come in, a schedule of events will begin to be shared here:

Friday

3-9pm Life drawing drop-in. Models & materials supplied, and welcomed!

Saturday

Area 51 Wishlist

This Wishlist is updated regularly from a whiteboard in the building

Area 51 To-do list

This Todo List is updated regularly from a whiteboard in the building.

234 Mare St

On Thursday night we found out there’s a solo security guard in what was intended (until that point) to be the first pirates’ mega cabin on Mare St.

The following proposal was on the table until that point:

Short term – Squat-to-co-op now-mid Nov

This would have involved squatting the building as a protest (it is a residential building) and building a campaign following up along the various lines this Hackney Citizen Article sets out, and initiating negotiations with Hackney Council around a licence agreement.

Medium term – Management coop 2023-2024/5

Proving our (whoever that may turn out to be) ability to manage the building better than the council has – easy!!

Long term – coop ownership of building 2024/5 onwards

Coop ownership as a combined housing and workers co-operative bringing the shops back into community use. Providing genuinely affordable accommodation.

Glossary

T

Taxi – A group of individuals who are looking for a squat. The taxi driver may or may not feel responsible for dropping off their passengers at a location.

Tumbleweed – When you’re the only ones in a massive squat and there’s nothing happening and nothing planned. A portmanteau word of Tumble (alcohol) and Weed (Sweet Mary Jane)

Events on Open Collective and Radar

There are two main places where you can find out about Space Pirates events and activities.

These are Open Collective which is up and running, and our Radar group page, which is slowly being approved.

Open Collective

Open Collective is transparent financial toolbox for grassroots groups

Radar

Radar lists events and activities mostly in squats mostly in Europe.

Help with the Space Pirates legal warning for the 1stup!

Welcome all legal eagles! This document aims to grow into a complete formatted document to print and give to police, bailiffs, security, stressed-out owners, shifty neighbours and all other opposition, laying down our intentions, and rights to ensure that negotiations remain fair and we keep the building that we are legally entitled to, both by ensuring that nothing is lost in communication and by physical proof that the opposition have been made aware that we are not breaking any laws, closing some loopholes that they could use to evict us.

We are calling on all legal eagles to suggest changes, removals or additions to this document!

We started with some scrolling on the building that we intend to put the notice on- some details has been redacted as it is sensitive information.

Scrolling / info:

Leccy:
MPANs:
[MPANs]
Network operator: UK Power Networks
Supplier: EDF Energy (#: 033320051503)

?add meter readings/dates and date sc & ac of electricity suppier (edf)

VOA:
[Address] Description: Offices & premises -> non resi, section 144 LASPO, DRO, PIO laws don’t apply

Land Reg:
Property description: [3 addresses]

Planning reg:
[Number] registered xx/6/21 demolition, remodelling, extension to (…) And [address] to provide (…)

Title register: [pdf link]
Title plan: [pdf link]

Previous encounters: Security scammed them out!

After some brainstorming and consulting, we came up for a list of important points for the document – attempting to cover all bases and leave no room for goon ignorance.

Section 6 explain + this doc is proof that squatters object to the addressed entering the building
Section 144 + PIO + DRO explain
Intend to pay for leccy + explain leccy laws + proof of intent to pay
Cameras covering/broadcasting? outside building 24/7
Email address for contact – as per latest A.S.S advice
No criminal damage

Here is the current state of the document:

Section 6 – non passive aggressive version REDACTED Download

Please feel free to comment any additions, changes and removals that you feel should be made to the document! Any help is always appreciated.

Learn the Code and become a Pirate!

An open invitation…

Introduction

This is an open invitation to anyone who would like to become a Space Pirate to learn the Pirates Code and Cypher!

It will take about 15mins to read through, and much longer to digest.

The Pirates’ Code is a shared language around consent and accountability. Knowing from the outset that consent and accountability are expected, helps protect against malicious intentions whilst encouraging genuine support to grow in a collectively understood manner.

On completion you will have:

A clearer understanding of the Space Pirate’s Code.
A clearer understanding of the Space Pirate’s Cipher.
Joined the Space Pirates Code Affinity Group.
Identified and requested to join other Cipher Affinity Group(s).
Received a Pirate’s name and password to access this site.
Ideas for a bio, outlining what you have to offer, what you’re looking for, what you love, what you hate, etc.
Shared a rough outline of your availability.
Begun thinking about your challenge and which affinity group(s) you’ll be collaborating with on it.

Let’s begin!

Understanding the Pirate’s Code leads to collaboration with other Space Pirates, in the 5 further areas of the Cipher:

We’ll start with the Space Pirates Code in depth, and then skim quickly over the rest of the Cipher so you have a better idea about your options when it comes to joining an affinity group later on.

Please keep note of any questions that come up and feel free to dip in and out of the Space Pirates general chat to ask or comment on anything, that’s what it’s there for.

The Space Pirates Code focuses on consent and accountability and is represented on the cipher by the symbol of a circle with two lines on it.

The horizontal line represents Consent, the circle represents Action, and the vertical line represents Accountability.

The following diagram provides is the latest visual representation of the Pirates Code framework. It is also known as the Treasure Map or the Flag. It details these broad concepts of consent and accountability in more detail.

A visual representation of The Pirates Code, aka the Treasure Map.

Before we go on to explore these areas, let’s just take a step back with some background information…

The Space Pirates code is based closely on The Consent & Accountability Framework. This is a model for a shared understanding of how to bring about – and respond to – action. It has been used and developed over many years at small and very large scale events, such as Burning Man. It’s creators are keen to share it and connect with others. More info here: consentframework.org

The framework embraces transformation and flow. It acknowledges the fact that consent does not always exist, and shows steps of accountability that can be focused on and explored for any given action ‘good’ or ‘bad’. It’s more than a set of rules about what to do and what not to do, it’s a way of exploring what’s been going on, what’s happening now, and what might be done next.

As such it can be used to collaborate and develop all areas of the Space Pirates Cipher, including the Pirate’s Code itself! This is why it is the portal to Space Pirate collaboration…

Okay lets dive into the details…

It is actually very simple.

The following areas overlap one another and time can be seen to pass from left to right across the framework.

As mentioned, this circle in the centre represents Action.

Action

The Square on the right containing five horizontal rectangles represents Accountability, which comes after Action. We’ll end with a closer look at accountability.

Accountability

The large equilateral triangle pointing into the circle from the left, represents Communication. We’ll cover the triangles above and below next.

Communication

Lets look at the framework’s definition of Consent…

Consent is defined as Communication leading to Agreement leading to Action
consentframework.org

This right-angle triangle above represents Agreement.

Agreement

The one below represents Disagreement.

Disagreement

Consent

So, taken all together, this area represents consent.

Non-consent

This area represents Non-consent as it shows Communication leading to Disagreement leading to Action.

Ambiguity

That’s enough on the Consent (and Non-consent) side of the framework for now.

There is also this area of Communication leading directly to Action without prior agreement or disagreement.

Remember, like all frameworks this is just a rule of thumb and is under constant development.

To deepen your understanding it might be a good idea to start thinking about using a couple of examples… you can think of literally anything. Remember you’re welcome to talk your examples through in the general chat.

Lets take a closer look at Accountability now…

Accountability on the right of the framework is shown in 5 stages or states of having experienced an action.

They are ordered as Feedback & Coaching, Space, Growth, Sharing, and Alerting.

Feedback & Coaching

Feedback is characterised by informing, it is descriptive, it’s how we learn, and comes from everything around us.

Coaching is characterised by persuading and happens when a ‘learner‘ communicates with a ‘teacher‘ of some kind.

Feedback and coaching are often unasked for and tricky to give, but obviously very important, fundamentally they are intended to help individuals become better community participants.

Ideally these are the initial stages of accountability

Space

The fact is however that Space is usually the initial stage or state of accountability.

Space can be physical space or emotional space, it can be in time, it can be temporary or permanent. It is about distance.

Space can be one of the easiest areas of accountability to move into and one of the hardest ones to move out of.

A lot of Space Piracy involves escaping space.

Growth

Growth is pretty self-explanatory and it is usually clear when you’re experiencing the state and stage of growth.

There is a useful distinction to be made between restorative and transformative justice when thinking about growth. One seeks restoration of the status quo, the other seeks transformation. The particular details of any specific Action will emphasise which, if either way to lean.

Growth can take so many forms it is hard to begin to describe it with words, empowerment is one aspect, but equally growth can occurring imperceptibly.

Okey dokey… How’s it going? Were nearly done!

Have you checked into the chat yet?..

These last two stages of accountability can be understood in relation to one another and are very simple concepts. Alerting is the final and most intense stage or state of accountability, but first Sharing:

Sharing

Sharing is peer-to-peer or horizontal in nature and generally occurs within a group. It is the stage or state of having experienced an action among equals

Alerting

Alerting is the stage or state of having experienced an action through a hierarchy in some way. This hierarchy may or may not be respected. It is not necessarily a hierarchy of power.

To get a better idea of the subtle differences between Sharing and Alerting, we’ll use a book and a fire-exit as couple of example ‘actions’. Anything can be thought of as an action, perhaps phenomena is a better word… anyway..

A book, written by a single author is an example of a hierarchy of respect where the author is respected by their readership, but the author may not respect their readership in the same way. A written book is usually a one-to-many mode of communication. There’ll also probably be a financial hierarchy involved with a publishing house. A reading circle based on a book on the other hand would be an example of Sharing.

A fire-exit may be Alerted to by shouting “FIRE!” if there actually a fire taking place, this would be experienced through a hierarchy of sound or volume. The fire exits may have already been pointed out when first entering the building, in this case its more a matter of Sharing.

So that’s it, The Pirates Code!

Thanks for reading through this far. As the above information starts sinking in, it will become clearer how to collaborate as a Space Pirate using the Code. Feel free to dive into the general chat now if you haven’t already where you can expect some feedback and coaching!

Finally let’s skim over the rest of the Cypher..

Now we’re going to wrap up with a recap of the main six Space Pirates Affinity Groups, in other words, the Space Pirates Cipher, to help you choose which affinity group(s) you’d be interested in joining in the form below.

more about affinity groups and anarchist organising

The Space Pirates Code

As detailed in most of this post so far the Space Pirates Code, based on the Consent and Accountability Framework is used as a structure upon which to build Space Pirate’s culture.

Hopefully it is becoming clear how the Code makes it easier to communicate and share an understanding of what’s happened, what’s happening, and what might happen next.

Working from this strong foundation, Space Pirates collaborate within the areas of Navigating, Scrolling, Squatting, Domesticity & Welcoming as follows…

Navigating

The symbol for Navigating is from the compass arrow on maps, it is also known as scouting.

Navigating is about plotting locations, both plotting them on a map, and plotting ways to secure them. There are various aspects to a well-scouted location. These include visits having been spaced out over weeks at different times of day to ensure it’s unused, finding the full address(es) and postcode(s), an internal inspection assessing the water, electrics and general safety, and so on.

Once an address or location is identified, it is possible to start scrolling the web for more information about how long it has been empty, why, who owns it, etc.

Scrolling

This symbol, based on a scroll has a double meaning. Scrolling involves a lot of scrolling around the internet, but also Scrolling deals with official documents like property deeds, court papers, maps, spreadsheets, meeting agendas, minutes, educational materials, squat kitty management, rotas, preparing letters, posters, notices, Ahoy~World! etc. ie Scrolls.

You’ve been doing a lot of scrolling to get this far through this post!

Scrolling is the all the secretarial and administrative stuff. Scrolling is therefore very wide-ranging affinity group and involves being in close communication with all other areas of Space Piracy.

Squatting

The Squatting symbol is – of course – the internationally recognised squat symbol! Squatting here in the sense of the pirates Cipher however is about remaining in locations and maintaining their basic usability, ie their physical security and safety.

Squatting begins the moment access to a building is secured for the first time and follows on closely from Navigating.

Domesticity

Domesticity is symbolised by a heart shape. Its focus is on tending to the daily needs and comforts of those who maintain and inhabit locations, physically, socially, psychologically, etc. Domesticity is closely connected with using the Pirate’s Code and wellbeing in general.

Welcoming

Symbolised by a window frame, this is the ultimate objective of Space Pirates: to welcome everyone to co-create and participate in events & activities with us, and have the opportunity to benefit from becoming a Space Pirate themselves. In an inclusive and conscious way, Space Pirates aim to co-create virtuous cycles of direct action and mutual aid in and around squatted social centres

So there you have it!

You’re now ready to become a Space Pirate! Your answers to the following questions will help you to draft a bio for this website and to introduce yourself to any of the Cipher Affinity Groups you’re interested in joining as outlined above.

Please fill out the following form and we’ll be in touch!

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Ahoy World! ed.00

– PART 0 –
Contents, introduction, etc.

Ahoy world!

edition 00 – 20/9/21

Space Pirates present

Squatfest

A one-weekend squat open to the public about inclusive squatting as a form of direct action and mutual aid, with a special invitation to other squatters and crews who are also interested in opening squats to the public. Let’s see what happens with the building from Tuesday onwards and open another one next week…

Trial run: Friday to Monday 24-27 September 2021

Part 0 – Cover, contents, introductions, etc…

Contents / Introduction / Schedule / Ongoing activities

Part 1 – Retrospective

The London Street Commune / 121 Centre / Frestonia / 56A infoshop / Chez Robert / DA! / rampART / Komm In Die Gänge / The really free school / Pie n Mash / The Lockon / Space Pirates

Contents (continued)

Part 2 – Transformative Patterns

The transformation of life / Holding safe space for a transformative experience / Cultures of organisations / The Consent & Accountability framework

Part 3 – Introduction to the Space Pirates

The Pirates Code / Navigating / Scrolling / Occupying / Loving / Welcoming

Part 4 – Outro

Feedback please.

Introduction

During the weekend of 24-27th September 2021, a building in Central London will be opened to the public, hosting the first in a series of events organised by The Space Pirates. Ahoy World is an invitation and guide to this first event. There are three main parts: A Retrospective, a section on transformative patterns, and an introduction to Space Pirates. The retrospective section includes squats whose focus is on mutual aid and direct action where the intention is to be – at least partly – open to the public. Transformative Patterns looks at models and theories around conscientious organising. Lastly, there is an introduction to The Space Pirates. If you’d like to get involved, soon or in the future, either by attending or hosting, please get in touch asap 411516.squat.net.

Long before we’ve got a court summons, the Space Pirates Squatfest weekend will be over.

Hopefully,

kinda!

Schedule

Friday – Retrospective

9 am Breakfast
3-5 pm Welcoming crew’s final preparations
6 pm All crew dinner & check-ins followed by Archive opening event!
7-10 pm Cinema night showing best of Squat Tube

Saturday – Transformative Patterns

11-12 am Holding safe space for a transformative experience
2-3 pm Transformative models, theories cultures and practices
4-5 pm Consent & Accountability Framework
6-10 pm Vocal jam / open mic check

Schedule (continued)

Sunday – Introduction to Space Pirates

11-12 am The Pirates Code, Navigating and Scrolling
2-3 pm Occupying, Loving and Welcoming
7 pm Dinner and reflections on public squats & checkouts
8-10 pm Group meditation

Monday – Afterwards forwards

9-11 am Leave no trace cleanup.
12 pm Preparations for celebratory intentions and reflective learning
2-3 pm Handover / Lock-up

Ongoing activities

Retrospective

Information and documentation of ‘open’ squats since the 1960s

Zines, Leaflets and Guides

Slaps
Mutual Aid an introduction
Collective Process
Back copies of the squatters handbook
Affinity Groups, Buddies, Quick Consensus, Spokescouncils

Useful organisations

ASS
Freedom Books
56a infoshop

Tools etc

Safe tool use guides
Fixing tools
Bike tools

Ongoing activities (continued)

Freeshop

Clothes, fabrics etc
Kitchen kit
Tools

Physical practice

The 5 Tibetans
Lock-picking
Yoga
Frisbee
Meditation
Cooking
Cycle race

Games

Squatalotoly

Quizzes

Dealing with the police quiz

Other things

Pirates Code board
Analogue tinybookstation
General craftiness
Empty list sharing
playlist

– PART 1 –
Retrospective

Public squats in Europe since the 1960s which embody mutual aid

The squats on the next pages are inherently forms of direct action, which share a common practice of mutual aid, in many forms. There’s more information on these and other free spaces, social centres, and autonomous zones available in real life during Squatfest and in permanent archives elsewhere, for example, 56a infoshop. These summaries are based primarily on Wikipedia articles and individual websites. Last but not least, you will find the Space Pirates! Other notables include Christiania, Le Frigo, TAA (Temporary Autonomous Artists)

London Street Commune

The London Street Commune was a hippy movement formed towards the end of the 1960s. It aimed to highlight concerns about rising levels of homelessness and to house the hundreds of hippies sleeping in parks and derelict buildings in central London. The commune famously squatted a mansion at 144 Piccadilly on Hyde Park Corner, which became a media sensation. The group was quickly evicted in a high-profile Metropolitan Police operation and other squatting attempts were also rebuffed. One of the leaders of the commune who often spoke to the media was known as ‘Dr. John.’ He was Phil Cohen, who later became an urban ethnographer and emeritus professor at the University of East London.

121 Centre

121 Railton Road, first squatted in 1973 by Olive Morris, was a self-managed social centre in Brixton, south London until 1999. As an anarchist social centre, the venue hosted a bookshop, cafe, infoshop, library, meeting space, office space, printing facility, and rehearsal space. Organisations using the space included Food Not Bombs, Anarchist Black Cross prisoner aid chapters, an anarcho-feminist magazine, a squatters aid organisation, and an anarchist queer group. Regular events at 121 Centre included punk concerts, a women’s cafe night, and a monthly queer night. The centre kept a relatively low profile and was one of the longest-lasting squats in London.

Frestonia

Frestonia was the name adopted by the residents of Freston Road, London when they attempted to secede from the United Kingdom in 1977 to form the Free and Independent Republic of Frestonia. The residents were squatters, many of whom eventually set up a housing co-op in negotiation with Notting Hill Housing Trust, and included artists, musicians, writers, actors and activists. Actor David Rappaport was the Foreign Minister, while playwright Heathcote Williams served as Ambassador to the United Kingdom.

56A infoshop

56a Infoshop is a long-term volunteer-run, 100% unfunded DIY social centre in Walworth, South London. It was squatted from 1988 to 2003 and is now rent-paying. 56A survives through the sale of books, zines and graphic novels. There’s an open-access archive of over 1,400 books and 50,000 pamphlets, other printed matter about all sorts of radical local and international politics. 56a has actively supported squatting with fortnightly Practical Squatting nights. Visit 56 Crampton St London SE17: Wed 3-7, Thu 2-8, Fri 3-7, Sat 2-6 for books, archive, kettle, cat, sofa, and more reading! 56a.org.uk

Chez Robert

Chez Robert – Electrons Libres is an art gallery in central Paris, France. Formerly an artist’s squat which has occupied the space since 1999, it was legalized and bought by Paris city hall in 2006. The venue became known for its parties, exhibitions, and performances. For 15 years it had been an abandoned branch of Crédit Lyonnais bank when artists took over the six-storey space and began exhibiting art and hosting parties. Officials learned in 2001, when it received positive media attention, that it was the third most-visited centre for art in Paris welcoming more than 40,000 visitors a year.

DA!

DA! was an art collective that began squatting buildings at 43 Kensington High Street between 2004 and 2010 inspired by Chez Robert. Self-described as a mix of visual, performance and conceptual artists, writers, musicians, thinkers, art students, and students of other disciplines. The last building DA! occupied, called MaDa! was at 18 Upper Grosvenor Street in a 30-room grade II-listed 1730s mansion owned by the billionaire Duke of Westminster. Inside these and other buildings, DA! hosted art shows, installations, music, performance art, etc. “Who we are is not important. As a collective we have ‘squatted’ an empty, dilapidated building in Mayfair … We are making this place live through the exchange of knowledge and ideas”|

rampART

The rampART was a squatted social centre opened in 2004 at 15-17 Rampart Street, E1. The project was initiated by a mix of artists, community groups and political activists. Within the first year, the building had hosted over 100 cultural and political events. Funded by users’ donations or fundraising events it was open to all and ran based on equality for all. The centre was an autonomous space with a strong emphasis on consensus decision making and DIY culture, cooperation, solidarity and mutual aid. The centre lost a court case brought by the owner and awaited eviction from 3 January 2008 until it was finally evicted on 15 October 2009.

Komm in die gange

On August 22nd, 2009 two hundred political, social and art activists entered the Gängeviertel district in downtown Hamburg, to save it from decay and demolition, and aiming to create an area to promote arts, culture, and talks, both in studios, apartments, and social projects. Tens of thousands of visitors from all over the world have attended art exhibitions, concerts, live readings, and discussed urban development, many of whom have stayed in the free hostel, eaten from the many kitchens and spent evenings in the bars which now occupy the many different buildings. At present Das Gängeviertel is negotiating the future of the quarter with the City of Hamburg to be free to everybody. Everyone is welcome to join as a visitor, as an active member, or as a sponsor.

The really free school

The Really Free School was a collective that squatted a series of buildings in central London in 2011 where they organised lectures and workshops. The name “Really Free School” was intended to mock the contemporaneous interest from the coalition Conservative Party in free schools. Upon eviction, by film-maker Guy Ritchie the group wore Vinnie Jones masks as part of their court appearance. They received widespread support, for example from the Fitzrovia Neighbourhood Association when bailiffs attempted an illegal eviction, and in The Fitzrovia News, who praised the squatters for making a stand against austerity cuts to education facilities.

Pie n Mash

Operating as a radical mutual aid group, in Deptford, the Pie n Mash intends to reopen a squatted cafe when appropriate. Running an autonomous cafe, where people are welcome to come in and participate in the squat without necessarily being “part of the crew” is a rare situation now. The space has someone running it all the time, with free tea, coffee, snacks etc. Available as a free space for any politically affiliated or friendly groups to use for organising meetings or events, they also share information and flyers about local political situations and events. The Pie n Mash changes location, but the project continues.

The Lockon

The Lockon is a squatted Pub in Cambridge which, three times a week, hosts the Cambridge Community Kitchen as well as a wide range of other mutual aid activities and groups. The Community Kitchen has delivered tens of thousands of meals during the Covid pandemic via a team of cycle couriers to anyone who requests a meal via their dedicated website. The more permanent residents include activists, artists, students and others who have a focus on transformative justice. In June they opened a temporary second temporary location where they put on Lockfest, an Anti-Fyre festival.

The Space Pirates

Space Pirates continue the work of these activists who, through conscious mutual aid, strengthen squat culture. Pirates were often outsiders, all-rounders and irrespective of their highly diverse backgrounds, promoted ideas like one person one vote and equal sharing of their bounty. Without wanting to get too lost in cliché and metaphor, Pirates can be seen to navigate the city’s great sea of tarmac, and ‘space’ can be thought of as “transformative space”. Fundamental to being a Space Pirates is understanding and using the Pirates Code. This lies at the heart of what it means to be a Space Pirate and is the key to the teamwork which the other five areas of Space Piracy depend upon. Being a space pirate is a state of mind, a way of looking at the world, together.|

– Part 2 –
Transformative Patterns

“THE WHITE MAN FANCIES HIMSELF AS A PRACTICAL person who wants to “get results.” He is impatient with theory, and with any discussion which does not immediately get down to concrete applications. This is why the behaviour of Western civilization might be described, in general, as “Much Ado About Nothing.” The proper meaning of “theory” is not idle speculation but vision, and it was rightly said that “where there is no vision the people perish.” But the vision in this sense does not mean dreams and ideals for the future. It means an understanding of life as it is, of what we are, and what we are doing. Without such understanding, it is simply ridiculous to talk of being practical and getting results. It is like walking busily in a fog: you just go round and round. You do not know where you are going, nor what results you really want.”Chapter 7, The transformation of life, from The Wisdom of Insecurity, by Alan Watts, 1951.

While squatlife presents the opportunity to satisfy many practical and ideological needs from shelter to belonging, it is also an intense experience which unsurprisingly, many people struggle to continue with. Considering everything that’s happening on a day to day basis in any squat, it’s not surprising the fog described above sets in. In this second part, two models are presented in brief, and a third in much greater detail. To evolve with resilience, Space Pirates expand upon ideas like these, exploring other models, theories, ideas and patterns and of course, putting them into practice by using them too! If you would like to co-host a workshop on this broad theme of Transformative Patterns, please get in touch.^

Holding safe space for a transformative experience

Almost every experience can be transformative (including this tinybook!) This highly versatile model helps navigate those often unexpected experiences which are already intense and complicated enough. On a 1:1 basis or in groups, this model makes explicit something important or special is happening which requires ‘holding’. The intensity of the experience is represented through time. On each side of the moment of transformation [Tr] are opening and closing [Op & Cl] moments of lower intensity eg check-ins. Between these are the warming up [WU] and assimilation [As] stages.

Cultures of organisations

Centralisation runs left to right and Formality top to bottom. The shapes in each corner show how the structures form organisational cultures. The Power culture is intimate, dynamic and gets results, but is fragile. The Role Culture, about rules and bureaucracy, is safe and scaleable, but boring. The Task Culture is solution-focused and expert teamwork enhances its flexibility, but it frays apart easily. The Club Culture is freeform, exciting and supportive, but it’s hectic and can be isolating. Note how the structures share similarities as seen in their placement next to one another. The Role culture is a combination of the Power and Task culture shapes, and so on. Being aware of these cultures, Space Pirates are sensitive to when and how they may need to adapt.^

Consent & Accountability Framework

The diagram and text here is an interpretation of the original documentation found at consentframework.org [(CC)BY-NC-ND]

The Consent & Accountability Framework is a model for a shared understanding of how to bring about – and respond to – action. Its creators are keen to share it and connect with others. The framework embraces transformation and flow. It acknowledges the fact that consent does not always exist, and shows steps of accountability that can be focused on and explored for any given action ‘good’ or ‘bad’. It’s more than a set of rules about what to do, it’s a way of exploring what’s been going on and what might be done. The following pages go into much more detail than the previous two models because the Consent & Accountability Framework is the fundamental structure upon which the culture of Space Pirates is built. That’s why it’s also called the Pirates Code.

Consent

Communication leading to Agreement leading to Action. That is the definition of consent according to this framework. It may seem surprisingly clear when it’s put that simply however these very broad concepts of Consent and then Accountability will now be explored in more detail. One of the fundamental aspects of the framework is the way it bypasses the need to create static group agreements or ‘rules’ as such. Defining consent therefore may seem paradoxical at first, however, that is where the ‘framework-ness’ comes into play: This definition of consent is provided to complement or as a suggestion in the absence of another definition or practice.

Communication

Of all these steps, Communication is probably the broadest, indeed, the whole model is concerned with communication. What makes communication part of consent is when it is leading to agreement. Communication can happen verbally, physically, via message, in real life, and in other forms. According to the specifics of each unique action, the finer details of communication will become clearer themselves. Various principles exist including clarity, timing, involvement of everyone concerned, etc.

Agreement

Agreement likewise has various principles appropriate to it. For example, it needs to be given freely and is best when it’s explicit. Ambiguity and even disagreement can also be thought of as forms of agreement (eg. ‘maybes’, or ‘agreeing to disagree’) and also in terms of agreeing not to do something. As with Communication before, Agreement needs to be leading towards action (or inaction) to be part of consent.

Action

Action is symbolised by the sun. Actions can be very enjoyable or they can be overheated, in other words, “good” or “bad”. It makes sense to take account of both equally, rather than to use the framework only for overheated actions. The framework remains the same and the distinction between the two can sometimes begin to merge on closer examination. Defining an action is often a difficult – yet enlightening – exercise in itself. What becomes clear is the many ways in which everything is connected. By narrowing things down in terms of a timeframe, pattern, incident, feeling, etc, an Action becomes easier to specify. By being specific in this way, the light of the sun is focused, and as an action is defined, the other parts of the Framework gain their relevance and clarity. ^

Accountability

Accountability is the selection and switching among one or more of five ordered and connected options: Feedback & Coaching, Space, Growth, Sharing, and Alerting. A group is likely to respond to an Action with individuals in it adopting different positions on the accountability scale. It can be helpful to think of these concepts as spectra, the exact nature and range of which depends on any given Action. It can be misunderstood that Alerting is the “bad” end of these options and that Feedback is the “good” end. This interpretation can be highly subjective depending on the action.

These options can be used as a checklist in the heat of an intense moment. By checking-in with yourself and referring to these options you can find where you ‘are’ (eg Space) and consider where you might ‘go next’ (eg Growth, or Feedback & Coaching). The less an action is communicated about and agreed to (ie. the less there is Consent), the more likely the chance it will be responded to further through the five levels of Accountability, but of course this is not a rule.

Feedback & Coaching

Feedback, like Coaching, is usually unasked for and tricky to give. Being collectively understood as the first stage of accountability sets a baseline expectation of honest and open communication from everyone, from the start. Feedback is characterised by informing, it is descriptive, it’s how we learn, and comes from everything around us. Coaching is characterised by persuading and happens when a learner communicates with a teacher of some kind. The type of Feedback and Coaching again will have its own appropriate principles depending on the action. Acknowledging that we are experts on our own lives and that everyone has something to learn is a great frame of mind for feedback. Similarly, asking questions to enable people to discover, and learn for themselves, is an example of gentle coaching. Of course, these are not rules, they are just observations. Everyone involved in any action will have different forms of feedback and coaching to share. Feedback & Coaching is fundamentally intended to help individuals become better community participants.

Space

Space can be physical space or emotional space, it can be temporary or permanent. It is about distance. Although Feedback & Coaching is technically the first stage, Space is usually the first form of accountability we go for whether this is because we are so wrapped up in other joys of the action, or perhaps because it was triggering somehow. Space is surprisingly easy to recognise and to ignore. It can be one of the easiest areas of accountability to move into and one of the hardest ones to move out of. While it may take time to move out of space it is often a good idea to consider what Feedback there has been and what Coaching might be considered, before the next stage which is Growth.

Growth

Growth is pretty self-explanatory and yet can take so many forms it is hard to begin to describe with words. There is a useful distinction to be made between restorative and transformative justice here. One seeks restoration of the status quo, the other seeks transformation. Again the particular details of an Action will emphasise which, if either way to lean.

Sharing

Sharing is communicating information among equals. It is peer-to-peer or horizontal in nature. The intention of Sharing can be to encourage or to prevent Action.

Nb The same information could be communicated to the same recipients in a Sharing or Alerting way. For example, a fire escape route would be Shared during an induction or Altered during an actual fire.

Alerting

Alerting is information communicated among people in a manner that is hierarchical in some way. Alerting is the last level of accountability, and communicates about Action concerning some pre-established hierarchy. This hierarchy may or may not be respected by the group.

– PART 3 –
Introduction to the Space Pirates

Intro to the Space Pirates

This third and final section looks at six areas of affinity in which Space Pirates band together in autonomous groups sharing a voice and responsibility for action. These groups may last only for the duration of a particular action, or for an entire squat, or over a longer time. A Pirate joins, creates, runs and leaves affinity groups autonomously based on mutual interest, skills, need, or any other area of focus. By buddying within these wider areas of affinity in smaller groups of 3(ish) buddies, pirates care closely for each other while working together in wider groups. At present, there are six primary affinity groups..

The Pirates Code

The symbol of the Pirate’s Code is a simplified version of the Consent & Accountability Framework. As mentioned, this framework is used as a structure upon which to build Space Pirates culture. Using this shared language around consent and accountability makes it easy to communicate and share an understanding of what’s happened, what’s happening, and what might happen next. Knowing that being held accountable is expected, those who maliciously violate consent will think twice before getting involved, and those who innocently violate consent can expect to find genuine support to grow in a collectively understood manner. Working from this strong foundation, Space Pirates plan consent focused actions within the following areas of Navigating, Scrolling, Occupying, Loving & Welcoming…

Navigating

The symbol for Navigating is from the compass arrow on maps, also known as scouting, Navigating is about plotting locations, both plotting them on a map, and plotting ways to secure them. There are various aspects to a well-scouted location. These include visits having been spaced out over weeks at different times of day to ensure it’s unused, finding the full address(es) and postcode(s), an internal inspection assessing the water, electrics and general safety, and so on. Once an address is identified, it is possible to start scrolling the web for more information about how long it has been empty, why, who owns it, etc.

Scrolling

This symbol, based on a scroll has a double meaning. This area involves a lot of scrolling around the internet, but also Scrolling deals with scrolls or official documents like property deeds, court papers, maps, spreadsheets, meeting agendas, minutes, educational materials (like this tinyzine!), squat kitty management, rotas, preparing letters and notices etc. the secretarial and administrative stuff. Scrolling is therefore very wide-ranging and involves being in close communication with all other areas of Space Piracy.

Occupying

The Occupying symbol is, of course, the internationally recognised squat symbol. Occupying is about remaining in locations and maintaining their physical security, safety and basic usability. Occupation begins the moment access to a building is secured for the first time. There are two basic units needed to establish and continue occupation of a squat: a kitchen and a workshop. These things depend on one another, and the rest depend on them. The culture within these areas says a lot about the wider culture of a squat.

Loving

Loving is symbolised by a heart shape. It is a widely shared affinity that focuses on tending to the daily needs and comforts of those who maintain and inhabit locations, be they physical, social, psychological, etc. Loving can be likened to wellbeing. Loving exists in many forms, from the shared experiences of mealtimes and meetings to the self-love of some alone time or browsing the freeshop, to love which endures, to spiritual love, and of course flirty playfulness, etc! Closely connected to the Pirate’s Code, a big part of Loving is actively using the consent and accountability framework.

Welcoming

Symbolised by a window frame, Welcoming is the ultimate objective of Space Pirates. By welcoming others to share abandoned spaces in inclusive and conscious ways, Space Pirates co-create virtuous cycles of direct action and mutual aid promoting and creating eclectic opportunities which emerge in places like squats. Having begun to explore a few transformative patterns and examples of how current and historic squats engage with others, Space Pirates continue learning and sharing information about co-creating, welcoming, evolving, and building on resilience in squat culture.

BTW Hi I’m Cyborg Psychopomp

Thanks and extra special invited

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