"Basta!" Teens Prepare For Loss Of Hall
national |
anti-capitalism |
feature
Tuesday April 04, 2006 22:18
by W - wsm - anarchist youth
improvemyself at hotmail dot com
The kids are doing it for themselves
"Ha! Get Down There Young Fella Ya'll Only Do Yourself An Injury
Wicklow based Basta youth collective, a radical non-profit youth group, are to find themselves homeless as Paddy’s Hall in Greystones has been boarded up.
The group of self-organised teenagers have been using the hall for over a year to put on alcohol free, drugs free gigs as well as film showings and providing space for their Basta drama group.
Paddy’s hall has been the groups base of operations since they formed in October 2004 and has played host to bands from across Ireland as well as American and European acts. It has also provided space for many local bands to play who wouldn’t normally have a chance to play to large crowds of their peers.
Originally owned by the local protestant church the hall was sold on to a consortium of developers who allowed Basta to continue using it so long as they provided their own insurance. The hall is now to be boarded up as local youths are constantly breaking in and vandalising the building.
Some Related Links:
Basta Youth Collective Mission Statement | Punkforit - a forum where parts of the scene that has developed around the Basta Youth Collective engage in discussions on politics, culture etc | Photo's from Basta's Xmas and NY's afternoon gig. | Radio Doc on Hope Promotions, who were diy gig promoters doing rock/hardcore gigs in Dublin between 1987 – 1999 whose memory still inspires people today
David Clune a young Basta member says that this will not be the end of the collective, “We are currently looking for other social spaces it doesn’t matter where we go, if we are together we will always prevail in the face of the guards, developers or anyone.
The question of survival isn’t the issue, its where we will take ourselves”
Basta members are looking to find a new building for their activities. They hope to rent a space which might allow them a greater amount of control over their activities. Dylan Haskins, a founding member of the collective, said, “From having total control over Paddy’s hall we saw the potential for what we could do with our own space, we wanted to open a zine library on friday nights so anyone could hang out there and discuss..it gave us a sense of what could be achieved”
Basta have faced trouble in the past claiming to have suffered harassment at both the hands of the gardai and a local gang, “A member of the collective was stabbed during the summer, the gardai said there was no co-operation even though the people that did it were outside, they were saying it was our fault for not giving our names, trying to pin it on us saying we were witnesses but most of us hadn’t seen anything” Haskins said.
Basta events in Paddy’s hall have drawn crowds of up to 200 teens in the past and the collective itself has more than 20 members who make all the decisions on a consensus basis allowing everyone a say in what goes on. They are connected to similar youth groups around the country which formed after the Basta tour of Ireland last year.
They operate on what they call a “DIY ethic”, the main goal is to create an inclusive community. "We wanted with our own bands to create a sense of community and use the music as a medium to get broader political messages out there. Through that we’ve created a tight community that’s getting new people involved” says Haskins. They view the corporate music world and “rock star mentality” as problematic and encourage people to play music for enjoyment rather than financial gain.
Basta contingent at "Take Back The City"
printable version
Digg this
del.icio.us
Furl
Reddit
Technorati
Facebook
Gab
Twitter
View Comments Titles Only
save preference
Comments (26 of 26)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26Never heard about these guys before.
BASTA! YOUTH COLLECTIVE MISSION STATEMENT
We're an autonomous, youth-led collective, working to improve the quality of life and facilities for young people and, indeed, the whole community in the areas in which we live and recreate.
Our goal is to inspire, encourage and support individuals and groups wishing to improve our society. We do this through information exchange, discussion and debate, practical example and application, art, films and music to name but a few.
We intend to empower and enable individuals and communities to educate themselves to current and future issues effecting their lives with the ultimate goal of enabling them to govern themselves and make their own informed decisions.
"Basta" is a Spanish word, meaning "Enough is enough" or "Stop". In our context, it means enough is enough; we're going to take action into our own hands and utilise all means possible with the intent of educating communities to better, more sustainable and fulfilling ways of life.
Recently, we have been working to create a network and community of friends free from insecurities and peer pressure.
For example, we recently organised a 12 hour DIY Festival in the Project Arts Centre in Temple Bar directed at young people. We have also organised several all-ages gigs in the City Arts Centre Dublin with bands from as far away as Florida! The gigs always showcase young bands from Ireland interested in an independant approach to music with, on average, 6 or 7 bands per gig with an entry fee of 3 euro, sometimes including free vegetarian food.
Started in October 2004 by four teenagers, the collective now meets regularly and consists of about 20 young people. It is run on an open, autonomous basis and most decisions are made collectively, although, in certain circumstances, personal initiative and self-empowerment are encouraged.
We are very enthusiastic about any activities we undertake and assure you honest co-operation should we be working together in the near future.
If you wanna know more about the BYC or want to get involved.
Check out www.punkforit.com.
RE: BASTA! YOUTH COLLECTIVE MISSION STATEMENT & INFO SHEET
We are an autonomous youth collective working to improve the quality of life and facilities for young people and indeed the whole community in the areas we live and recreate.
Our goal is to inspire, encourage and support individuals and groups wishing to improve our society. We do this through information exchange, discussion and debate, practical example and application, art, films and music to name but a few.
We intend to empower and enable individuals and communities to educate themselves to current and future issues affecting their lives with the ultimate goal of enabling them to govern themselves and make their own informed decisions.
‘Basta!’ is a Spanish word meaning ‘enough is enough’ or ‘stop’. In our context it means enough is enough, we’re tired of asking the government to provide for us. We are taking action into our own hands and utilising all means possible with the intention of educating communities to better, more sustainable and fulfilling ways of living. At its core Basta! is a show of young people coming together to create their own alternatives in a society where they feel alienated.
Recently we have been working to create a network and community of friends free from insecurities and peer pressure. For the past year we have made full use of the old St. Patrick’s Hall building in Greystones, turning it into a space for young people to meet and express themselves. Bands have travelled from as far away as Florida and Alabama to experience the community we have created. The hall is now due to be demolished to make way for apartments. However, we are determined to build on our efforts to date and create a permanent space to further our activities. We believe in funding ourselves through purely independent means and appeal to members of the public to aid us in achieving our objectives, whether financially or otherwise.
We have organised a number of projects in the Dublin and North Wicklow areas with all ages alcohol free gigs in City Arts Centre Dublin and old St. Patrick’s Hall Greystones, a 24 hour Do-It-Yourself Festival in Project Arts Centre, an open ‘stencil wall mural’ in Dublin City Centre, a compilation CD of young independent Irish bands with an accompanying guide booklet on how other young people can start similar projects and in June 2005 we organised a tour of Ireland for 5 local bands playing to their peers in other counties and distributing the CD and guide.
Future projects include producing a documentary about our activities which will be shown in Project Arts Centre, a second tour of Ireland with different bands in June 2006 and expanding into other areas of community activity.
Began in October 2004 by four teenagers, the collective now meets regularly and consists of about 50 young people. New members are always welcome. There are various sub groups within the collective such as the Basta! Drama Group. The collective is run on an open autonomous basis and most decisions are made collectively.
We are very enthusiastic about any activities we undertake and assure you honest co-operation should we be working together in the near future.
For further info or to pledge your support contact
thebyc@hotmail.com
Just want to remind you guys about the annual 2 week gathering of European environmental, political and social justice activists - Ecotopia, organised by EYFA, European Youth For Action. This year in Slovakia. Hosted by Gluaiseacht in Ireland in 2002. Every year in a different country alternating between Western and Eastern Europe. Camping and meals cost only 5-10 euros a day once you get there.
I'd say you'll get a blast out of Ecotopia and Ecotopia will get a blast out of ye. You've got to go.
Hi W. Blasta Rock on.
Check out EYFA link below.
Congratulations Ya Basta on the work you've done so far.
If only we'd more concerned young people doing this kind of work too the country would be in a better shape - at present and, I believe, in the future.
Hopefully you'll find another venue soon enough and the undesirables that seek to destroy it might even realise the value of it (not much hope of that I don't think, judging by the standards that teachers are subjected to, but who knows?).
Whatever the outcome, you are doing the right thing!
Mark.
Good thing this hall is gone!
Now the "radical youth" can get on their bikes and actually do some real political work.
These "performance space for the youth" outfits with their rinky dinky 6th year anarchist ideology are just a waste of time, confusing political work with having "fun".
Better that these kiddies spend some time leafletting for the Labour Party or the Greens than hanging out and conning themselves that listening to music is somehow "radical".
Did you actually read the story, these kids hope to start a social centre in their own community that will be open to the whole community and run on anarchistic principles.
That's far more important than leafleting for either of those right wing parties.
Ah "w" we have you now!
"These kids hope to start a social centre in their own community that will be open to the whole community and run on anarchistic principles."
As The Activist Fairy said - pointless
Given that:
A. Anachist = Libertarian.
B. Libertarian = Michael McDowell.
Therfore:
Anarchists = neo-liberal PD capitalists.
Q.E.D.
This bunch of crypto Young PDers are just hedonistic pleasure seekers who have no political value.
Just what Harney and McDowell want.
A stoned kiddie who spend their time "supporting the bands" is no threat to capitalism.
Thank goodness the hall is gone so the kiddies can do some real work attending those those right wing drugs and muisc parties.
That's far less important than leafleting for a real political movement.
Abosulutely ridiculous that someone would come onto Indymedia and start lambasting a bunch of teenagers who are organising under age gigs, without drink or drugs and keeping a space open that could be of use to the whole community and for others engaged in political work. Funny, in this age of demobilisation of community groups through social partnership, resource centres in areas being run by blow in Fianna Fail appointees sitting on their arse. Making bland statements about getting the youth involved in something other than anti-social behaviour, at ceremonies left right and centre designed to give some muppet of a local politician credibility - you really exemplify a complete sort of polical blindness about how social change emerges once people unleash their creative urge and self-organise instead of waiting for someone else to organise for them. In this case, a bunch of kids wanted something other than the bland anti-drugs lecturing at events organised by clueless social worker types, that is if any events were organised at all and they went and identified a disused space in a community and put it to some use and involved huge swathes of people in the process, gaining community respect and putting theri politics into action.
If the bog-average politicos represented by your goodself displayed such an imagination and a motivation, maybe spaces such as the City Arts Centre could be turned over to the community. You remind me of the caricature of the local SWP drone drawn by Irvine Welsh in the Acid House, a character who prompted the protaganist into a complete political apathy left "thinking, what can I do for the emanipation of working people in this country, shat on by the rich, tied into political inaction by servile reliance on a reactionary, moribund and yet still unelectable Labour Party. The answer is a resounding fuck all.
Its people like you who come on here, and mouth off about those that move beyond apathy in a fashion not tied into moribund old slogans and mathmatical formulae of what it is to be a working class youth that should really take lessons from the Basta Kids. As the Welsh character concluded about those that mouth revolutionary politics there are "too many, God rest his soul, Blind Cunt types in that sort of thing." Open your eyes, there's a world of difference between this imaginary "real political movement" you want to summon from your arse and the work that goes into building real communities and a culture of confidence that can lead to substantial social change. As for your bland "Q.E.D." conclusions about anarchist philosophy, you sound like a Freedom Institute clown concluding that "because Sinn Fein are socialist and also nationalist, therefore they are national socialist which means they are NAZI's." So I won't even bother replying to that, good luck finding another bridge to live under, you are a useless troll and I don't particularly want to share this one with you. Maybe you can find your ideal set of political actors in one of your friends fairy tales.
Not saying this lightly, but I think "the Activist Fairy" may well have contributed the stupidest comment ever posted on Indymedia on any thread, ever.
Can we all have a go at this QED business?
ACTIVIST = VIOLENT
FAIRY = FASCIST RACIST THUG
THE ACTIVIST FAIRY = VIOLENT FASCIST RACIST MASS MURDERERING THUG WHO MOLESTS CHILDREN AND ROBS THEIR SWEETS
Shame on you for molesting children and robbing their sweets, Activist Fairy, you mass murdering violent racist fascist thug!
Basta - and all the other Bob Geldoff/ the bands/ lifestyle politics - are what political failure for the Irish working class looks like.
Politics is about power not doing soft drugs, listening to music, dying your hair, getting piercings and hanging out on Grafton Street - if it was we'd have had the Workers Republic years ago!
Rember the Dandelion Market? Ubi Dwyer? Punk?
Slackers all.
Work hard for a political party.
Don't worry about community organizing,
The cattle need to be led, not "empowered" by some "community space".
An organized minority is a majority, thus work for a party.
Read the article below. It just never happened!
Community organizing is useless. We must get people into office.
AFTER SEATTLE - WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? by Jim Smith, L.A. Labor News
Editors note: users please desist from cut n'pasting large amounts of text that are already available on the net. If related to the discussion at hand, paste a link only or use the site's "other press" section.
''the cattle need to be led'' I stopped reading here.
basta teen - basta youth collective wrote
"''the cattle need to be led'' I stopped reading here."
Yup! Thats the problem.
Instead of reading and thinking and listening to those with more experience than themselves the libertarian hedonistic youth confuse personal pleasure with real world political achievement.
Florida bands are mentioned.
Well, ask the radical Florida youth what happened to Tally/Red Hills indymedia , the Stone Soup Collective in Orlando, the George Orwell Collective in St. Peterburg, the Independent Media Center in Gainesville, Miami indimedia, the Tampa IMC , the whole Florida FNB... etc etc etc
Putting on a band is not radical! Go and support a political party.!
radical, coming from radix, root. a radical challenge is one that goes to the route of problems. real change will not be achieved by a change in rulers, the history of the social democratic movement is ample evidenc of that. we dont seek more buns, we want the whole bakery. real change is the abolition of hierarchies and all forms of oppression, the common management of social production and reproduction. a change in oppressor is no real change. real change can not be given, it can only be achieved when the great mass of people begin thinking and acting for themselves, questioning the whole of social reality. this is revolution. true, when 'diy' or direct action ethics are limited to the cultural sphere they quickly become escapist and futile, but luckily the basta collective seem keen enough to see through this dead end, and have become involved in radical politics in other forms. their practice suggests a keen awareness and opposition to all forms of authority and hierarchy. empowered individuals are the beginning of a new world. 'together we can invent a future'.
there are so many things inherently wrong with your arghument - from the overuse of stereotypes and generalisations - "stoned kiddies"-to your ideas of what right and left wing are... if you believe the cattle need to be led, and do not believe in a community empowering itself then you are part of that group you yourself called libertarian... our present society is built on inequality, of the type you seem to be promoting - does that not make you a capitalist anti-community political activist? you seem to be very confused....
Stop it Activist Fairy! We've already exposed you as a mass murdering racist fascist thug who molests children and robs their sweets (QED remember?)! Now leave us along you racist fascist murderer who robs sweets off children you!
Oh come on...
This is obviously some bored eejit taking the piss. Why rise to the bait?
To all the people condemning these TEENAGERS for not joining Political Parties fucking grow up, they should be congratulated for there good efforts in trying to have fun without drinking drugging. Of curse dont undersyand oldpeoplenever do.
SofI
I don't look at this site regularly, but I'm surprised to see this story on the front page as though they didn't have it coming.
I went to "Paddy's Hall" to see the Florida band, "This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb" with some friends a few weeks ago. We drove an hour and a half to find that the venue was a little kip in a run-down section of Greystones by the beach. It was cold and the stage was a small corner with poor lighting. Basically it was a semi-abandoned building.
The dozens of glammed up teenagers at the gig needed this venue about as much as they needed their expensive trendy clothes, piercings etc. They're definately not a sort deprived of entertainment or funds, so what great service were the Collective providing? It was an ego project supplying novelty.
It was a private playground for a limited amount of kids that listen to certain music and dress a certain way. The unartistic graffiti that smothers the place, outside and in, featuring "punk" references, unfunny quotes and a world-renowned array of penises, is somewhat of a testament to that. Anarchy? More like too much free time.
They could never have made the venue inclusive of a community wider than that and it was bound to be closed down eventually.
I like to see teenagers working on their own terms for something they want instead of waiting for it to be done for them, but their energy is misplaced. They can't possibly achieve any of the goals they lay out in their extremely far-fetched "mission statement" unless they grow out of their utter naivety and start setting their sights on something relevant and achievable involving people outside of their own small bubble.
And by the way, people were smoking hash and drinking right outside.
i agree but think to when u were 16, were u as forward thinking as you are now? ive been to paddy's hall a few times since they got the keys, including the night when the guards broke in by smashing a window in, on a drugs raid it seemed, spending 2 hours digging themselves out of the hole they got themselves into and keeping us there for 2 hours until we gave our names... it is frustrating to see all the same looking people with their fuck fashion mentality although they are a following another fashion, but in greystones there really is no other entertainment. i thought the idea of showing films on the stage was amazing. they're a limited and closed group but at least they're doing something. greystones kids do lack entertainment, maybe not funds but what can money get u if there's no facilities? drink, drugs or expensive material goods. at least this was something free and fun. p.s. the graffiti was shit!
I've been to many gigs in Paddys Hall. They have always been very relaxed, with no trouble and without drugs and drink.
going to basta gigs was my political awakening, because of them i've felt empowered to get organised.
Excellant articale Weeler its a big step forward for The B.Y.C.
All thoose people having there ill informed say about the B.Y.C. are truely anoying to me.The idea of someone whole heartedly saying support a political party when lack of youth concerns from such political parties are the main reasons groups such as basta exist, people who say such things only inforce there own annoying personalities upon me which i nor anyone else in my generation want .At least people like basta are out there doing things for themselves progesively and by informing others are encouraging them to do it themselves and think for themselves (my self being affected by this personaly) instead of being on the internet posting useless comments only inflating there own social ego's ,defacing an honest non profit organisations good name and generaly making me mentally cringe.
BASTA are out there making a difference ,revolutionary ideas do not follow previous templates and they start small. i see there values lasting past thoose which we curently hold as our society.
p.s.please forgive me for mixing any messages i try to get as i wrote this quite franticly also forgive spelling as i am dyslexic.
All pix by Stephenohblunt.
End of an era
Don't forget..
AY stencil
Fence