30 June 2017- A new collectively-run space dedicated to bringing Manchester’s disparate networks of activism together was opened yesterday, nearly a decade on from the fire which put the city’s last major radical social centre out of commission. Based on the upper floor of 19 Cheetham Hill Road, the Partisan group has set up in a similar way to other recent radical co-ops such as DIY, building an initial fund to rent the space and then opening it on a membership model, with a combination of member subs and events helping to keep the project financially viable...
Manchester has lacked a permanent venue since a fire destroyed radical social centre The Basement in 2007 despite various attempts, including SubRosa in 2013–15. Squatted venues have had some successes in the meantime, including Cornerhouse which has provided a self-organised space for the city’s street homeless population for the last few months, supported by Manchester Activist Network, and hosted a hugely successful arts project, Loose Space, earlier this year. [Freedom News]