On March 1st 2023, we here at the RYSE recieved the keys to the RYSE #1, a one room space with a kitchen, a table and two chairs to its name. In the last two months, we have transformed its whitewashed walls into a tapestry of colour and writing. To the right of the door sits the CLIT (the community library of insurrectionary texts - so the annoying men can't find it) and to the left, a welcome desk which is currently being used for lino cut printing. The sun pours in to the small garden (some days) where we sit and eat our lunch, and the come and go of young people learning to resist the narrative of their unimportance creates a buzz that is infectious.
The first day we were open, everyone pitched in to decorate and we all ate dinner together!
Some of the photos from the first few days, our PRALER display and the SISTER banner, and the School is a Crime Scene sign that's the first thing most people see when they walk in
For those that haven't hear (and lets be real, we haven't stopped talking about it) we invested in a badge maker - these are the first few we made
We set up the CLIT, officially, which is open to anyone who wants to borrow a book from it! From pratical guides to movement building, calls for abolition and a fairer society, and alternate histories, we can lend it out!
Then we started getting people through! Here is Rob introducing the idea of People's Justice to the youth that came through for our Workshop Weekend!
As part of this, we got people through for a radical art afternoon, which produced volumes of incredible and creative badges.
We had School is a Crime Scene (@schoolisacrimescene) through, delivering workshops asking "What is school?" to engage young people on this question that, although they've spent most of their life inside one, the rarely get asked.
And ran some of our own! The weekend was such a success, thank you to all who came through and started trying to tackle how to take back our education system!
March has been incredible, full of learning and inspiration and new friends. So much energy and belief and work has gone into building this space, and we look forward to the summer knowing we will continue to hold space for learning and action in whatever space we find ourselves in!
We'll hope to see you there, Love and Power,
The RYSE
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