OKRS Opportunity – The Feminist Library

Donate to the OKRS crowdfunder HERE https://www.spacehive.com/OKRStudios

Our quest to secure our future is far from over, so we need your support now more than ever. Given market conditions in London, our search for new premises has been very difficult, but in the last few weeks it seems we may have found a new home with Old Kent Road Studios, an organisation whose ethos we strongly support. We are pleased about the possibility of staying in the same borough, as we want to remain loyal to the local community which has been supportive of us, and as Southwark is also supporting OKRS, we are hopeful that synergy may be achieved. At the moment the space looks like this.
But nothing is yet certain. Our friends at OKRS only have until 16^th August – to crowdfund the outstanding £24,987 of the £54,279 they need to begin refurbishment. If they do not raise all the money, they will get NOTHING. Ulrike Steven, of architects what if: projects, and one of the brains behind OKRS (along with Nicolas Okwulu, of social enterprise Pempeople) explains more …
‘OKRS is one of 20 locally initiated crowdfunding campaigns to receive a pledge from the Mayor of London in Round 3 of his Civic Crowdfunding pilot. If we can raise all the rest of the total project budget from ‘the crowd’, the Mayor will donate £20,000 and it can become a reality. The deadline for this fundraising is 16th August 2016.
Our project is important as it will help local people by bringing life, new skills and jobs to a neglected corner of South East London. Southwark Council is providing us with support and a lease for the garages. These will provide spaces for making, training and cultural programmes in the context of a housing estate on the Old Kent Road. 1290m2 of vacant space will be transformed into a community venue with a central courtyard surrounded by workshops, studios, multifunctional spaces and a training kitchen. The garages present an increasingly rare opportunity for a new, experimental community space in inner London. Potential partner organisations include the Tate, London Youth and the Feminist Library, which is hoping to move here.

So please help us to kick-start this ambitious project! The funding target hasn’t been reached yet and we encourage everybody with an interest in the Old Kent Road to make a pledge now. You will be part of creating a destination on this historic high street.’

Donate to the OKRS crowdfunder HERE https://www.spacehive.com/OKRStudios