Wildewire

I was slightly swindled into a recent "business relationship": It was based on a lot of work and research and planning over five years so when I learned "we have a building" I was eager. When I discovered the details of the 'deal' I was worried, said so and BEGGED the "partner" to hold off until some plans could be made. My pleas were rejected. Nevertheless, I lent a hand, after all; this was the closest we'd come to making our dreams real since being strung along by a venue owner in 2006. My role has always been administration fund-raising and community network development for a project that is part cafe/bar and part community development centre, but when the cook announced she would be unable to participate due to serious ill health, I stepped up to the plate as a temporary emergency measure. This turned out to be a mistake: in hindsight; if I had allowed the project to stumble at this first hurdle, it could have made a major differen...

I don't work weekends at the Pride Cafe at the moment in deference to my role as Foster parent to my 14 year old godson. I missed a message from my colleague asking me to come to the cafe to help him deal with the delivery of a baby grand piano from storage- I was doing housework or some such. It is a problem that things like this aren't planned. My colleague is a consummate bar manager, barman and host, but he doesn't "do" planning. What I call "fire fighting" he is used to as the way he works and it causes me stress! I had no idea the piano was going to be delivered - I wonder if its a good idea before completing the refurbishment and redecoration. I would have attempted to have a couple of people ready to help in advance, not send a last minute text message. At least it means that the choir Northern Proud Voices, will be able to start rehearsing at the Centre... or it will, once I've 'sourced' some chairs! I met one of a group of stu...

CHN is about working with freelance creative practitioners to deliver workshops, training, performance, exhibitions etc with communities and groups in underused venues across North East England and we work with venue managements to develop new spaces for community use. In return for raising money to refurbish and then coordinate group access to the "community space" (left) and a suite of up to ten offices on the second floor, we've been given a desk in the Pride Cafe admin office and will be able to hire the space at a very discounted rate for our own programme of activities. Work to date has been about getting the space ready to receive users whilst I draft applications to funders for a major refurbishment that will see the installation of audio-visual equipment, renewed ceiling and lighting, a system for exhibition hanging and lighting renewing the floor and installing a movable partition to make the 46ft X 20ft space into two smaller ones when required. Almo...

Three months ago the friend with whom I've been planning a LGBT centre for Newcastle (on and off) since 2006 called to say "we have a venue". The next day I went to see for myself and found several people busily getting ready for a launch event THREE DAYS LATER!  I BEGGED my friend to reconsider: despite the cafe-bar being fully fitted and pretty-much ready to run, the rest of the building needs work. My friend was adamant that we opened in time for the fast-approaching May bank holiday weekend and would not be swayed. My choice was to join in or leave, I joined in. The day before we opened, the person who was to have been the cook announced they were suffering from a terminal illness and would not now be able to participate and £1,500 worth of alcohol wasn't delivered- because the person who said they'd order it "forgot", it is a testament to my friend's experience and standing amongst the Gay venue managements and suppliers that everything...