RampART/EventsPack
Events Pack
Important Information & Advice for Potential Event Organisers
Contents
1. Background info about the venue
2. Event booking process, summary and checklist
3. Explanation of event and venue issues
4. Useful resource and contacts list
5. Appendix – Tech gear list for PA, other small print
Background information about the venue
The rampART is a squat and has been open since May 2004. It is setup as a politically motivated resource for campaign groups and artists working on social justice and environmental issues in what might broadly be termed the politics of the radical non-authoritarian left. It is managed by an open collective as a non-commercial venue for cultural and political events such as film festivals, art exhibitions, benefit concerts, political discussions, public meetings and workshops.
All activities at the rampART are free or by donation with all money raised intended solely for social benefit, not for personal financial gain. Nobody gets paid for their effort or time though certain material expenses can be covered once agreed with the collective.
Booking Process
If you simply need a room for a meeting (for up to around twenty people) or space to paint a banner etc, you just need to email or phone to check the space is available when you want it. However, if you would like to book the hall for a larger event then please read the information provided in this pack.
When you are ready, send us a written proposal which outlines the reason for the event and it's intended content, along with an idea of the dates you'd like to request. If the event is intended to make money, please let us know what the money is for.
After we've looked at the initial written proposal, and we like the sound of the event, we'll ask you to come to one of our meetings to meet in person. At the meeting we can ask questions about the proposal and offer answers or advice from our end. We will then feedback to the rest of our group over the following week and you should hear back from us the following Monday evening.
If the group approves it then we ask you to come to the Monday meeting that is before your event. This is for finalising last minute details such as what time you want to get in to set up and who will be around to let you in. At this meeting we need from you the returnable cleaning deposit and PA fee should you be using it. The cleaning deposit is returned to you at the meeting after the event assuming the cleanup was sufficient.
Process check list
Things you should think about for your event...
1. Pre-Event Checklist
Cleaning deposit, PA fee
Catering and refreshments
PA and sound engineering
Entertainment and performers,
Promoting the event
2. During the Event
Door and security,
Noise and Nuisance,
Stage management
Time-keeping, calling time and kicking people out,
3. Post Event
Avoiding noise in the street as people leave
Cleaning-up, getting rid of rubbish, recycling
Powering down and locking-up,
Debrief meeting and getting your deposit back.
Explanation of event and venue issues
Money issues
The rampART sets out to be a non commercial, not-for-profit venue.
We don’t charge anyone for use of the space and never demand a percentage. The point of this is that you can’t charge an entrance fee (although you can suggest a donation). The rampART believes that nobody should be prevented from taking part in the core activities of an event due to inability or unwillingness to make a financial contribution. However, activities incidental to an event, eg. refreshments or food, are not covered by this policy. In other words, it's fine for those providing food or drink to seek a reasonable minimum donation if they wish to cover costs or raise money if it is a benefit event.
It should be obvious that no money raised during events should be for personal gain (payment of fees or wages), although covering reasonable out of pocket expenses is okay. Obviously this means no performers fees and no stalls selling stuff for personal profit either.
Promoting Your Event
There are about 900 people on our mailing list to who we send a weekly newsletter of our coming events. If you want to be included in the newsletter or listed in the event’s page of the website, please send a short write up of the event as soon as possible after it has been agreed.
Obviously you should use your own mailing lists and ask people to forward it to people they know as well. You should post something on Indymedia but don’t expect that to be enough by itself. We also recommend the LondonFreeList website. You might also consider trying to get your event listed in the Free London section of the Metro and also included in the London Timeout listings. You could promote in Schnnews or Eroding Empire if done enough in advance.
Please don’t forget local advertising. Putting flyers in the postboxes of the local resident in Rampart Street and the surrounding area might not bring in hoards of people but it is good to let people know what is going on. It’s a really good idea to put up posters at Whatney Market, nearby bus stops, takeaways, and on the lamp posts of the traffic lights at Commerical Rd and Cannon Street Road plus New Street and Whitechapel High Street.
Important: Do not advertise a bar and if mentioning an entrance fee it must be accompanied by the words 'suggested donation'.
PA and sound engineering
If you need amplified music or microphones get in touch and we’ll let you know what we have available (there is a list at the end of this document). We encourage people to give a donation towards the cost of maintaining the equipment (£40 is a good figure to consider).
If you are using our PA you may need some instruction prior to the event, especially if you are having live bands and will need a sound engineer on the night.
Entertainment
We encourage you to provide live entertainment but if you do use recorded music please ensure that it is copyleft, public domain or licensed so as not to require payments of royalties.
A few years back there were major changes in UK law regarding the need for a license for public entertainment. The rampART has no such licence and no intention to get one, so either, as an organiser or performer you should have your own licence, or the event must be one which is exempt from licensing.
No license is required for the following so consider this carefully before proposing events to us:
• Live music or the playing of recorded music is not regarded as the provision of regulated entertainment when it is incidental to some other activity which is not itself considered entertainment requiring a license.
• Any entertainment incidental to a religious meeting or service, or entertainment happening in a place of public religious worship. Many events organised at the rampART are obviously highly spiritual (if perhaps in somewhat unconventional ways) and any entertainment aspects are simply insignificant after-thoughts.
• Showing films if the main purpose is providing information, education or instruction, or films forming part of an exhibit in an art gallery. The rampART is a school so obviously nobody would be showing films with entertainment as a primary concern. However even feature films could be shown with a view to educating people on the language and techniques used by the mainstream media.
• Entertainment at a pleasure fair / garden fete or function or event of a similar character - as long as it is not promoted with a view to applying any part of the proceeds for purposes of private gain.
• The conduct of a lottery (raffle, tombola, etc.) with one or more of the prizes consisting of alcohol in a sealed container is not a licensable activity if promoted incidental to an exempt entertainment, and that no part of the proceeds are for private gain.
Stage / event management
Depending on the event you'll probably find it useful to write up a running order for the performers, DJs and bands etc. All the performers should know when to arrive for sound checks, and you should ensure that the sound engineer is there on time as well. You need a specific person who will be responsible for communicating with the performers, technicians etc in order to ensure the smooth running of the event. This stage manager will need to keep an eye on the time, get people on and off the stage/decks etc and keep on top of the multitude of mini disasters that upset the intended running order. Make sure that everyone is clear who has taken on this role before the event and that this person turns up in good time.
Refreshments
We do strongly encourage event organisers to consider the need to supply non-alcoholic refreshments. We can supply Zapatista coffee.
Selling alcohol requires a license and the rampART doesn’t have one so obviously you can’t sell alcohol. However, since the rampART is a non-commercial venue you are welcome to give booze away for free to your friends or invite people to bring their own. To cover expenses or raise money during a benefit event, you can suggest a donation or perhaps even charge corkage (a fee for opening bottle/can). For fun, you may also provide a lottery or raffle where booze constitutes a prize.
- Do not advertise having a bar on any publicity, flyers or posters.
Catering
The kitchen has a four ring electric cooker, oven, plus microwave. There are various largish pots and pans and an assortment of plates and cutlery. If you are planning on doing food you should probably come see what resources the kitchen has before you plan your menu.
Obviously, you can’t charge for food but you can suggest a donation. For legal reasons you can’t serve 'the public' but you can provide food for your crew along with members of the rampART and their guests (which means pretty much everyone in the building).
Disabled Access
There is limited wheelchair access. A wooden ramp can put in the street to enable wheelchair users to get into the building and one of the ground floor toilets has been modified to allow wheel chair access. If you are organising an event and know that a wheelchair user would like to attend then bear in mind that the ramp has to be put out specifically and that the 1st and 2nd floor are not wheelchair accessible.
Door and Security
There are various things to consider about security depending on the event. We may ask that you have somebody on the door at all times and we don’t just mean somebody taking donations in the hall as we have to consider the security of the whole building not just what happens on the ground floor. We also require you to take reasonable steps to avoid people causing a nuisance outside of the building, such as smashing bottles, shouting, fighting and pissing in our neighbours' doorways.
Noise and nuisance
The rampART has an abatement notice that prohibits the recurrence of “loud music” that could be considered “noise amounting to a statutory nuisance”. This was the result of a neighbour complaining to the council during a samba practise that took place when one of the ground floor windows had been smashed. There is no simple definition of such a statutory nuisance. It requires expert evidence that any interference with peace and quiet is unreasonable and causes a substantial interference to normal domestic activities or that the noise represents a threat to health.
Since the official notice completely fails to provide any guidance about times or what constitutes an unreasonable sound level, it is obviously extremely hard for us to know whether we are breaching the notice.
If your event involves amplified music or drums, you will need to discuss with us how you will avoid causing a problem, what time the event will finish and most importantly, how you will deal with the door and people congregating outside. We’ve had music events most weekends since the abatement order and the only times we’ve heard from the council has been when we've been blamed for neighbours parties or when people attending events at the rampART have been hanging around outside making noise or when the PA sound levels have been set particularly high.
In theory the council or police could confiscate equipment so it would be silly to bring in a 5 kilowatt sound system. A conviction could result in a £20,000 pound fine, unlikely of course but please bear it in mind when thinking about mic’ing up the drum kit!
Closing time
An end time will be agreed by the rampART collective at the meeting. This time is not flexible or up for negotiation on the night. Be prepared to shut down at the agreed time and encourage people to leave. Please be respectful of the space and those who have made it available over the last two years.
Cleaning up
While we don't charge for use of the space, we do insist on a cleaning deposit of £30. This will be returned at the follow-up meeting after the event. Please consider that the building needs to be in a good enough state for other different groups to use, so floors and surfaces need to be cleaned properly. Basically we have become increasingly pissed off at being left to tidy up after/between events, or pick up the cost of breakage’s, missing leads, replacing toilet paper and light bulbs etc. Hopefully the deposit will ensure that groups don’t leave us with puddles of beer to mop up or bags of cans etc to dispose of. Additionally the deposit might also remind some of those who have just raised hundreds of pounds or more, that solidarity goes two ways and that it might be nice to give something back to the venue that made it possible.
Recycling and Waste
We're in trouble with council over rubbish bags in the street. Bottles and cans should be kept separated and taken for recycling (see Appendix for nearest recycling facilities). Other waste should be bagged up and taken to a bin away from Rampart Street (for example to the bins in Myrdle Street).
Access and Locking Up
Arrangements need to be made to ensure that you can get into the building and the hall in order to set up. We will try to ensure that somebody from the collective takes this on or, if that is not possible, we will give you access codes.
- You must make sure that the hall door is never left unlocked if the hall is unattended.
- Ensure that the hall is locked and that the front door is closed properly after the event or cleaning up.
Other considerations
1. We don’t guarantee a constant supply of toilet paper for every event! If you’re expecting 200 people then please buy some bog roll for them.
2. The rampART thrives on the energy of the people organising events but also needs long term involvement of people to keep the place running. Your contribution to the other aspects of the project help ensure it’s survival and would be very welcomed.
3. We are not professionals and we make mistakes. Please bear in mind that this is not our job, we are all volunteers and we try to have a life beyond the rampART.
Key Points
- rampART is non-commercial and unlicensed, everything is educational and by donation
- Publicity - no bar advertised and entry is by donation
- Noise – keep noise & people inside the building during the event
- Security – assist with the security of the whole building not the part that is being used
- Closing time – finish on time and ensure people leave without noise or nuisance
- Cleaning – sweeping and mopping properly, disposing of rubbish in correct locations
- Lockup – Hall door locked and front door firmly closed
Appendix
Useful Resources
Ideas on places to buy refreshments
Local unethical options... Iceland, Sainsburys, Lidl
Ethical options...
Recycling points
Watney Market off Commercial Rd
Sainsbury’s carpark at corner of Cambridge Heath/Whitechapel High Street
Corner of New Road and Whitechapel High Street
Rampart Street and Sly Street, glass only (please don't use at anti-social times)
Accessible Bins
Myrdle Street
Useful Contacts
List of band/performers etc that might be up for helping out.
Bands
Performers
DJ's
Sound engineers
PA gear list
The PA consists of a ten channel mixer feeding twin amps via an active crossover and a limiter to reduce the chance of some idiot overdriving the system and blowing the speakers. Total output exceeds 2KW! There is a third amplifier for the monitor.
Front Of House
Mixer & Processing
● Ten channel mixer with phantom power [RAM Micro 10:8:2]
● Digital effects unit, reverb/compressor etc [Yamaha SPX90]
● Active Crossover, 2 way stereo or 3 way mono [XCR 232]
● Compressor/limiter/noise gate [Behringer MDX 2100 Composer]
Amplification & Speakers
● Stereo amplifier - 1100w RMS bridged into single 8 ohm channel [Peavey CS1000]
● Stereo amplifier - 915 W into a single 8 ohm channel [Crown Amcron PSA2]
● Pair of full range speakers - 15" 8ohm, 300W, SPL 99dB, 65 Hz to 20 Khz [OHM RW3]
● Pair of 15" 8ohm bass bins [OHM RWS cabs with JBL 600 watt drivers]
Monitor system
● G8 200W/200W RMS into 4 ohms [McGregor 8 channel power mixer]
● Single channel, 31-band equalizer in 1/3 octave steps [Phonic MQ 3600]
● Single 15” monitor wedge [Peavey cab, 250w RMS skytronic driver]
● Pair or 12” monitor wedges [DIY cabs, Fane drivers]
● 4x Microphones (cheap dynamic mics - if you want better, bring your own)
● 1x Radio Mic (needs 1x AAA and 1xAA batteries)
● 4x Mic stands
● 4x XLR to XLR mic cables
● 2x Jack to Jack cable (bring your own if you need more or longer ones)
● Dual active DI box [Behringer DI D120] (if you need more then bring your own)
Back Line
We can’t provide any serious backline so if you can’t bring you own you should know that all we have here are two small guitar amps and one base amp. They probably range from 10 to 30 watts, the bass amp being the smallest of the three sadly. At a push we could mic them up. They are just intended to save the day rather than be anyones first choice.