Rara Clapton

This weekend RARA will be having a big clearance sale. We have lots of stuff that has to go. If you want a bargain, now is the time! We'll be posting some little snippets of the stuff available over this week but far from everything so best to come down and see it all for yourself!

It would be an enormous help to us if you could spread this post far and wide, here on instagram, in WhatsApp groups, wherever. We're super keen to ensure as much stuff as possible is put to good use in future 🙏

And if you're not in the market for anything come down anyway and catch up. Say hello / goodbye. We'd love to see you x

For a rough idea there's workshop things like:

-Power tools of all sorts
-Hand tools aplenty
-Building and DIY supplies
-Paint & spray paint
-Timber
-Sheet materials we'll even cut it to size!
-Laminates
-Steel profile
-Electrical bits
-Plumbing bits
-Bicycle bits
-Hardware and fixings
-Bamboo flooring
-Site floodlights

There's also studio equipment;
-Sewing Machines from all eras
-Fabric
-Tufting gun
-A Typewriter
-Camping lantern and stove
-Colorama and mounting for photography
-Photography lights

There's furniture;
-Desk chairs (over 30)
-Handmade furniture (made here at RARA!)
-Bar stools
-Big studio tables
-Twin slot shelving
-A plan chest
-Lamps
-Plants
-Books

There's ceramics stuff;
-Clays
-Glazes
-Casting slip
-Plaster

There's kitchen stuff of every kind;
-Cutlery
-Mugs
-Glasses
-Plates
-A Microwave
-A fancy microwave and convection oven
-Kettles
-Toasters
-Blenders
-Home brewing equipment
-A dishwasher
-Two fridges

There's even stuff like;
-Extension reels
-Cleaning products
-Laundry baskets
-Theres also loads of excellent books.

This is far from an exhaustive list. Imagine what can be collected in a building over 17 years. There's everything. Including two kitchen sinks, one Belfast sink, two bathroom sinks and a brand new sink in a box that we never got around to installing...

Come down and grab a bargain!

RARA is going to be closing ☹️

It's a sad announcement we were hoping to not have to make but unfortunately the time has come.

The costs of our Clapton home have grown considerably over the years and RARA has continued to grow to meet them. But in recent times it's become very apparent that things are now quite unsustainable and in order to meet ever growing costs, the burden of maintenance, and the risks inherent in providing access to all our kit, RARA would have to change in ways that would destroy the very thing we are trying to save.

Various groups of members have looked at this and reached similar conclusions and a collective decision was made that it would be unwise and unfair to encourage anyone to take on the legal and financial responsibility going forward.

So many people, over so many years now, have made huge sacrifices; in time, blood, sweat and occasionally even tears to keep RARA going for so long. What everyone has contributed to maintaining has been a very special place to so many people. New careers, businesses, life long friendships and loving relationships have been forged within these walls.

As a result RARA is far more than just this one tin shed in Clapton. It is a community of people. One which will endure beyond these last few weeks in our Grosvenor Way home.

We have been discussing various ways to mark this ending and also some ways of collating and documenting RARA's extensive history and will have some news on this very soon.

To all RARAians, and other residents of Unit 2 over the past 18 years, thanks for being so great! The chaos was beautiful x

Merry Christmas to all!

At our Christmas meal the other week 35 members and friends came together to share food and secret Santa presents along with the gift of obscure knowledge and competitive vegetable chopping in a Christmas quiz!

It's easily the biggest diner RARA has hosted in its 15+ years and we've already got more exciting events in the works for the new year.

Peace, love and solidarity from RARA X

Moonument by George Gil

'This year’s Antepavilion, installed on the roof of Hoxton Docks, was designed by George Gil, an architect at Dowen Farmer, in collaboration with RARA (The Redundant Architects Recreation Association) and Luke Tannenbaum. They won the commission in an open competition last April.

The client, arts and architecture charity Antepavilion, previously won a planning battle with Hackney Council over the right to host artworks on the roof of the docks.

This year’s brief asked entrants to consider the three core considerations – permanence, size and attachment – enshrined in case law as the tests for what constitutes ‘development’ and so requires planning consent.

With a £15,000 construction budget, the structure consists of a 4.8m-diameter freestanding ‘moon’ made of plywood and stainless steel, designed to change shape or ‘shapeshift’ depending on the viewer’s position along Regent’s Canal – reminiscent of the changing phases of the moon.

Moonument was prefabricated in 19 segments at RARA in Clapton, Hackney, an open-source workshop and co-working space that provides a testbed for prototyping and making in collaboration with skilled makers. Each module was laminated with its own bespoke curvature in layers of plywood, and faced in 0.9mm stainless steel. These steel ‘fins’ are designed to throw distorted reflections of the sun, sky and water of the dock below during the day and be backlit and animated by a projection at night.'

Text from today's article in the
Photos by
Designed by
Built with
For

Made at RARA by Bryn .london this beautiful cabinet made from English elm with hand cut dovetails, inlays and bow ties all from the same tree.

A 'statement of intent' by Bryn as he begins his own practice. Give him a follow.

RARA member and illustrator has produced these beautiful calendars based on Crimean folk stories available in both Ukrainian and English. If you're looking for Christmas present ideas this is a lovely one, drop Marysya a message on her insta to get your hands on one!

🎁

We're very late with this but thank you so much to everyone who was involved with the fundraiser event at the beginning of September! The fundraiser page to help support communities struggling to remain on their land in the face of relentless settler/IOF violence is now live (please see link in bio) thanks so much to .157 for arranging this and for his talk on the day.

In no particular order would like to thank all those who performed:


Including some late additions to the lineup that were not included on the event poster:
isabel and all the way from Uganda

Thanks also to for some expert ceramics demos, & for some beautiful focaccia and for the amazing spread of cakes.

Also .sss .dagostino.56 for help on the very busy bar and BBQ.

Finally to .g for helping make it all happen!

It's been a long time coming but here's the full lineup for next Saturday's fundraiser for Palestine! It's gonna be an absolute belter!

Come along with the whole family to grab a drink from the bar, enjoy some food from the vegan friendly BBQ and hear some tunes from

There will also be some performances from and and a talk from .157 about the situation in the west bank and what we are raising funds for!

There will even be an opportunity to try your hand at pottery throwing in our ceramics studio with

So please share this post far and wide and come down next Saturday from 3pm til late!

In less than three weeks time we're holding another big fundraiser for Palestine!

They'll be lots more live music and performances (full lineup coming very soon), a talk on the situation in the west bank, craft activities for both kids and for adults including pottery throwing demonstrations and a big drawing wall, plus maybe some other things we haven't thought up yet!

Come enjoy a little BBQ, booze and boogie and raise some money for a good cause!

̇ne

Thank you so much to everyone who came down to support at Last weeks fundraiser! It was a really lovely afternoon. It's taken a short while to work out the total raised but can now confirm we made £950 which has been donated to the Sameer Projects Refaat Alareer camp in Gaza (link in bio).

Can also confirm we're doing it all again on the 8th of September! More details will be announced as soon as possible so watch this space

̇ne ‼️

On Saturday the 26th we're holding a little fundraising shindig at RARA. Bring your pals for some good food, live music, arts and craft activities for the kiddos and some excellent company.

Doors open from 3pm

Please share widely!

Saturday the 26th we're holding a little fundraising shindig at RARA. Bring your pals for some good music, food, arts and craft activities for the kiddos and some excellent company.

Doors open from 3pm

Please share widely