Regarding Intense shows at SubRosa info

 

Context and brief background - we at SubRosa acknowledge and appreciate how over the many years SubRosa has supported the hardcore scene (and other intense music) and SubRosa has been supported by the scene as well.  

  • These shows are more high intensity than others, with a higher risk of the space being damaged due to crowd size and energy and a higher chance of people being injured 
  • Collective members, as well as bands and promoters, have history of helping maintain SubRosa and enhance safety at shows - everyone is responsible in varying ways 
  • And it’s our desire for intense shows at SubRosa to be fun experiences for everyone, including SubRosa collective members    

List of agreements - these are expectations we have of any person who is a promoter (or band) and bringing a show to SubRosa.  If you agree, please communicate this. If you disagree with any of the below, we can discuss.

Before a show - regarding communication with bands and content of publicity - both help set tone and expectations for the show.

  • On publicity - flyer and accompanying text must include: notaflof / dry space / respect the space and each other.  Note: notaflof = no one turned away for lack of funds. This is very important as SubRosa is an anti- capitalist space and we don’t want lack of money to be a barrier for people to access whatever is happening at SubRosa (AND we acknowledge that $ is helpful for touring bands and SubRosa’s rent etc, so the door person does ask for $)
  • Regarding communication with bands: letting bands know what is okay and what isn’t okay, 
    • Send pdf about shows at SubRosa for bands to read before show, should be sent in group chat and other ways communication happens, everyone should be aware - About SubRosa events (a work in progress)
    • Since whole band not in IG group chats encourage band members to share with others in band - to read and be prepared to follow through 
    • If friends of bands/promoters/collective members are helping with an event, those who are familiar should inform them of our expectations around events

During a show - regarding expectations that promoters and bands actively help tend to SubRosa during shows and set limits where necessary (talking to folk about dry space if drinking or if being too rough with each other during show that demonstrates a lack of respect for the space and each other or if someone is disrespecting the space or courtyard in other ways - tagging, breaking things, etc)

  • Promoters and bands(s) that have been in contact with SubRosa to help assist with the interaction with bands, as bookers and band members sometimes have more of a relationship with the other bands than collective members do 
    • This includes talking to bands before the show starts - SubRosa is a multi-use community space and a small space and a reminding everyone about info About SubRosa events
  • Prioritizing safer space at hardcore shows is a priority - putting into practice “respect the space and each other”
    • Being aware of band and participants impact on the space and each other 
    • If band or someone else engages in behavior that would not keep the space safe or is harmful to others then intervene in collaboration (if possible) with SubRosa collective member 
    • Intention is for de-escalation of tensions and conflicts (tough guy mentality and behavior not welcome at SubRosa and could make a situation worse) - for instance we at SubRosa don’t call cops if there are issues and we don’t want to give reason for cops to come to SubRosa either 
    • Other spaces have been shut down because of damage to the space or injuries and none of us want that to happen and so active engagement the whole show is vital (that means being focused on how the show is going and being in direct communication with the SubRosa collective member present)
  • SubRosa member might utilize omniscient voice mic by the sound board if things get too intense, but bands also don’t always pick up on that - we expect bands and promoters to back up collective members’s concerns and help chill situation 

The intention of these agreements is to be direct and clear about some of the ways collective members, as well as bands and promoters, can work together to maintain SubRosa and enhance safety at shows - where everyone is responsible in varying ways (continuing and drawing on the history of countless shows and people that have come to and hosted events at SubRosa since 2008).


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SubRosa is a collectively run anarchist community space, a place to meet others and challenge our assumptions and act on our passions. We strive to create a vibrant environment for events, classes, meetings, organizing, performance, art, studying and more. SubRosa also offers radical literature, and houses the Anarchist Lending Library. We welcome folks to join us in fostering an environment free from coercion, sexism, queer&homophobia, racism, ableism and other hierarchies. Let’s create together the world(s) we want to live in now. http://www.subrosaproject.org/ and https://www.facebook.com/subrosaproject and https://instagram.com/subrosa_space 

And SubRosa is a part of the Hub Community Center at 703 Pacific Ave in downtown Santa Cruz - a constellation of projects that support skill-sharing, appropriate re/use of resources, and interconnected, creative communities - since 1994! More about the Hub is at https://www.santacruzhub.org/ and https://www.instagram.com/santacruzhub/ and https://www.facebook.com/santacruzhub/ 

posted Monday, January 19, 2026 0 comments

Live at SubRosa culled from IG

A selection of live snippets at SubRosa 2022-2024 - culled from IG (a work in progress!)

SubRosa is a collectively run anarchist community space - a place to meet people, share resources and ideas, challenge our assumptions and act on our passions. Let’s create together the world(s) we want to live in now. @subrosa_space

And SubRosa is part of the Hub Community Center at 703 Pacific Ave in downtown Santa Cruz - a constellation of projects that support skill-sharing, appropriate re/use of resources, and interconnected, creative communities - since 1994! More about the Hub is at linktree in bio @santacruzhub

posted Tuesday, April 02, 2024 0 comments

Important things to know about having an event at SubRosa

PLEASE THOROUGHLY READ


SubRosa is a collectively run anarchist community space - a place to meet people, share resources and ideas, challenge our assumptions and act on our passions. Let’s create together the world(s) we want to live in now. We love hosting special events like music, speakers, films, etc but not every event is going to work in our space or with our goals (we aren’t a commercial venue). So here are some of our expectations and things you should know about our community space:


  - Since SubRosa is an anarchist, anti-authoritarian community space (NOT a commercial venue), we want to host events that are not in conflict with these principles and practices. We will not host events that we think seem racist, sexist, queer&homophobic, ableist, disrespectful to the earth and to living creatures, pro-capitalist or upholding hierarchy or the “power over” mentality that dominates mainstream society. 


- We strive to create an environment where people are empowered to have interactions based on self-responsibility, mutual respect and free association. And we want to create a welcoming space for others who share the goals of diverse community, respect for all forms of life, and freedom from coercive relationships. Let’s create together the world(s) we want to live in now.


  - Our space is really, really intimate. It holds maybe 40 seats (of course more without seats!). So this isn’t the best choice for an event if you want to accommodate hundreds of people. And being a smaller space has its advantages too!


  - We do have a PA system (with mics and stands etc) and beyond that you are responsible for bringing whatever equipment you need to make your event successful. And we have some equipment for film screenings (courtesy of the Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In).


  - Amplified shows must be over by 10pm (really!). Again, our space is cozy, so the sound doesn’t really need to be turned up super high. There’s more flexibility with timing of acoustic shows and generally not much past 10pm. NOTE:  And for shows/events in the courtyard the sound volume needs to be at a level that is respectful of the neighborhood (so that usually means being quieter than inside) - this is crucially important as complaints from neighbors and/or visits from cops could impact future events and other projects we at SubRosa share the space with - courtyard events need to be done by 9:45pm.


  - SubRosa is an anti-capitalist space and events are notaflof (no one turned away for lack of funds) and events typically have a suggested door amount (acknowledging $ helpful when touring etc).


  - For most events, we take a 30% cut of the door. This money enables us to stay open and have more events. We do not take money from benefits, and we are open to negotiation if there isn’t very much money to split.


  - SubRosa is an all-ages space. 


  - SubRosa also a “dry” space, and we discourage drinking etc in the space and courtyard.


  - If you are a band from out of town, we would really appreciate it if you contact local bands to try to put together your own line up. We can give you some leads, but we likely don’t have capacity to put together a whole show. 


  - Please plan your event ahead of time. If you contact us a week before the event, it is unlikely we will be able to accommodate you. Give us enough time to plan and publicize and the event will be more successful. Also, on the day of your event, please arrive early to help set up and to communicate with the event bottomliner.


  - You are responsible for having merchandise person, and fliers (social media posts). However, we can help you with these things, just be in contact with us and have good communication. We will try to always promote the event on our instagram, website, facebook and email. Let us know well ahead of time if you do not want us to do that.


  - We desire for SubRosa to be a “safer space” for folk, and that involves active engagement with people that are crossing boundaries and/or somehow causing harm - we are reworking our process regarding un-welcoming people and how they can be re-welcomed - if you have input on this please let us know. Thanks! We’re doing this together!


- At SubRosa another important aspect of the space is for us all to respect the space and each other - and this is something for all of us to do together and people on stage (such as it is) and at the mic have a specific responsibility to uphold this. So, if you see or hear about people being too rough with each other or crossing boundaries and people are being hurt then say something. Or if people are damaging or treating the space that is inconsistent with how it’s maintained (for instance tagging walls in water closet is okay but not on art or graphics or anywhere else inside or outside SubRosa, etc) please remind people about respecting the space. Let us in the SubRosa collective know if you have any questions about this. We strive for SubRosa to be a welcoming place and a space that is cared for by all.


***note re: pandemic protocols / community wellness protocols - as a community space we encourage individual and community care both being important and inter-related. So, balancing accessibility and folks desire to come together while acknowledging ebb and flow of Covid etc is tricky. Event hosts have been determining community wellness protocols in a case by case (event by event) way. Sometimes masks at all times. Sometimes masks just inside and optional in courtyard. Sometimes masks entirely optional. Note: we have masks available at the door, inside SubRosa and available upon request.


If you made it through this whole list and still want to book an event, please contact us at: https://instagram.com/subrosa_space (quicker for a response and please include as much info as possible) or subrosa-events@riseup.net (slower response time) - we’re looking forward to hearing from you! 


Requests are forwarded to the SubRosa collective, and if no one gets back to you in 2 weeks, then it likely means that no one was available to bottomline a show. We are an entirely volunteer-run anarchist community space (NOT a commercial venue) and often receive more requests than we have capacity to host.


                  SubRosa is part of the Hub Community Center, in downtown Santa Cruz, CA which is the unceded homelands of the Awaswas-speaking Ohlone people known as the Uypi, who stewarded these lands since time immemorial. Centuries of colonial violence led to the removal and displacement of the Uypi. The Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, comprised of the descendants of indigenous people taken to missions Santa Cruz and San Juan Bautista during Spanish colonization of the Central Coast, is today working hard to restore traditional stewardship practices on these lands and heal from historical trauma. https://www.amahmutsunlandtrust.org and http://amahmutsun.org and http://www.protectjuristac.org/ and https://instagram.com/protect.juristac

 


posted Sunday, October 02, 2022 0 comments

Really Really Free Market! Info & history… here & elsewhere!

Every 2nd Sunday of the month! ¡Tianguis Realmente Gratuito! Todo es gratis - Really Really Free Market (RRFM) - 11am-2pm. No money. No trades. Everything is free. At SubRosa / the Hub - 703 Pacific Ave- Santa Cruz, CA 

This gathering is not about the "stuff" we give and take, but more about how we can freely give and receive from each other.

¡Todo gratis! No intercambio de dinero, no negocios, no trueques. Trae lo que gustes, toma lo que necesites. Este mercado gratuito es basado en una economía de regalar. 

More info about the Santa Cruz RRFM  - https://instagram.com/rrfm_sc 

This page is intended to give a wide range of information about Really Really Free Markets - with specific focus on the Santa Cruz Really Really Free Market. Here’s a list of contents on this page for what follows (With a scattering of graphics mixed in!):

-The Santa Cruz Really Really Free Market - notes on “how” (with some “why” baked in) // a work in progress 

-A selection of articles written by others about the Santa Cruz Really Really Free Market 

-An article from Crimethinc about RRFM where they are located and some general information and perspectives 

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The Santa Cruz Really Really Free Market - notes on “how” (with some “why” baked in) // a work in progress 

So how do we do it? Other questions like when-did-we-start? Well, that’s a longer story which will be elaborated upon another time … but in short, one of us was stuck in the mid-west in a legal battle with “the-state” and became a part of the radical community there - who put on Really Really Free Markets (RRFM)! And when friend came back home to Santa Cruz around 2010, they proposed hosting a RRFM at SubRosa (anarchist community space where a number of us are collective members and where RRFM still takes place!). RRFM was a part of the Free Skool Santa Cruz project (and RRFM still listed and ongoing over 10 years later- FSSC did have a 6 year break though). Great example of sharing inspiring ideas-and-practices across communities and regions.

Back to our current process (early 2023) - note: this has changed over time depending on who is involved and circumstances. Usually a week or so before scheduled RRFM (now, every 2nd Sunday of the month) one of us will send a text on our signal group (which is a text group that those of us regularly involved in putting on RRFM are in - 10 of us are in the group, and we reach out to 3 other people that don’t want to be in RRFM signal group but who are part of crew each month). The text goes something like this… “Hi all! Next free market coming up! Who is around? And when available to staff? Who would like to make a flyer?” 


To elaborate: who is around and when available to staff? - RRFM goes 11am-2pm. Set up around an hour before (sometimes little more time if we have lots of collected items to put out - generally we don’t have space to store stuff for RRFM and people bring things day-of). Set up involves cleaning courtyard (sweeping etc) / setting out tables / preparing welcoming table (more on that later!). We divide “shifts” into fluid time frames (but we all choose when we can come and go and there’s no set schedule so we overlap each other and there’s no one “manager” of the RRFM crew - we’re all working together! Usually time frames are set-up & beginning / middle / latter portion & clean up (and couple of us taking left-over items away). And we all do what we can, when we can. Sometimes we’ll reach out to other friends for special staffing support if not a lot of us are available.  And often one of us will make a graphic to publicize the RRFM on social media (on various IG pages in particular - like SubRosa / Free Skool Santa Cruz / the Santa Cruz Hub / and RRFM’s IG) - or we adapt and reuse an old graphic. 

We’ve had ambitions to send public service announcements to local radio or local weeklies - although we haven’t done that lots of folk show up! Social media and word of mouth for a regularly scheduled event helps. We’ve been joined by local college radio station KZSC where they bring records and c.d.s to give away, and they bring a Dj to play music (which adds a nice festive energy!). KZSC will help with publicity and the RRFM has been listed in the weekly paper even though we didn’t submit the info (mysterious!). The RRFM has continued to be part of the Free Skool Santa Cruz project (which has it’s own reach for spreading the word).

Here is our current description of the RRFM: “¡Tianguis Realmente Gratuito! Todo es gratis. Really Really Free Market - 11am-2pm. No money. No trades. Everything is free. This gathering is not about the "stuff" we give and take, but more about how we can freely give and receive from each other. ¡Todo gratis! No intercambio de dinero, no negocios, no trueques. Trae lo que gustes, toma lo que necesites. Este mercado gratuito es basado en una economía de regalar.” - we have had discussions amongst about how to make the event more accessible to members of our community where Spanish is their first (or primary) language - having bilingual publicity is part of achieving that. And usually someone is staffing that has at least a rudimentary ability to speak Spanish. We also reach out to friends each month that are more connected to Latinx communities here in Santa Cruz to also share information about the RRFM (and those friends also regularly attend and participate in the RRFM - bringing and taking things is an important part in the event! And these few efforts have had positive results (and there’s more we want to do).

One of the many wonderful aspects of the RRFM is the eclectic mix of people that come! Kids and elders and people in between! People driving up in nice cars to drop off material for the free market and then browse about, and people that have all their earthly possessions in a shopping cart. All are welcome. During winter months we’ve collected “survival gear” for houseless members of our community, and a local mutual aid group has helped distribute. 


Part of nurturing a welcoming atmosphere at the RRFM involves having folk that greet people when they arrive. The courtyard space at SubRosa has a main gate and just inside that we set up a welcoming table. This serves various purposes: when people come to a RRFM for the first time we give them a brief introduction (or more elaborate if they have questions). This can vary but here’s one example of an intro: “Welcome to the Really Really Free Market. No money. No trades. Everything is free. This gathering is not about the "stuff" we give and take, but more about how we can freely give and receive from each other. This is a form of anti-capitalist mutual aid where everyone is invited to participate and share care.” At the welcoming table we also receive people’s contributions and help them distribute around the free market (and for large items we get people’s contact info and ask them to take away at end of RRFM if item still present). We also require people wear masks and have masks available (we’re still in pandemic-to-endemic times and thinking about “community care”). We also have info available about the Santa Cruz Hub Community Center (where RRFM takes place) - which is a constellation of projects that support skill-sharing, appropriate re/use of resources, and interconnected, creative communities. And the Santa Cruz Hub, among other things, is where the free market magic happens.

What is free market magic? When someone at the free market exclaims “This is EXACTLY what I was looking for!” So often folk find items that they would have otherwise spent money on (sometimes money they didn’t have) or things that make their lives easier or more enjoyable or that make a great gift for someone they care about. And this can be such a lovely experience for the person who contributed the item - to know what they brought is being appreciated. This is the “care” aspect of the RRFM - with the awareness that we don’t intend this event to be just another consumer feeding frenzy… and so we nurture the space with a collaborative approach that includes all that participate - and we try to communicate that in how we relate and sometimes with graphics and text posted around the courtyard.


And more to come!!!

Here is a selection of articles written by others about the Santa Cruz Really Really Free Market 

-Article from City on a Hill press, student run news source at UCSC from 2016 

https://www.cityonahillpress.com/2016/01/21/sharing-trinkets-and-fighting-capitalism/

-Article in local paper about the Really Really Free Market from 2018

https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2018/01/06/visitors-rally-at-really-really-free-market-in-downtown-santa-cruz/

-And another brief article from local news from 2018

 https://kion546.com/news/2018/01/11/really-free-market-held-each-month-in-santa-cruz/ 


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“There’s no such thing as a free lunch under capitalism—for anarchists, there’s no other kind.” - lots of great information about hosting your own RRFM - at link to article below from Crimethinc.

Disambiguation: According to the capitalist lexicon, the “Free Market” is the economic system in which prices are determined by unrestricted competition between privately owned businesses. Any sensible person can recognize immediately that neither human beings nor resources are free in such a system; hence, a “Really Really Free Market” is a market that operates according to gift economics, in which nothing is for sale and the only rule is share and share alike. 

https://crimethinc.com/2007/10/27/the-really-really-free-market-instituting-the-gift-economy  

***The Really Really Free Market happens at SubRosa: a community space, 703 Pacific Avenue in downtown Santa Cruz, Ca. - which is a part of the Hub Community Center. SubRosa is a space to meet people, share resources and ideas, challenge our assumptions and act on our passions. Let’s create together the world(s) we want to live in now! http://www.subrosaproject.org/ and https://www.facebook.com/subrosaproject and https://instagram.com/subrosa_space

The Santa Cruz Hub for Sustainable Living includes a constellation of projects that support skill-sharing, appropriate re/use of resources, and interconnected, creative communities - since 1994! More about The Hub at http://www.santacruzhub.org/  and https://www.instagram.com/santacruzhub/ 


Located in downtown Santa Cruz, CA, which is the ancestral territory of the Awaswas-speaking Uypi Tribe. The Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, comprised of the descendants of indigenous people taken to missions Santa Cruz and San Juan Bautista during Spanish colonization of the Central Coast, is today working hard to restore traditional stewardship practices on these lands and heal from historical trauma. More information http://amahmutsun.org/foundation //  

https://www.amahmutsunlandtrust.org // http://www.protectjuristac.org  


posted Thursday, September 08, 2022 0 comments
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