Quicklinks: Hive Stories Submissions : LATEST NEWS : ABOUT US
The Hive Dalston project was conceived, produced and facilitated by ReSpace Projects – a not-for-profit organisation set-up in 2015 to promote the proper re-use of empty buildings by local communities by producing a showcase project and providing support, advice, training and resourcing.
The Hive was our showcase project designed to produce the evidence that our system works. Interim or meanwhile space projects are often hindered by their isolation but ReSpace has shown that projects in our network trade, share and collaborate to everyone’s benefit. Look for the ReSpace logo to find other projects in our family.
ReSpace projects is an entirely voluntary organisation with a reputation for innovation, ethical values, reliability and provable track-record of successful projects We are proud that our landlord of the Hive was happy with our use of the building and the way in which it was returned.
Visit our website for more information or to get in touch with the people behind the Hive.
We want to hear from you.
Send us your Hive story. What was your experience of the Hive? Did you come to socialise? Or to train? For a meeting, to perform or to learn dancing? What do you feel about the Hive closing?
Complete our submission form or email your Hive memories to hivestories@gmail.com and help our campaign for more Hives in the capital.
We accept written, audio, or video submissions, please use WeTransfer to send larger files.
After two and a half amazing years the Hive closed on November 19th 2017.
A message from ReSpace Projects
So we made it… start to finish.
934 days of the Hive Dalston social project. When we started we wanted to prove a point. And along the way we have grown and learned, lost people who were once friends and gained brand new ones. We have defied expectations and overcome every obstacle. The stats are starting to come in now and they make for unbelievable reading – I am so very proud of us all.
All the volunteers, crew members, helpers and supporters who have played their part in keeping the vibe beautiful and progressive… through all our trials and tribulations, you have been the reason it has carried on.
As we draw now to a close, this is the most exciting moment in our adventure.
Our ambition to change the law and free up space for communities to use is ongoing and there are several new projects in the pipeline. One day we hope to see the world respaced so it can just flow a bit better!
Whether you came to visit, to stay or to help, you were important to us.
You lifted us, taught us and made us stronger.
The Hive Dalston was not a building or a venue.
It was all of us.
To demonstrate the social good that Hive has achieved we are preparing an impact report to be released later this year. The initial findings of the report were presented on November 16th at our third annual ReSpace Conference.
Called the City Makers Meeting, the conference brought together developers, policy makers, campaigners and architects to look at the future potential for projects like the Hive in the capital and to explore the practical changes and partnerships needed to make London a Hive friendly environment. See details of our previous conferences: 2015 and 2016
See all of Hive’s closing events here
The Hive was an evolution of the free social centre, intelligently reusing an empty building and wasted resources to create an independent environmental and cultural space.
We programmed cultural and political events, facilitated workshops, and held seminars and conferences. We hosted film screenings, art exhibitions, provided low cost rehearsal and meeting spaces and ran campaigns on major social issues. We were entirely run by volunteers.
The Hive was not just a venue but a social project and a solutions building.
Recently in the Media:
Here’s a lovely article from The Voice of London about what makes the Hive different!
And a great video from the Huffington Post:
Watch this short video for a brief introduction to what we do:
What is the Hive Life?:
The Hive uses innovative new models of living and working to be able to function in the way it does… key to this are the people behind these new ways of life. The hive has had a few crews over the years we have been operating.. find out who some of these amazing people are..
Click here to meet the Crew
The Hive in politics:
Check out our latest conference where mainstream and underground politics meet:
For a brief review of the event and links please click here…
Come along to our third annual ReSpace Conference on November 16th
Radio 4 Documentary:
The BBC Radio documentary “A Waste of Space” aired Monday 11th April at 8pm. You can catch it here on the iPlayer:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b076mllv
When Torus and Creative Opportunities came to the Hive:
Young people doing the National Citizen Service programme visited the Hive in the Summer of 2017 and made this video:
Hive 