jobless

Hey, To answer your questions and to clear up any confusion about two posts.... Since that was an older post (and we only ran into by accident on google) I decided to post it in the main forum to make sure the matter is drawn attention to. No, its not a personal thing. However what happened really did appal and upset me. Since they are trying to promote themselves as a community project (and i'm part of the community myself!) I thought it would be a good idea to post it in the main 'ED issues' forum. To answer some of your other questions, no I have never been to TheChapelProject before. We saw that they had a number of different events throughout the week including the cinema nights, circus skills and yoga. Since Ive been involved in social centres before this seemed perfect! Obviously, after Sunday we won't be going back for any of them. I feel a lot more calm about the whole events now- I was incredibly angry about the treatment I received at the hands of a group of perfect strangers. I've never been on the recieving end of any racial abuse before and it was not very pleasent! I really don't want this to appear as a vendetta, just trying to let you guys know. Any other questions, please get back.

Me and friend heard about the Chapelproject cine nights here and, hoping to offer support for a local community project, decided to go down. Like an earlier post to the forum, we too found the chapel to be completely locked up with no lighs on. We did knock and someone came to the door. When we asked if the film night was on he replied; "Maybe" then said; "Are you gonna come in or what?". We came in to a distinctly hostile welcome when immediately after sitting down a member of the group began to make loud, vulgar, homophobic remarks about us. She was clearly drunk and, knowing what it can be like, we tried to laugh it off. However this person kept shouting calling me a "minger". All the time this happened not a single member of the group spoke to us or asked their friend to stop, as she was becoming more insulting and we were clearly uncomfortable with the remarks she was making. She then shouted a stream of racist abuse at me saying I was an "English minger", because "All English people are murdering, rapist, scum". Looking around the group for support and finding none we stated our shock at the her completely unprovoked, racist, and extremely unwelcoming behaviour and left. All this happened in front of a group of about 10-15 people. Not a single person stood up and said anything about her behaviour or offered us any apologies. Some of those present were actually laughing along with her. I have never been subject to abuse of this sort and found it extremely upsetting, as did my friend. Most of all I find it incomprehendable that the people in attendace and those running this "community project" allowed it to happen and were actually complicit in her behaviour. Some of the aims stated on the Chapelproject's website are to "provide affordable cultural activities to people, promoting creative interaction and therefore social change." Also; "Come and get involved. Whatever ideas, or positive energies you can share would be great..." My experience is completely at odds with the very idea behind any community centre, or social space, and these people have not right to describe themselves as such.