Multipurpose space
Introduction
The Patio Maravillas was a squatted space, described by its promoters as Self-managed Multipurpose Space, which has been located in three different buildings in the Spanish city of Madrid, all of them in the Universidad neighborhood "Barrio de Universidad (Madrid)"), in the Maravillas neighborhood, known by some today as Malasaña, in the Centro district "Centro (Madrid)") of the city.[1] It was born in July 2007 and dissolved the same month ten years later.[2].
History
It began its journey in an old squatted school, located on Calle del Trabajo 8, in the central Madrid neighborhood of Maravillas. The Colegio de Acceso 8 had been closed for seven years when, in the summer of 2007, it was occupied and activities began to be organized. Its presentation days took place on October 4, 5, 6 and 7, 2007, three months after its opening. January 22, 2009 was the day designated by the Provincial Court of Madrid for the Police to evict the CSOA, according to the eviction statement for 9 in the morning.[3] However, the concentration of around 200 people in the street next to the building before the eviction meant that it finally did not take place until the following year. On the morning of January 5, 2010, the Patio Maravillas was evicted without prior notice by the National Police from the building on Agreement Street. During the eviction there were no confrontations between the police and the people who are part of the Patio.[4].
As a protest, a protest rally was called that same day at 8:00 p.m., attended by about 800 people. After a banner, the concentration moved with no known direction towards Calle del Pez when, at number 21, there was a new occupation in a residential building that had been abandoned for years.[5] After more than five years on Calle del Pez, on June 11, 2015, the national police evicted the building, amid protests from neighbors and supporters of the Patio Maravillas cultural movement.[6] After a few hours they squatted. a property at number 9 Divino Pastor Street.[7] In July 2017, the Patio Maravillas project said goodbye and self-dissolved.[2].
Activities
In this center, with free access, several permanent activities take place such as the Bicicritica bicycle repair workshop, video and documentary screenings ("Cinema Maravillas"), an activism laboratory AKA Hamlab-Hacklab, a telephone booth outside the building with free national and international calls, a cafeteria as a meeting space and for cultural and social exchange, English classes, support classes, a story and writing workshop, "subversive point" (political and feminist gathering while knitting), the "chikiasamblea" (playroom and children's activities), photography workshop, legal advice, rap workshop, the Milonga del Hondo Bajo Fondo with tango classes, and the Madrid Urban Art Workshop.