Star date: 8th March 2015

ARE YOU LIVING IN RUBBISH RENTED HOUSING?

Generation Rent/Langdale Gallery
Monday 16th – Wednesday 18th March
Islington Mill 1pm onwards free

The Langdale Gallery is a tenant led campaign, born from the rotten living conditions that people have to endure in the rented sector. For three days, March 16th-18th, there's a huge event at Islington Mill where tenants can raise housing issues, meet legal experts and get involved in a bit of community art. The Generation Rent event also promises Renters Bingo, campaign training, Q and A sessions, films and music...

Full details here...

The Langdale Gallery, which is organising the Generation Rent three day event at Islington Mill from 16th March, was born from tenants who had had enough of the rubbish housing they were being forced to rent.

"Most of us are paying daft money to live in a place" explains co-founder Georges Almond "Some of us are paying daft money and the place is bad for our health. The rental sector is ridiculous in this country. It's corrupt, it's run in the interests of profiteers rather than citizens, and it contributes a lot towards the inequality in our society. We thought it was time we got together to talk about it."

The Langdale Gallery joined forces with Generation Rent, which gives a voice to private renters, to try and make something happen. The Salford event is inviting residents to drop in, tell their story about what home means to them, make art for a renting crisis Wall of Shame, and take part in Q and A sessions, discussions and renters' rights workshops. On Tuesday 17th, from 4:30pm-5:30pm, WTB Solicitors will also be running free legal advice session for tenants.

Included on the three day agenda are Renters Bingo (`learn about renting and win a prize'), Campaign Training and Homelessness workshops (with C.A.N.), live art activism, House Party Politics and all sorts of happenings related to the big question: `What can we do to campaign for secure, affordable, better homes?'

"Ever stared at the clouds on a summer's day until you can see shapes and faces in the sky? Now imagine sitting on your sofa, seeing shapes in the black mould creeping down your wall and across your ceiling. Not quite such a pleasant scene" writes Pollyanna Steiner who will be running the Renters Rights and House Party Politics workshop "Looking for the silver lining in the black mould is the purpose of the Langdale Gallery: a call to artistic arms for renters enduring awful housing."

As social housing is set to become even harder to get (see here), the private rented sector (PRS) is mushrooming around Salford, with encouragement from both the Government and Salford City Council. All around the Islington Mill venue of the renting crisis event, massive blocks of PRS housing are currently being thrown up to dominate the skyline (see here), while people are living in crumbling privately rented dumps further out. This Generation Rent three day community and art campaign is probably needed now more than ever.

Generation Rent/Langdale Gallery
Monday 16th – Wednesday 18th March
Islington Mill
James Street M3 5HW

1pm – 9pm/10pm free drop-in

For further details see Generation Rent – click here
Langdale Gallery – click here
Islington Mill – click here

Also email: georges.almond@gmail.com from Langdale Gallery re photos and art or Pollyanna from Generation Rent pollyannasteiner@generationrent.org re campaigning.