ROCKAWAY PARK'S VENUES & SPACES

Mark's thoughts on the Church... The Church - or 'The Chapel of Unrest' to give it its full title - is what is known as a Quonset building. These buildings arrive in sections no larger than 8 feet x 2 feet, which are then bolted together with thousands of bolts. We were lucky enough to buy this one second-hand from an old acquaintance of mine. It's unfinished and, as it turns out, that's been one of its most useful attributes. As Covid hit, it became obvious that if people were still going to meet for events, workshops, or to work on joint projects, it was going to be much safer if we left the front and back walls incomplete, allowing the wind to blow through freely, providing the vital ventilation we all needed. It's one of the aspects that has now (two and a half years into the pandemic), helped define the Chapel; its function and its purpose. Ultimately, we intend to turn it into a monument to protest, or the loss of the right to protest, alongside acknowledging what we, as a people, have been through these last few years... and here are some of my reasons why. Some years back, we were visited by the business rates department at the local authority. They were of the opinion that this building at Rockaway (The Church) was an industrial unit and subject to business rates. I replied that it was a church, because at that point, we'd only ever used it for a wedding, and thus it was almost certainly exempt from business rates. They then said that in order to be a church, you must first have a recognised religion. This, in short, is how many of my conversations with authority have gone over the years, and I accepted the challenge. As usual in these situations, I consulted our old friend Google and the first thing I discovered was that a recognised religion needed to have at least 60,000 followers. Subsequent investigation revealed that this was not in fact true, which suited me because when did facts ever get in the way of religion? I liked the 60,000 figure. I realised that if I found 60,000 potential followers and each of them donated £10 to the church, we would soon have £600,000. If we created a church membership with a unique t-shirt, screen printed here using ethically sourced materials, and charged £20, we would raise over a million. We would then be in a position to create an incredible church, adorned with beautiful things, made by amazing artists and creatives - many of whom we already know and work with. People could call in from time to time and commune with 'the congregation of agitation.' It's a no brainer, I thought - let's build a church! A living, breathing monument to the things we've lost, or the people we may have lost. A statement that we haven't given up on our dreams of a better world, in spite of the relentless attacks from our leaders. It says that we don't agree with your analysis and we want life to be good for people everywhere because we're capable of so much more. A 'Chapel of Unrest.' I thought more and more about this religion business and started to realise that all this nonsense I'd been spouting actually made a lot of sense. My daughter suggested I should stop ridiculing religion and acknowledge I was actually quite a spiritual guy. She lent me a book about science and belief, and there were a few things in there that jumped out at me. Such as the fact that humans need places of pilgrimage and meditation; places where they can commune with each other and the natural world; spaces to come together and sing. So, it began... The rear walls are constructed using gabion baskets filled with Rockaway stone. As we're situated in a disused quarry, stone is never far away, but a few years back we had a large rockfall, which produced about 100 tonnes of stone. My daughter remarked at the time: "if the world gives you lemons, make lemonade," and we took her advice and built many of the walls throughout the site. The insets of crushed cans, which are also in gabion baskets, are recycled drinks cans which have been compacted. I like to think they resemble stained glass windows. The huge and beautifully carved 'A' which dominates the space, was made by splitting a dead oak tree in half and reassembling it in opposition, or 'bookmarked.' When we first came to the quarry, this tree (which was growing in the top yard) had been badly damaged in a fire some years earlier. Every year it would sprout just a few leaves. Even though it was virtually dead and in the way of the work we were trying to do to the land around it, I stuck with it for many years. Eventually, it became too dangerous and had to be felled, but I knew we would make something beautiful out of its timber in order to honour it. In 2019, Neil and Hannah joined us in isolation after returning from Australia to a completely locked down Britain. While they were here, Hannah carved the amazing detail into the tree. We then attached the wrought iron metal strap, which I'd originally found in a skip in Portsmouth. This beaten metal strap helps hold it together, and is hand stamped with words spoken by the Spanish anarchist, Buenaventura Durutti: We are not afraid of the ruins. We are going to inherit the earth. There is not the slightest doubt about it. The bourgeoisie can blast and burn its own world before it finally leaves the stage of history. We who ploughed the prairies, and built the cities, can build again, only better next time. We carry a new world here in our hearts. That world is growing this minute. I'm the first to admit this started off as a ridiculous idea, and there are far more important things that need doing in the world. But only £10 will make a difference (it already has.) It will encourage dialogue and debate and provide a place for people to think outside the box. It's a little sanctuary in a sea of madness and will hopefully inspire others to realise we're not hopeless; we are capable of amazing things. We want to add louvered, opening steel windows to reference the importance that ventilation played in the pandemic. We want to carve stone windowsills and finials; wrap beautiful, wrought iron staircases around the already positioned, carved oak central feature. Stained-glass panels could depict protest, alongside mosaic floors telling similar tales. So, the request here is that anybody who would like to support this work would be welcomed into the bosom of the chapel. Ideally, you’ll have £10 to drop in the virtual collection plate and help pay towards its construction. Maybe you can give more and help cover someone who can't afford it? But if you don't have £10, we still welcome you with open arms. You can also share this story far and wide, which we'd really appreciate, to help us make it work. We will build it anyway, so your tenner is safe, and if you're not happy with progress you can always ask for it back. If we somehow end up collecting more money, then I faithfully promise to use it for worthwhile and important causes, like running free workshops and vocational courses, and doing more of whatever we can to help build a better world. As much as anything, I'm interested to see what we, as simple ordinary people, can achieve with very little, and hopefully it will help empower others to reach out, ask for help, and realise what we can achieve when we all work together. For avoidance of doubt, this is an inclusive 'religion.' I haven't got the slightest interest in telling you how, why, who or when you need to worship... Do what you like as far as I'm concerned. Just be kind and respectful to each other. We won't have a lot of rules - in fact that might be the only one! Eventually, aside from being a chapel and a place of pilgrimage, the chapel will function as a cinema with a projector screen, as well as a dining hall, yoga and meeting space. It's also ideal for spoken word events and plays because of the interesting acoustics that the shape of the building allows. People often ask if there is a way that they can chip in or contribute in some way to what we do here at Rockaway, and we're always happy to hear from anyone, on any level, with a view to getting involved. We don't charge an admission fee (apart from at gigs) and this Chapel project is a simple way that you can lend your support, as well as let us know that we're on the right track. If you would like to join the over 200 people who are already a part of our 'congregation of agitation' and donate, please use the PayPal link below. And thank you for your support!