Free & Reactive Edinburgh Art Kollective - better known as F.R.E.A.K - is a collective of local people who believe in giving artists and performers a free and creative space to exhibit their work.
F.R.E.A.K is part of a much larger network called TAA (Temporary Autonomous Art). TAA exhibitions originated in London 2001 with most involvement coming from those involved in the free party music scene. With disused spaces often being taken over for parties, TAA was set up to take over spaces with a different approach, that being to turn the space into an open access art exhibition. TAA's aim is to transform a derelict space into an accessible and safe environment full of life, colour and inspiration and to raise awareness about the lack of opportunities for people to enjoy free and diverse expression in their own communities.
We believe there is an abundance of art that unfortunately doesn't seem to fit into the mainstream art world or find its place in high class art galleries. We understand that artists can find themselves low on cash and believe that this shouldn't limit their ability to display and promote their work, so we decided to offer the public, 'artists' and 'non-artists' alike, a space to share their thoughts and talents.
The F.R.E.A.K collective was formed in 2007 and after a lot of organising and dedication from all those involved, an amazing event was held in October 2007 in Granton, Edinburgh. Manchester, Bristol and Brighton have also hosted TAA events, which goes to show what an amazing network of like minded people is developing across the UK.
While most TAA events in England are squatted spaces, in Scotland we don't have the same laws so we don't have the option to keep things truly as radical as related events down South without being shut down and wasting all our hard work and dedication. So instead we decided it was better to do things in a way that was realistic than to not do it at all. The F.R.E.A.K team put pressure on local development companies, making them see that their unused spaces could be put to better use by donating them to us instead of sitting there rotting away, and eventually one company realised that, if nothing else, co-operating with us would be good for their corporate social responsibility profile... At the end of the day, our efforts got us a free, legal and creative space out of it and that's what we believe TAA is all about.
The building was donated to us by Waterfront Ltd. The space was huge - the warehouse comprised of 3 main areas, which we used to host the kids' & cafe area in one, the main gallery in another, and the largest room was used for our main stage area and other activities and installations. There were other, smaller rooms which accommodated the crew quarters, film room and UV room. Luckily, the building had a massive yard area and with the rain staying off for the 4 days, the outdoor space was put to good use!
By the end of the event, there was no area of the building left untouched - the most useless and unattractive of materials and spaces had been magically transformed into pieces of art. Everything that was used in the building, from chairs to paint, was either found or donated to us. We have a commitment to safely reusing and recycling abandoned items - even the main stage was built from materials found lying around the warehouse and built by the F.R.E.A.K crew.
The concept of a having a free and open access space in Edinburgh was new, with many people who attended last year's event not really understanding quite what it was about at first. Lots of people were confused when we told them that they could paint whatever and wherever they wanted to.
This space is for the people! We welcome you to express yourself in whatever way you feel... much time and effort is put into this event, so all we ask is for it to be respected. We are proud to be hosting such an exciting event in Edinburgh and look forward to meeting diverse people and seeing their hidden talents.
If you would like any more information on how to get involved in organising, working with youth and community groups, displaying art work or just want to see what we're all about, please do not hesitate to contact us @: [email protected] or www.myspace.com/freaktaaedinburgh
No matter how out there your idea, or how silly you think your question is, we'd LOVE to hear from you!
Check out pictures from last years event from the wonderful Joe @ www.realreportage.com/freak
Cheerz Da F.R.E.A.Kz
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