Event:2015/03/19 Weekly Delegate's Meeting

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The meeting begins promptly at 7pm, every Thursday, and ends promptly at 9pm, unless delegates agree to continuation.

Attendees

  • Facilitator/s:
  • Introduction to the Omni Commons & our values:
  • Explanation of hand signals:
    • "deaf applause", "raised hand", "point of process", "direct response", "time's up", "stop and reflect", "kermit" (wildcard), etc.
  • Stacktaker:
    • Explanation of progressive stack: Raise your hand and make eye contact with the stack taker. Please wait your turn, and try not to interupt or speak over others. Direct responses are allowed only as Points Of Information/ Clarifications, etc (use hand signal). For everything else, please raise your hand and wait your turn.
  • Timekeeper:
    • Reminder to keep comments brief.
  • Notetaker/s: Noemie
  • Important Note for the Pad:
    • Please do not move or delete meeting notes from the pad, unless you have archived them properly. Always leave the most recent meeting's notes, and the template at the bottom. !! Thank you.
  • Vibe Reader:
    • Reminder to stay calm, be respectful, and think before speaking.
  • Next weeks facilitator(s): Kwe, Rachel

Delegates

  • BAPS: Nicole
  • Black Hole: Chloe
  • CCL:
  • FNB: Joe
  • La Commune: Steve
  • MPM: Kate
  • Sudo Room: Rachel
  • TIL: Joel
  • Quorum: Yes

Introductions

Please be brief! Introduce yourself: Name; Prefered Pronoun; Affiliation; If you are new, what is one thing that brought you here?

  • Optional Ice-breaker:
  • Kate, MPM
  • Kevin
  • Steve,
  • Kwe
  • Dusty
  • Laura
  • Joe
  • Nicole
  • Sean sudo room
  • person from Berkeley Liberation Radio
  • Jose proposed event interested in joining group, works with Zapatistas in Chiapas
  • Mary Ann, CHiapas Support COmmittee
  • Joel, TIL
  • Chloe - Black HOle
  • Noemie - OptikAllusions - Sudo Room
  • David K - BAPS, Sudo, BLack HOle
  • Rachel - Sudo, yoga
  • Sarah

Announcements

Any Omni-related announcements. Please be brief! Maximum 1 (one) minute per announcement. Reminder: Working Groups reports are after this, please save W.G. announcements for later.

  • Moveable Walls! We have moved the moveable walls in.. to the ballroom! They are awesome. DK will fill ya in on how to use 'em :)
  • North American Anarchist Studies Network conference at California Institute of Integral Studies http://www.naasn.org/node/70 All Weekend!
  • Kate announces that delegates should show up to meetings, and do so by 7pm because tonight we were losing attendance.
  • Kwe agrees to facilitate next weeks meeting
  • David: Did get moveable walls in the ballroom. Wants to thank folks who helped move them, pyshced to have them and wants to have an art show to have to raise money to pay off the remaining spot from the budget for first fridays. Interested folks would be awesome. Walls plug in together and he's making a wiki page. Second, Anti Repression committee party not happening here anymore. Moved, reason is that they wanted to have a super raging party with minors and it needed permits, high cost of permits 1500, law in oakland no dancing from 1-9am...couldn't get permit. They would have to cut djs and didn't want to pay insurance, and such. Tomorrow big private birthday party.
  • Kwe: Sunday 22nd 7-11 4th soul sessions in disco room. Performance arts and dance mixer for artists etc. donation 5, half proceeds go to omni, or can bring food. Have this in different places, start moving them around, closet sunday to the new moon.
  • Chloe: Anti repression committe at "babeland" 10th and Madison probably at 8pm.
  • Downtown Berkeley occupy empathy tent 10-5 saturday, bless the lake 3:30-6.
  • Next Open Circle against police brutality and systemic racism this Sunday from 3-6pm in the basement: https://www.facebook.com/events/770304239705395/

Bans/Asked to Leave

Announcement of recent bans.

  • Recent Ban: Rachel:, Ted or Teddy was found doing something that violated safe space policy, very explicit and obvious in the basemenet, twice. Whipped his member out and started to jack off touching a person's computure waiting for the person to come downstairs. He's given contact info to persue process of mediation.
  • Ted, goes by 'Teddy', asked to leave for violating safer space policy, was given contact information if he wishes to pursue mediation.

Working Group Report-Backs

Please be breif! Maximum 5 (five) minutes per W.G. WGRBs are Alphabetical; All W.G.s are equally important. Report-backs consist of answering 3 (three) questions:

  • What did you accomplish this week?
  • What problems or action items are you currently working on?
  • What do you need to bring to our attention and/or need help with?
  • Kevin: How We Organize doesn't exist but he is happy to chat with folks about getting them involved in the Omni. welcoming wg)

Building, permits, and Facilities

  • Meets Mondays at 8pm

This group needs help; https://omnicommons.org/lists/listinfo/building Ballroom-readiness needs and plans: https://omnicommons.org/wiki/Ballroom-readiness

  • David emphasises need for more people to take responsiblitity for handling everything about events held by others using Onmi spcae
  • David - If you are point person for an event, I request that you check in with Building group about projects that are going on that might impact your event.
* We may need to have a week without events to get a lot of work done.
* Rachel brings up recurring conflicts between building and ongoing events, responsiblity of both sides to work around each other. HArd for recurring events to check in on this.
  • Rachel: yes, new events should check and we could put the building materials in the calendar so that we can see what is happening so that it won't overlap
  • David: The work never overlapped with an event, it is an issue of moving things around, and debris and such. It has never overlapped. Talking about rooms that are partly deconstructed. Groupls should just contact Building.
  • Nicole: Is there a place to see schedule of planned projects/construction?
  • David: I could put all of that in the calendar, the problem is that we work around schedules. Better thing is to assume that if there isn't something schedules, that there is construction going on. It's not always reliable, too, voluntary, can't make it timed perfectly. For the next three months with no event. ...Can flag certain rooms. Issue with the ticket booth room, we acted in response and then suddenly had to manage all events in the room and...for the next three months just assume that work will be happening when an event isn't happening. email building@lists.omnicommons.org
  • Kwe: Question and comment. When group meet?
  • David: Monday 8pm whatever room we can find. A little ad hoc, do some building work while meeting. Get on building mailing list
  • Kwe: I feel that I've been affected, not sure if building related. With common use of rooms with folks using rooms for a particular thing and disrupts the room, and collective usage of the space is impacted. The stage, cleaned the stage and now there is a bunch moved onto the stage and not moved back. Invited stuff to be moved on there. A problem for folks who use the stage, can't do physical work, important to think about common usage of space. It could be happening anywhere, building, and is there a way, a strategy, to rotate area by area, or something so that the whole building dowsn't become a construction zone. Unless that's what we want. How are we prioritizing certain areas? Like the ballroom where we can make money?
  • David: a double edged sword. Every day someone asks why we aren't open, and we say it takes a lot of work...people ask, do it all now? Then you schedule and it feels impossible. We can't do both. We need to just not schedule new events for the next three months or we will never get through it. We spend an hour to set up to work for one hour and it becomes intractable. Push through the next three months, get it all done, and we won't have to worry about it. Come to the building meeting to help publish and such.

Challenging Domniant Culture (CDC)

Meetings:Sundays at 12pm

Commons

Meetings: Saturdays at 1pm We review proposals for space rental

  • We need more responsibilibuddies! If we had more folks taking on just one event a month, it would be a huge burden relief from the current core crew of Niki, DK, Jenny, Rachel, Laura, and Sarah P. Also in need of an Omni sound person for the Don't Spy On Us event this Sunday evening, reach out to Jenny if you can help!

Communications / SysAdmins

Meetings: nope :)

  • Started reorganizing the wiki. Looking for help from folks savvy with Mediawiki design and information architecture.
  • Please archive working group meeting notes using the widget at the top of the wiki: https://omnicommons.org/wiki - for our own documentation and to share our process with other spaces around the world!

Finance

Meetings: Wednesday at 7pm

  • $78,111.06 in the bank
  • Made about $6K this month off space rentals, though half of this income is coming from a private event tomorrow. Once the ballroom is ready and permits acquired we can start having larger fundraising events.
  • Need help with: grant-writing, accountant search, keeping track of income from rentals
  • there happens to be an accountant here - jose from Chiapas support committee. He was imformed of meeting time and will be given AMgo's contact info

Fundraising

Meetings: Mondays at 7pm, BAPS Classroom

  • Not meeting regularly, slowly setting up perk fulfillment

Kitchen

Meetings:

Welcoming

Meetings: Thursdays at 6pm Contact: welcoming@omnicommons.org

Proposals

Please provide the following information with your proposal:

  • The date the proposal was put on the pad;
  • The group or person making/bottom-lining the proposal;
  • Who will be speaking to the proposal at the meeting;
  • Where the full text or other information about the proposal can be found, if it's not all here.

Proposal for more public terminals in the Omni. (March 12)

  • 1) Right now, many non-members hang out in Sudo Room to use the free computers we have there for various reasons. I personally think this is great, but it does create an impact on Sudo Room, especially when there are lots of them or they conflict with one another.
  • 2) One of those public terminals is RAYC's anyway. I think he's happy for it to live there, for now, but given his situation it may disappear without warning.
  • 3) Most of the people doing this are members of other collectives. Some are our homeless neighbors who come to use this resource. I personally think providing them a place to use things like Facebook and Email is a great community service and I want to support offering it.
  • To this end:

I propose setting up 2 Linux terminals on the upper floor above La Commune, in the corridor past the kitchen. This location was suggested by Niki when I first brought it up. I don't think it matters so much where they go so long as it is in a public, well traveled space and doesn't conflict with other uses of space. This space does seem ideal. I have the computers already, with OS's on them. They are my machines and I'm happy to donate them for this purpose. I can put them in whenever I get the green light to do so and am happy to dialogue with anyone who wants discuss their location and impact.

Discussion

Black Hole Collective Lab Space Proposal

 Also see discuss/concensus list
  • Full text:

Vision 

   Celluloid film development lab

   Communal workspace

   Film screenings and workshops

Lab / Machines provided to the community: 

   1x film processor

   1x contact printer

   1x optical printer

   1x flatbed editor

   1x sync machine

   Multiple Rewinds

   Splicers

   Multiple film projectors

   Many more devices to enable celluloid film production

   Multiple film enlargers

Resources provided to show films at the omni 

   1x Xenon 16mm film projector (very bright :)

   Digital HD video projector

   Some equipment augment existing sound system

Screenings 

   Can bring screenings of filmmakers & films to the space

Collective Members 

   1. Tooth

   2. Matt Christiansen

   3. Jason Wade

   4. Isaac Sherman

   5. Lauren O'Connor

   6. Chloe Minervini

   7. David Keenan

   8. Niko Kommodore

   9. Gui Komel

   10. Vanessa O'Neill

   11. Kent Long

   12. Michael Bucuzzo

   13. Christina Kolozsvary

   14. Zach Iannazzi

   15. Sarah Watlington

   16. Brooke Porter

Form questions[edit]1. Mission statement What do you do? What happens in the world because you exist? (1-3 sentences) By creating an artist-run film lab and workspace/screening space we will be enabling a large community of people working in photochemical celluloid filmmaking (motion picture and still photography), a unique resource, to bring their work through all stages of creation, production, and exhibition in an encouraging community atmosphere. This is important because it will be the only entity of its kind in the western United States. It will be part of a growing community of small artist-run labs worldwide that provide the ability to work in a forcibly rarified format nearing extinction due to the dictates of industrial capitalism. By reclaiming the modes of celluloid production from this rapidly crumbling industry, we will not only be keeping the art form alive and accessible but will also be providing a space to make works outside of the artistic, ideological, and financial compromises inherent in a commercial market. 2. Origin and group history. How did you start? What have you done? (1-3 sentences) Black Hole Film Collective is a more recent formation of a looser group of filmmakers with roots in the larger experimental/avant-garde filmmaking community of the bay area. We have been brought together by shared affinities, ideologies and working methods fostered within Black Hole Cinematheque and the constellation of local microcinemas it is a part of. Black Hole Cinematheque has been operating as 16mm archive since 2009 and running free weekly screenings regularly since 2011. These similar affinities led us to a natural merging with the still photography collective to communize our resources and work against an atmosphere of increasing endangerment. 3. Participation in the Omni Why are you interested in becoming a member? How does your group intend to use the space? What are your needs? (less than 5 sentences) We see the Omni project as an important entity of resistance and community and it seems the perfect place to get involved! Our group intends to use two spaces in the basement to set up a wet lab for processing and printing of still and motion picture film, and a dry work space for editing and post production. We also intend to outfit the ballroom and disco room for various sized screenings, including setting up a projection booth with multiple playback formats (16mm, 35mm, digital video), a new projection screen, and chairs, all for community and event use. Exhibition is an important way to showcase the collectives’ work, as well as the larger international community of filmmakers. By outfitting common spaces for cinematic presentation, we will be transforming them into a greater community asset for the film collective as well as the Omni. In addition, Black Hole Collective Lab seeks to engage community youth members through an educational outreach program. This program would involve teaching young adults about traditional photographic practices, both through the camera and by working in the darkroom. In a world dominated by fast pace technology we aim to provide a space in which analog processes can be preserved. Harnessing interest from our community’s youth will help to preserve these traditional forms of art and create a deeper understanding for modern technology and its influence in both film and photography. 4. Group finances and paying rent What does your group do to support itself financially? What is your best plan for contributing your potential share of rent to the Omni? (less than 5 sentences) 

   BH was originally offered free space by OOC as a member collective to incubate their community resource. To start, we propose to contribute our share of utilities up to $200 per month for the first 2 months beginning April 1st, while we improve and invest in basement infrastructure (mold abatement, new drywall, additional plumbing, improved ventilation, as well as installing improved projection facilities in Ballroom & Disco Room)

   After two months of working on the space, we can commit $400 rent and better accommodate new contributing members

   We will contribute more financially as our project and membership grows and infrastructure is established.

   BH is fully commited to financial transparency. Our collective members will pay a monthly fee to cover rent costs. We plan to have a multi-tiered membership engagement/payment model to increase accessibility. We also want exhibitions and screenings to contribute to infrastructure, supplies and rent costs.

5. Dedicated space Basement area, showing proposed BHCL lab area and 'Bunker 2' work area If your group would like some dedicated space at the Omni, what square footage and what features are you looking for? Which specific rooms do you feel might be suitable? (1-3 sentences) 

   Shared area: We will contribute analog and digital film projection equipment as we can for use in the Ballroom and Disco Room, so that all Omni member collectives and the community at large can present film and video screenings (with some training.)

   Dedicated areas:

   We propose two areas to accommodate community film production and processing; a 'wet' area and a 'dry' area.

   The 'wet' darkroom will be in the basement in the NW corner. We will complete installation of ventilation and run plumbing to accommodate darkroom sinks and drainage at our expense.

   We propose a 'dry' area as a dedicated film workspace in Bunker 2 containing irreplaceable, delicate film editing equipment, and sharing a third of Bunker 1 immediately outside the door to bunker 2, that would have some work tables.

   The Bunker 2 area is an ideal space for BHCL as it is an existing room wherein we can secure irreplaceable film equipment and it provides needed dark space. It is important for those donating equipment to know that it will be kept safe and secure. The equipment is not manufactured anymore and to secure equipment donations, we need to have a secure space.

   The work tables set up in the Western third of Bunker 1 would be privileged for film production use, including equipment such as light boxes and edit tables. It would be demarcated by a temporary, freestanding partial partition (such as a 'cube' wall) that could still allow access to the rest of bunker room area, while blocking sound etc.

   We had earlier discussed using the east hallway as workspace, however we recognize that there may be code compliance issues around actively using this space before our final Fire Life & Safety and building inspection has been performed. In order for Black Hole Collective Lab to move in as soon as possible, and to allow fire inspection to move forward smoothly, we would like to leave that space open.

6. Additional Is there any other information that you think would be useful for us to know about your group? (as many sentences as you like) Our collective is a group with vastly different skills to share and trade. We represent a wide breadth of knowledge and through workshops and educational events, can share these skills and talents and promote arts in our community.

Discussion

  • Jenny: my chief concern really is just the amount of rent being offered feels discongruent with the amount of space taken up (sorry to be the capitalist :P)
  • David: Wants to acknowledge that the collective has been with us for so long and part of the issue has been delays from the permitted process of the building. It involves a lot. There is a lot of equipment htat is being held onto that want to donate it to the space but they want a space that can be locked a night. That's why, too, there are two spaces and this is space that they need and it is the minimum space that they can have. There is a pedegogical piece to this too, to have community come in and learn how to do photography and such. Has so many awesome equipment to totallly rock out the rooms, projectors, digital stuff, screens, and it can all be used. Awesome stuff.
  • Joe: Needs to really understand how they will build out the room. First one on the west side. You could just move a bookshelf and make another section which could be a functional space. Bunker room 2 would need to be locked when nobody is in it.
  • David: There is no place that does this on the west coast. The only spot.
  • Joe: Of those three rooms, are two now taken?
  • David: The middle room is left.
  • Laura: Preface by saying that you all are fabulous people, don't have anything against film, I wasn't around when black hole became one of the collectives, I just don't see what having this particular kind of production, which takes up a lot of space, very resource intensive, relatively innaccessible...what does that add in terms of our mission in being a revolutionary space? what is the real benefit above and beyond the digital forms. For all the space, what's the added value that we're getting in terms of the mission. I think it's cool, I could be convinced, I don't see why we need it here in the omni.
  • BHCL: Art is part of culture, we are experimenters, and this is keeping alive a working in modes that are central to art that is a craft that brings community together. We are looking at producing and exhibiting work...extends to a large community in the Bay Area, and the work itself is almost revolutionary in it's mode of production in it's narrative, and such.
  • Kate: Black Hole has been putting on screenings for many years and i've gone to a number of them. Always full of people, always stimulating in thinking about how art and culture impacts change. Part of the Omni's goal includes all of this, thinking together, creating culture ourselves, a space where culture is created and sent out is very important.
  • Sarha: They are lowering the cost of film, and that is revolutionary
  • David: this will be the lowest cost film production in the Bay Area, and the most accessible place by far. Amount of donations we can get is pretty high, in paper and equipment. People in this community are politicized and radical, there is a lot of overlap and implication with the Omni. People are putting on film screeninngs and it is wrong to say that this is some separate community. No different than the community of poets that helped start the BAPS and such. Same thing, could say that it's just some esoteric thing but the reality of it is different. Political and cultural overlap is totally overlapped and not hypothetical. Cultural production, political production, can exist...it is the same community. Avant Guarde dance is no more esoteric. It is in line with bringing the mediums out and about being era agnostic....a real photograph has a beauty to it that can't be replicated. I see it fully in line. Originally, this idea brought a lot of energy to the omni and it's not that important.
  • Rachel: sudo cannot vote on this, rent being offered is not appropriate for the amount of space being taken up.
  • Joe: I'm thinking about what Laura said, and the presses here in the basement taking up a lot of room and seeing the people who use it and there is so much space and it doesn't represent the people of Oakland, at all. And that we really need to pay attention to the common part of the Oakland commons.
  • David: Something that has been dissapointing is that a lot of space isn't being used...that this is worse. It is blocking us in a way. That we can't find the best possible thing in the world and it can't be used for anything, it gets full of random stuff and that's not commons either. I'm sensitive to your point, some stuff can be openned up more for sure. If we are going to be a resource for the community we should try to provide some infrastructure, can't just have open rooms. Could've filled the rooms up with offices, but if we want the palce to be heterogenious...
  • Joe: I'm getting mixed messages, we just went through all of that with Kwic about needing to open up the rooms so that BAPS could use it and such.
  • David: I want a community to be able to use this space and right now it feels like we're stuck. This would be a bunch of people working at something, being productive, and such.
  • Rachel: Concern of maybe, are we having enough marginalized people coming into the space and using it? That's a question we shoul reflect on.
  • David: that's an omni-wide concern
  • Chloe: A note about rent. We wanted to put a proposal on the table that we knew we could make. We are open to discussing this further if that is the problem. At the same time making it affordable so that membership fees aren't too much, keeping accessibility.
  • David: And the cost of improvements is so high. Sudo room had to do a little bit of electrical, I mean they will be putting in so much, pulling plumbing, running electrical, and such. Probably thousands of dollars will be spent. After that there will be more people brought in.
  • Laura: Could you say more about the film showings? Seems like there have been film showings on a reqular basis....
  • BHCL: There have been weekly film screenings, ideally we could do stuff once a week and we would be bringing in both digital and analog equipment so that everyone can use it. Tends more toward the experimental. We can do multimedia live stuff, lot's of collaboration with musicians and this would be a part of it. Use these to generate more income, on a donation basis.
  • Rachel: Is the space a final calculation? Any other way to have less space?
  • David:
  • Niki: Let's be careful about falling back into the space/sq ft. equation. Looking at space this way makes other forms of value invisible and is a very capitalist way of thinking about space.
  • This kind of work is constantly being framed as not culturally relevant. There's little support for the arts in our culture. Having a place for it here is important.

Optik Allusions Tenancy Proposal

1. Mission Statement: What do you do? What happens in the world because you exist? Optik Allusions is a digital filmmaking collective dedicated to social change, based in Oakland, California. We share resources, skills and knowledge to help each other tell stories that might otherwise remain untold. We make films in a spirit of collaboration and solidarity, share a lending library of film equipment for creative projects, organize free, at cost or donation-based workshops. 2. Origin and group history: How did you start? What have you done? Optik Allusions had its first meeting on 07/09/14, as a group of artists affiliated with various collectives within OMNI. Since then, we have organized workshops for screenwriting, editing, filming and sound recording, and we are curating a growing equipment library. We have also filmed and set up lights for many ballroom events. We collaborated on the Omni’s fundraising video[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Zccga90hcY ] and produced 13 short videos for the "Omni in 30 seconds" series [1]. We are currently working on two short documentaries: - One on gentrification in West Oakland (in collaboration with ACCE, an activist network that is fighting to stop evictions around the Bay Area). - One about the Oscar Grant Committee, with the collaboration of the OGC's members. 3. Participation in the Omni: Why are you interested in becoming a member? How does your group intend to use the space? What are your needs? Currently, OpAl is not seeking membership but to be a tenant in solidarity, with the possibility of applying for membership in the future. We would steward a room as a commons by setting up and maintaining a few computers with the Adobe Creative Suite installed on them, for anyone to use to do media and post-production work. The space will be available for people to reserve to host workshops, hold editing sessions, or have small screenings of the work they’ve created. 4. Group finances and paying rent: What does your group do to support itself financially? What is your best plan for contributing your potential share of rent to the Omni? OpAl is financed by the personal contributions of its members. We also intend to throw fundraising events. We have a recommended monthly membership of 15$ (no one turned away for lack of funds) and we’d like to contribute to the Omni utilities with the amount that we’re able to raise from our membership, which we estimate will be $100, but we’re hoping to reach $150 as our membership grows, and we’re willing to reassess the amount in 6 months. 5. Dedicated space: If your group would like some dedicated space at the Omni, what square footage and what features are you looking for? Which specific rooms do you feel might be suitable?

Currently, OpAl has been operating out of the small room to the left of the stage. We would like to move the computer suite to the room directly above (which people usually refer to as the radio room), and we would like to change the deadbolt on that door so that it doesn’t lock automatically, thus making the room more open and available to others. This room is 89’ square on the main floor, with a lofted space that is 43’ square, for a total of 132’ square. The small room below would then be available for storing stage-related equipment, and we are willing to prepare it for such use by installing shelving and lockable cabinets. However, we would like to continue storing our film equipment in this room, since it will be secure and it is an ideal place for us to access it when we use OpAl gear for ballroom events. 6. Other contributions to the Omni: We have ideas for dinner-and-a-movie type fundraisers (one of our members is a culinary artist), and we plan to restart weekly movie nights. We are also exploring a partnership with a global film activist network called Films For Action (filmsforaction.org) through which we would host screenings on a bi-monthly basis. Proceeds from these kinds of events can go to the Omni, and they have potential to bring in new folks and a regular crowd of film enthusiasts. As always, we are happy to provide production assistance for events requiring lighting, sound, projection, or filming.

Discussion

  • Kwe: even though I am in support of this I have some concerns about other orgs that may want ot have use of that space, like Bekreley Lib radio. I hope that however it moves forward, communication around the space is transparent.
  • Noemie: We were unable to put together a general Omni Medai Group with long discussions. so we want to move forward with this.
  • The space has been created and there have been discussion around the usage of the space, part of my concern. If Optik feels that it was too difficult to work with other groups than how do you image working with other folks moving forward.
  • Noemie: Not sure how to respond, a lot of the difficulties is in the use of space, and what we're offering is to have it open. Not saying that it is not open now but it hasn't been. Offereing to do work to make it accessible. Very happy to make sure that other poeple participate in stewarding the room...
  • Kwe: Last comment. Re-emphasize, when I first cam e to the Omnin in Sept the room was full of boxes and I spend a month making it available. and there have been workshops in that room. Work that is consistent. It hasn't been an easy road, don't expect it to be, but the idea of having me participate makes me think, that's what I've been doning. Optik is more than welcome to put in things, but I do have concerns about the number of machines, and if it is the best space in the building for that. Suspect that there are better spaces in the building.
  • Kevin: Useful to have us talk but I doubt we will work through it all and maybe it would be good to have the conversation outside of the meeting, even with a loose mediation or something. That there is a commitment to move forward in a way which recognizes that there will be future conversation.
  • David: This has been discussed elsewhere, too,. The whole history of the room...always supposed to be a common space, taken over by someone for a storage space, a good person, but took over the room with the stuff. Sudo room members helped clean that all out. After that, Chris took it over again and was supposed to make it a media room. Lots of personal stuff mixed in. Room has an aura of privacy, that it just exists about that room. The perception that it isn't shared is historical. Personally saw people from Optik work and build a counter and such. After that Kwic refered to it as a private office.
  • Kwe: Sequence is wrong, tables were built after kwic
  • David: Right, you're right.
  • Kwe: Once a room is a collective than it will be perminent and maybe peope will not be able to use the room.
  • David: a Good point. The proposal, shoud we privilege the room for audio/video with stations that will be in that room. Optik has a bunch of members and have done a lot of outreach and it will be a community space.
  • Kwe: I have been using the room, everyone knows where my sentiments are and I just wanted to share with the group.
  • Sarah: Provide more context. We were originally talking about collaborating with Kwe and Oakland Next and Black Hole to focus on basement rooms. We had a huge meeting and it became apparent to Optik that we didn't fit into the basement rooms and didn't want to share space. We removed ourselves, space wise, and sought to have a proposal for upstairs room. To have the rest go for downstairs room. Really weird to hear this now.
  • Kate: Seems that we will not be able to vote about this now. That there is a lot of confusion
  • Chloe: hear from Kwe that this could be talked about off line and it feels that there is a lot of grey area there so I'm glad it was brought to the committee.
  • Noemie: We have been discussing this for so long. We are just trying to narrow down the scope of what we can do right now. Collaborating on an Omni group project is what we want, but we want to work on concret stuff before working on big abstract things. We just focus on something small which is something we can do, taking on a task and continuing the work we have been doing. I don't see this going against. Please, Kwe, look at me I'm talking about something that concerns you. We are doing something new for this room. Offering formerly to make it somethign for multimedia to serve everybody.
  • Rachel: Opal is taking up a minimum space, there is always going to be this much amount of space taken up. If that's just the video room, than it's going to be the same amount of space. Not preventing anything from happening, not much else that could be done about the space taken up. Maybe Optik can have designated space, they are already using it, just to have a space dedicated. Doesn't prevent other media.
  • Joe: Ask Kwe, your group also had the signs down here that said OMG, right? Thinking that you were having these rooms affect your needs upstairs....when kwic was told that he couldn't commendier the rooms, did this have some impact on your need for this space
  • Kwe: I'm on multiple working groups, the projcet I'm interested in seeding here is "music is healing" and there has been a proposed collective. We have various projects, a radio podcast series seeding from the radio space above the stage. Interested in the radio spot, worked with folks to clear the space, with others, mispoke earlier nothing here happens alone. Kwic had an idea early on that was part of the Omni Media Group and you'll see something about this on the fundraising and to say that OMG wasn't a thing is to say that something hasn't happened. There's been new groups, one Oakland Next, Berkeley Liberation Radio, and others...make it known, not all of the things I do here are on the calendar. I have produced so much here, I have worked when no one else was here. I work till 5, bring peope in. There is an investment for me in seeing this space being a community room. Optik is a part of this. The only concern is that the statement has not been stewarded, and it makes me wonder about what that means....walks out of the room.
  • Noemie: I do not want to do mediation here. Just wanted to make a formal request, and you kwe are making it really hard. That's not cool.
  • Kwe: I am a part of this community and I am not concerned with whether it's cool, but I'm concerned with whether or not there has been a real attempt to collaborate with this room. Everybody is trying to make it a community space. It's already usable. If your intent is to create a collaborative space....I don't know about what will happen in the future with people....
  • Joe: Maybe you should consider the room that's off the stage
  • Noemie: We don't want that room
  • David: Want to express an appreciation for what Optik is trying to do. They are entirely deserving of having space in this room. They put a lot of time in to collaborate and this can't always work. They are donig their work as their collective and not the case that collaboration can always work. There should be a space for Optik to do this important work in the building. Part of it is historical, they have settled after being willing to move to different roooms and this doesn't mean that your own work, Kwe, is less important...and I'm not here all night and I don't know what's going on but they're here working all of the time.
  • Kwe: I am not against this, I have taught this type of work, i have published articles about this, just because i don't talk about it doesn't mean I don't do it. I am talking about work, media work, if it's media, and multipurpose, it's not simply film post-production. I love their work, we are supposed to be meeting. Please don't take it personally, I take nothing like this personally. If they are talking about multimedia ....I am just going to leave right now, I have upset people and it wasn't my intent. Walks out.
  • David: I think we should take it back to collectives to sort it out.
  • Jenny: Stations set up for video postproduction can also be used for music production, graphic design, web design, etc;
  • Jenny: I am often here until 5am, talk with Kwe, don't see others using that space. It feels like a private workspace, no signage, always locked. Would love to see it stewarded by a committed community group like OpAl, and don't see how that's at odds with Music is Healing (since the radio area is relatively separated from the room itself).
  • Liz: I would like to reiterate from the OpAl proposal, regarding openness and availability, and the kind of work to be done in the room: "We would steward a room as a commons by setting up and maintaining a few computers with the Adobe Creative Suite installed on them, for anyone to use to do media and post-production work." We've made it very clear that this will not be "the FILM room". We will create a calendar for scheduling. Kwe has already brought these concerns to us, I was under the impression we had settled things. I am disappointed that the proposal is being derailed now.

Omni Yoga to steward Disco Room

we interface with all users/renters of the disco room (to make sure they have insurance or get on our plan as additional insured) therefore we handle booking for the disco room a portion (to be determined, sliding scale, situational dependent) of proceeds/fees go to the insurance fund we keep the room clean, and pursue cleaning deposit deductions get insurance as a collective UA! >>we know we dont have to.insure anyone else, but we want to do something positive for the commons, bc it will take little more work than we already do :) -RaW

Discussion

Meeting-wide discussion of issues,concerns, ideas, etc.

Action Items

For Next Week

Any Proposals or Discussions which were tabled for lack of time, etc.

Optional Breakout Discussion

Meeting attendees count up to >8 (number dependant on size of meeting), after which all same numbers collect into smaller groups to discuss the current topic/s. (Approx 20 mins, depending on time available)

This Week's Topic

Ideas for Breakout Discussions

  • How do/should we ineract with unwelcome (abusive/hostile/drunk/etc) guests (Especially if you are alone!) and diffuse/solve the situation?
  • OMNI Finances: How can move toward more transparency about how much the Omni costs? And more comfort talking about money within the Omni and its members?
  • Kindness, Forgiveness, Self care, Debt and Jubilee
  • Friendships, Relationships, and Organizing
  • What is your 50 year vision for The Omni? The year is 2064: What is the Omni? Who/What makes up its membership? How has it changed Oakland, the rest of the world, and the word "community"?

Template for: These Are The Days Of Our Omni... Please: Do Not Delete! This template is for the use of the Omninom Weekly Delegates' Meeting notes. Feel free to edit as necessary, but please maintain the basic outline. Pad heading styles are not necessary for archival. The Wiki Structure is as Follows:

Category

Sub-Category

Sub-Sub-Category

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Weekly Omni Delegates' Meeting - 19 March 2015

The meeting begins promptly at 7pm, every Thursday, and ends promptly at 9pm, unless delegates agree to continuation. Contents:

  • Introductions
  • Announcements
  • Working Group Report-Backs
  • Proposals
  • Discussions
  • Action Items
  • Tabled
  • Optional Breakout Session

Attendees

  • Facilitator/s:
  • Introduction to the Omni Commons & our values:
  • Explanation of hand signals:
    • "deaf applause", "raised hand", "point of process", "direct response", "time's up", "stop and reflect", "kermit" (wildcard), etc.
  • Stacktaker:
    • Explanation of progressive stack: Raise your hand and make eye contact with the stack taker. Please wait your turn, and try not to interupt or speak over others. Direct responses are allowed only as Points Of Information/ Clarifications, etc (use hand signal). For everything else, please raise your hand and wait your turn.
  • Timekeeper:
    • Reminder to keep comments brief.
  • Notetaker/s:
  • Important Note for the Pad:
    • Please do not move or delete meeting notes from the pad, unless you have archived them properly. Always leave the most recent meeting's notes, and the template at the bottom. !! Thank you.
  • Vibe Reader:
    • Reminder to stay calm, be respectful, and think before speaking.
  • Next weeks facilitator(s):

Delegates

  • BAPS:
  • Black Hole:
  • CCL:
  • FNB:
  • La Commune:
  • MPM:
  • Sudo Room:
  • TIL:
  • Quorum:

Introductions

Please be brief! Introduce yourself: Name; Prefered Pronoun; Affiliation; If you are new, what is one thing that brought you here?

  • Optional Ice-breaker:

Announcements

Any Omni-related announcements. Please be brief! Maximum 1 (one) minute per announcement. Reminder: Working Groups reports are after this, please save W.G. announcements for later. http://www.thebolditalic.com/articles/7049-video-spoofs-privileged-entitled-san-franciscans-

  • Movelable Walls! We have moved the moveable walls in.. to the ballroom! They are awesome. DK will fill ya in on how to use 'em :)

Bans

Announcement of recent bans.

Working Group Report-Backs

Please be breif! Maximum 5 (five) minutes per W.G. WGRBs are Alphabetical; All W.G.s are equally important. Report-backs consist of answering 3 (three) questions:

  • What did you accomplish this week?
  • What problems or action items are you currently working on?
  • What do you need to bring to our attention and/or need help with?

Building, permits, and Facilities

This group needs help; https://omnicommons.org/lists/listinfo/building Ballroom-readiness needs and plans: https://omnicommons.org/wiki/Ballroom-readiness

Challenging Domniant Culture (CDC)

Meetings:Sundays at 12pm

Commons

Meetings: Saturdays at 1pm We review proposals for space rental

  • We need more responsibilibuddies! If we had more folks taking on just one event a month, it would be a huge burden relief from the current core crew of Niki, DK, Jenny, Rachel and Sarah P.

Communications / SysAdmins

Meetings: nope :)

Finance

Meetings: Wednesday at 7pm

Fundraising

Meetings: Mondays at 7pm, BAPS Classroom

Kitchen

Meetings:

Welcoming

Meetings: Thursdays at 6pm Contact: welcoming@omnicommons.org

Proposals

Please provide the following information with your proposal:

  • The date the proposal was put on the pad;
  • The group or person making/bottom-lining the proposal;
  • Who will be speaking to the proposal at the meeting;
  • Where the full text or other information about the proposal can be found, if it's not all here.

Proposal for more public terminals in the Omni. (March 12)

  • 1) Right now, many non-members hang out in Sudo Room to use the free computers we have there for various reasons. I personally think this is great, but it does create an impact on Sudo Room, especially when there are lots of them or they conflict with one another.
  • 2) One of those public terminals is RAYC's anyway. I think he's happy for it to live there, for now, but given his situation it may disappear without warning.
  • 3) Most of the people doing this are members of other collectives. Some are our homeless neighbors who come to use this resource. I personally think providing them a place to use things like Facebook and Email is a great community service and I want to support offering it.
  • To this end:

I propose setting up 2 Linux terminals on the upper floor above La Commune, in the corridor past the kitchen. This location was suggested by Niki when I first brought it up. I don't think it matters so much where they go so long as it is in a public, well traveled space and doesn't conflict with other uses of space. This space does seem ideal. I have the computers already, with OS's on them. They are my machines and I'm happy to donate them for this purpose. I can put them in whenever I get the green light to do so and am happy to dialogue with anyone who wants discuss their location and impact.

Black Hole Collective Lab Space Proposal

 Also see discuss/concensus list
  • Full text:

Vision 

   Celluloid film development lab

   Communal workspace

   Film screenings and workshops

Lab / Machines provided to the community: 

   1x film processor

   1x contact printer

   1x optical printer

   1x flatbed editor

   1x sync machine

   Multiple Rewinds

   Splicers

   Multiple film projectors

   Many more devices to enable celluloid film production

   Multiple film enlargers

Resources provided to show films at the omni 

   1x Xenon 16mm film projector (very bright :)

   Digital HD video projector

   Some equipment augment existing sound system

Screenings 

   Can bring screenings of filmmakers & films to the space

Collective Members 

   1. Tooth

   2. Matt Christiansen

   3. Jason Wade

   4. Isaac Sherman

   5. Lauren O'Connor

   6. Chloe Minervini

   7. David Keenan

   8. Niko Kommodore

   9. Gui Komel

   10. Vanessa O'Neill

   11. Kent Long

   12. Michael Bucuzzo

   13. Christina Kolozsvary

   14. Zach Iannazzi

   15. Sarah Watlington

   16. Brooke Porter

Form questions[edit]1. Mission statement What do you do? What happens in the world because you exist? (1-3 sentences) By creating an artist-run film lab and workspace/screening space we will be enabling a large community of people working in photochemical celluloid filmmaking (motion picture and still photography), a unique resource, to bring their work through all stages of creation, production, and exhibition in an encouraging community atmosphere. This is important because it will be the only entity of its kind in the western United States. It will be part of a growing community of small artist-run labs worldwide that provide the ability to work in a forcibly rarified format nearing extinction due to the dictates of industrial capitalism. By reclaiming the modes of celluloid production from this rapidly crumbling industry, we will not only be keeping the art form alive and accessible but will also be providing a space to make works outside of the artistic, ideological, and financial compromises inherent in a commercial market. 2. Origin and group history. How did you start? What have you done? (1-3 sentences) Black Hole Film Collective is a more recent formation of a looser group of filmmakers with roots in the larger experimental/avant-garde filmmaking community of the bay area. We have been brought together by shared affinities, ideologies and working methods fostered within Black Hole Cinematheque and the constellation of local microcinemas it is a part of. Black Hole Cinematheque has been operating as 16mm archive since 2009 and running free weekly screenings regularly since 2011. These similar affinities led us to a natural merging with the still photography collective to communize our resources and work against an atmosphere of increasing endangerment. 3. Participation in the Omni Why are you interested in becoming a member? How does your group intend to use the space? What are your needs? (less than 5 sentences) We see the Omni project as an important entity of resistance and community and it seems the perfect place to get involved! Our group intends to use two spaces in the basement to set up a wet lab for processing and printing of still and motion picture film, and a dry work space for editing and post production. We also intend to outfit the ballroom and disco room for various sized screenings, including setting up a projection booth with multiple playback formats (16mm, 35mm, digital video), a new projection screen, and chairs, all for community and event use. Exhibition is an important way to showcase the collectives’ work, as well as the larger international community of filmmakers. By outfitting common spaces for cinematic presentation, we will be transforming them into a greater community asset for the film collective as well as the Omni. In addition, Black Hole Collective Lab seeks to engage community youth members through an educational outreach program. This program would involve teaching young adults about traditional photographic practices, both through the camera and by working in the darkroom. In a world dominated by fast pace technology we aim to provide a space in which analog processes can be preserved. Harnessing interest from our community’s youth will help to preserve these traditional forms of art and create a deeper understanding for modern technology and its influence in both film and photography. 4. Group finances and paying rent What does your group do to support itself financially? What is your best plan for contributing your potential share of rent to the Omni? (less than 5 sentences) 

   BH was originally offered free space by OOC as a member collective to incubate their community resource. To start, we propose to contribute our share of utilities up to $200 per month for the first 2 months beginning April 1st, while we improve and invest in basement infrastructure (mold abatement, new drywall, additional plumbing, improved ventilation, as well as installing improved projection facilities in Ballroom & Disco Room)

   After two months of working on the space, we can commit $400 rent and better accommodate new contributing members

   We will contribute more financially as our project and membership grows and infrastructure is established.

   BH is fully commited to financial transparency. Our collective members will pay a monthly fee to cover rent costs. We plan to have a multi-tiered membership engagement/payment model to increase accessibility. We also want exhibitions and screenings to contribute to infrastructure, supplies and rent costs.

5. Dedicated space Basement area, showing proposed BHCL lab area and 'Bunker 2' work area If your group would like some dedicated space at the Omni, what square footage and what features are you looking for? Which specific rooms do you feel might be suitable? (1-3 sentences) 

   Shared area: We will contribute analog and digital film projection equipment as we can for use in the Ballroom and Disco Room, so that all Omni member collectives and the community at large can present film and video screenings (with some training.)

   Dedicated areas:

   We propose two areas to accommodate community film production and processing; a 'wet' area and a 'dry' area.

   The 'wet' darkroom will be in the basement in the NW corner. We will complete installation of ventilation and run plumbing to accommodate darkroom sinks and drainage at our expense.

   We propose a 'dry' area as a dedicated film workspace in Bunker 2 containing irreplaceable, delicate film editing equipment, and sharing a third of Bunker 1 immediately outside the door to bunker 2, that would have some work tables.

   The Bunker 2 area is an ideal space for BHCL as it is an existing room wherein we can secure irreplaceable film equipment and it provides needed dark space. It is important for those donating equipment to know that it will be kept safe and secure. The equipment is not manufactured anymore and to secure equipment donations, we need to have a secure space.

   The work tables set up in the Western third of Bunker 1 would be privileged for film production use, including equipment such as light boxes and edit tables. It would be demarcated by a temporary, freestanding partial partition (such as a 'cube' wall) that could still allow access to the rest of bunker room area, while blocking sound etc.

   We had earlier discussed using the east hallway as workspace, however we recognize that there may be code compliance issues around actively using this space before our final Fire Life & Safety and building inspection has been performed. In order for Black Hole Collective Lab to move in as soon as possible, and to allow fire inspection to move forward smoothly, we would like to leave that space open.

6. Additional Is there any other information that you think would be useful for us to know about your group? (as many sentences as you like) Our collective is a group with vastly different skills to share and trade. We represent a wide breadth of knowledge and through workshops and educational events, can share these skills and talents and promote arts in our community.

Discussion

Meeting-wide discussion of issues, concerns, ideas, etc. == Optik Allusions Tenancy Proposal 1. Mission Statement: What do you do? What happens in the world because you exist? Optik Allusions is a digital filmmaking collective dedicated to social change, based in Oakland, California. We share resources, skills and knowledge to help each other tell stories that might otherwise remain untold. We make films in a spirit of collaboration and solidarity, share a lending library of film equipment for creative projects, organize free, at cost or donation-based workshops. 2. Origin and group history: How did you start? What have you done? Optik Allusions had its first meeting on 07/09/14, as a group of artists affiliated with various collectives within OMNI. Since then, we have organized workshops for screenwriting, editing, filming and sound recording, and we are curating a growing equipment library. We have also filmed and set up lights for many ballroom events. We collaborated on the Omni’s fundraising video[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Zccga90hcY ] and produced 13 short videos for the "Omni in 30 seconds" series [2]. We are currently working on two short documentaries: - One on gentrification in West Oakland (in collaboration with ACCE, an activist network that is fighting to stop evictions around the Bay Area). - One about the Oscar Grant Committee, with the collaboration of the OGC's members. 3. Participation in the Omni: Why are you interested in becoming a member? How does your group intend to use the space? What are your needs? Currently, OpAl is not seeking membership but to be a tenant in solidarity, with the possibility of applying for membership in the future. We would steward a room as a commons by setting up and maintaining a few computers with the Adobe Creative Suite installed on them, for anyone to use to do media and post-production work. The space will be available for people to reserve to host workshops, hold editing sessions, or have small screenings of the work they’ve created. 4. Group finances and paying rent: What does your group do to support itself financially? What is your best plan for contributing your potential share of rent to the Omni? OpAl is financed by the personal contributions of its members. We also intend to throw fundraising events. We have a recommended monthly membership of 15$ (no one turned away for lack of funds) and we’d like to contribute to the Omni utilities with the amount that we’re able to raise from our membership, which we estimate will be $100, but we’re hoping to reach $150 as our membership grows, and we’re willing to reassess the amount in 6 months. 5. Dedicated space: If your group would like some dedicated space at the Omni, what square footage and what features are you looking for? Which specific rooms do you feel might be suitable?

Currently, OpAl has been operating out of the small room to the left of the stage. We would like to move the computer suite to the room directly above (which people usually refer to as the radio room), and we would like to change the deadbolt on that door so that it doesn’t lock automatically, thus making the room more open and available to others. This room is 89’ square on the main floor, with a lofted space that is 43’ square, for a total of 132’ square. The small room below would then be available for storing stage-related equipment, and we are willing to prepare it for such use by installing shelving and lockable cabinets. However, we would like to continue storing our film equipment in this room, since it will be secure and it is an ideal place for us to access it when we use OpAl gear for ballroom events. 6. Other contributions to the Omni: We have ideas for dinner-and-a-movie type fundraisers (one of our members is a culinary artist), and we plan to restart weekly movie nights. We are also exploring a partnership with a global film activist network called Films For Action (filmsforaction.org) through which we would host screenings on a bi-monthly basis. Proceeds from these kinds of events can go to the Omni, and they have potential to bring in new folks and a regular crowd of film enthusiasts. As always, we are happy to provide production assistance for events requiring lighting, sound, projection, or filming. ==OY to steward Disco Room: we interface with all users/renters of the disco room (to make sure they have insurance or get on our plan as additional insured) therefore we handle booking for the disco room a portion (to be determined, sliding scale, situational dependent) of proceeds/fees go to the insurance fund we keep the room clean, and pursue cleaning deposit deductions get insurance as a collective UA!

Action Items

For Next Week

Any Proposals or Discussions which were tabled for lack of time, etc.

Optional Breakout Discussion

Meeting attendees count up to >8 (number dependant on size of meeting), after which all same numbers collect into smaller groups to discuss the current topic/s. (Approx 20 mins, depending on time available)

This Week's Topic

Ideas for Breakout Discussions

  • How do/should we ineract with unwelcome (abusive/hostile/drunk/etc) guests (Especially if you are alone!) and diffuse/solve the situation?
  • OMNI Finances: How can move toward more transparency about how much the Omni costs? And more comfort talking about money within the Omni and its members?
  • Kindness, Forgiveness, Self care, Debt and Jubilee
  • Friendships, Relationships, and Organizing
  • What is your 50 year vision for The Omni? The year is 2064: What is the Omni? Who/What makes up its membership? How has it changed Oakland, the rest of the world, and the word "community"?
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