Instagram story viewer> @ocabrazoka> Tagged

Ocabrazoka

@ocabrazoka

413

followers

436

following

🇧🇷Brazilian Org. based in Hastings/St Leonards aiming
to share our culture, promote Inclusion and integration in our community.
🇧🇷 Event Planners!

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Gratitude.

10

8

With less than two weeks to go, it’s our final event - a farewell to Hattons Yard…as we knew it.

We’re sad to be going, but also proud of our numerous achievements, efforts and collaborations.

We tried to do a cool thing during/post Covid to support community wellbeing and the creative / cultural sectors. Once again, we showed the immense power of communities to lead, be empathetic, and act swiftly to address local need with radical care:

- from food sovereignty / distribution to ethical sourcing,
- bolstering local supply chains to participatory high street regeneration,
- immersive storytelling/heritage spaces to culturally-rooted systems reimagining,
- catalysing localised systems change to spatial transformations,
- environmental stewardship to mental/physical wellness activities,
- implementing decolonial practices to advocating circular and solidarity economy frameworks,
-and creative placemaking led by and for communities impacted by race, gender, disability, socioeconomics.

Five years of striving for beneficial change, in spite, and because of, the constant barriers and entrenched systems of exclusion that we and so many others regularly face.

However, we didn’t do this alone, we did this in solidarity with various groups, organisations, creatives and a plethora of community developers who provided activities for several hundred people every week.

Imagine what we could have done if we had been properly resourced and supported, rather than gaslit, overlooked, blocked, excluded and/or omitted. Imagine if…

Come visit the space one last time during our tenure, so that we can have a collective goodbye…in community and in solidarity. 🙏🏾🙏🏽❤️

#imagineif
#solidarityeconomy

36

0

Woo, what a day!

Despite the grey, rainy day, eager shoppers formed a queue long before the doors opened. The steady flow of shoppers and many conversations meant we were too slow to capture images of the items available for sale: vintage enamelware, bric-a-brac, garden wares, and retro kitchenalia / film equipment / furnishings.

This reel contains images of some of the remaining items, which will be available for sale next week, alongside more retro items, plus plants, trees and select items from other sellers.

Our thanks to everyone who stopped by and bought and/or chatted with us - helping us to raise funds for ongoing costs. The loss of the building and the clear-out continue to be quite emotional for many people, but it was quite cathartic to catch up with friends, neighbours and first-time visitors.

Special thanks to the team of volunteers who cleared and sorted last week in preparation, and to those who made time to help us today. We appreciate you! 🙏🏾🙏🏽❤️

Our final, FINAL Yard Sales continue next Saturday and Sunday at the same time: 10-2pm - with more refreshments and good vibes. Come down, if you can, and join us as we continue saying our goodbyes to this cherished space.

#communityyardsale
#creativeplacemaking
#hattonsyard
#solidarityinaction

9

0

🎉 We’re so happy to have Ocabrazoka involved again in our upcoming event in Newhaven 🇧🇷

An amazing Brazilian organisation based in Hastings, bringing energy, culture and community every time!

Find out more about their brilliant work 👉 www.ocabrazoka.org

We’re especially excited to welcome Emmanuel and his incredible drumming group from Dendê Nation 🥁🔥 — expect powerful rhythms and seriously good vibes.

✨ Marie Louis, artist, will be hosting a beautiful creative arts & crafts workshop

💃 Ana Carolina, samba dancer, will be leading a stunning dance performance and workshop

Music, movement, creativity and Brazilian culture all coming together, as part of our joyful, multicultural celebration 🌍 💕

#BrazilianCulture #MulticulturalCelebration #CommunityEvent #Newhaven #CelebrateDiversity

35

4

Dear community,

Despite our best efforts, it was confirmed last week that we have been unsuccessful in our bid to save Hattons Yard for ongoing community-centred activities. We apologise for the delay in sharing this news, as it necessitated urgent in-person organising.

Thank you to everyone for your efforts to try and save the space. This is not the end of the story, just the end of this chapter.

We’re so proud of what we managed, and tried, to achieve over the last five years, despite enormous challenges, systemic discrimination and exclusion.

Hattons Yard, much like our former high street regeneration space, Small Acts (community hub/kitchen), is an example of the power of communities to effect impactful change based on need. In these spaces, we created sovereign systems of care, creativity and mutual aid from sites of intentional neglect, proving that our solutions exist.

Our focus right now is to continue fundraising to cover overheads while we clear and clean the site for handover. We’ll also keep you posted about upcoming Yard sales and final events in February.

We are not the only organisation being displaced. Over the entirety of our tenure, we have incubated organisations and creative entrepreneurs, some of whom will also face losing their base. Our community’s need for accessible, affordable and secure space is now more urgent than ever.

CALL TO ACTION: If anyone locally can help with maker, rehearsal, storage, or workshop space, please DM us directly. Let us protect our community’s assets and creative force.

Thank you to our incredible team, our supporters, and all who stood in solidarity with us in trying to shape and save this space. We’re so thankful for your efforts and for being on this journey with us.

In love & solidarity,

✊🏾❤️

#commuityleddevelopment
#mutualaidmatters
#regenerativefutures
#sortedbyninjas
#spacematters

143

56

As we start the new week, we want to share some images from the @itvmeridian news piece about our @hattonsyard space, which aired last week. We’re so thankful to reporter, Charlotte Wilkins, for covering our story.

In response to the news piece and query of inequitable distribution of public funds and exclusionary practices by, Hastings Borough Council, an official statement was provided stating that:

“A small amount of funding has been made available through the Community Safety budget.” Hmmm.

Further into the statement, the council also tried to divert attention towards ‘future’ funds, a new ‘Neighbourhood Board’ and apparent “diversity training” - that’s for the Board, not the council. There was no mention of financial support right now or the lack of it in previous years.

When we talk about ‘systemic’ discrimination, in terms of financial exclusion alone, from our research, we discovered that since 2020, LESS THAN 0.25% of all public funds distributed via HBC went to Black-led businesses or organisations. [The figures are equally woeful in the 5, 10 or 15 years preceding the Covid pandemic.]

REALITY CHECK
Melanated communities comprise at least 6% of the local population.
Regarding Black communities specifically:
- We predominantly work in the public sector, civil society, creative industries and/or entrepreneurship.
- Our creative entrepreneurs contribute significantly to the town’s creative and cultural programming,
- We have a positive impact on the creative / local / visitor economies.
- 20% of all businesses are social enterprises.
- Community groups / organisations promote cultural inclusion, social cohesion, wellbeing and community safety.
- 99.9% will have experienced discrimination, inequities, trauma due to race.

SPACE MATTERS!
Black-led/owned spaces are an act of resistance, safety, wellbeing and survival! We’re trying to create spaces of inclusion, creativity and freedom, yet we’re expected to do this without any, or minimal, support. This issue seems to be by design, much like the overall economic deprivation of the town.

#decolonise
#economicjustice
#racialjusticematters
#safespacesmatter

66

3

HELP SAVE OUR SPACE!

As the world reels from the multiple crises and disaster zones, we need to spotlight a local issue.

We’re reaching out to our community, whether close or far, to ask for support to save our beloved cultural arts space, which provides vital community-powered support programmes.

We hate to ask for assistance in this way, but systemic discrimination and exclusion is too much now for us to stay silent. In a town with no dedicated cultural centre, our safe space for cultural & community development, classes and events, is under threat of closure. We don’t want it to be a stat in the increasing loss of Black-led community and cultural spaces across the UK.

@hattonsyard is an amazing community resource that has held space for so much community development, reimagining and wellbeing. The loss of this space will have a profound impact on the beneficiaries, surrounding area, local and wider community / economy.

Most people don’t see the economic, social, health or environmental benefits that this space (and the activities within) brings. They don’t see the trauma prevent work, the mental health support services, the hyper-local investment and the circular / solidarity economy initiatives and many other services.

Regular, everyday people have stood with us in solidarity to create this simple, but extraordinary space on the wrong side of the tracks. Not top down, nor performative, but from the grassroots!

The power and potential of communities to drive long-term change is an often untapped resource. We’re fortunate enough to see the possibilities when that potential is unlocked…when the barriers are removed and support is provided.

We know it’s a lot to ask, but please, if you can, donate or share the link to the @crowdfunderuk appeal. Link in bio or…
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/hattonsyard.

In appreciation, the BB / JR / HY family. 🙏🏾🙏🏽🙏🏼❤️

220

27

On this first day of November, we’re beginning a turning point with our community-led, cultural arts space @hattonsyard - more info to come on Monday.

This post, however, is a show of gratitude to Leila (@retrobella13) and the brilliant team from @ocabrazoka that brings so much love, joy and cultural celebration to each of their ‘Brazilian Togetherness’ events. Plus, fab dancing, as always, by @karol_hodd. 🥳🇧🇷

Our thanks also to @mac_dende for sharing the love and joy by leading his local @1dende.nation drum troupe to play at the monthly market and streets of St Leonards. 🙏🏾❤️

Creative wellbeing / cultural healing and collective care in action! 🇧🇷❤️

As if to remind us of the beauty of life on this planet and the need for love, compassion and collective care, with children we watched in wonder at the sight of a rainbow from the community garden. 🌈

#collectivecare
#creativewellbeing
#culturalhealing
#kingsroadmarketstleonards
#soulfulsaturday

107

11

Post 9 & the final post of a great Saturday afternoon- the smiling faces of @ocabrazoka (landscape) #thepaddedroomies #thepaddedroomofficial #raw_community #rk_community #welovebeautifulshots #thebestoftheuk #hastingsphotographer #bexhillphotographer #eastbournephotographer #rebels_united #hiyapapayaphotoaday #picturethis365. #gramoftheday #itsmyweek #aywmc #ayearwithmycamera @karinalevere_zumbaatbrazi

56

2

Post 8- the smiling faces of @ocabrazoka (portrait) #thepaddedroomies #thepaddedroomofficial #raw_community #rk_community #welovebeautifulshots #thebestoftheuk #hastingsphotographer #bexhillphotographer #eastbournephotographer #rebels_united #hiyapapayaphotoaday #picturethis365. #gramoftheday #itsmyweek #aywmc #ayearwithmycamera @karinalevere_zumbaatbrazi

47

3

Post 7- Festa Junina, a Brazilian festival celebrating the harvest and Catholic saints, incorporates “bride” and “groom” attire as part of its traditional “quadrilha” dance. This dance, inspired by European quadrilles, often features a mock wedding with a bride and groom as central characters, symbolizing fertility and the celebration of rural life. After seeing the two brides grappling to the floor the grooms ran away. lol. #thepaddedroomies #thepaddedroomofficial #raw_community #rk_community #welovebeautifulshots #thebestoftheuk #hastingsphotographer #bexhillphotographer #eastbournephotographer #rebels_united #hiyapapayaphotoaday #picturethis365. #gramoftheday #itsmyweek #aywmc #ayearwithmycamera @ocabrazoka @leilanew69 @licarlana @karol_hodd @ricardoaxebrazuca @irisatacross

41

5

Post 6- Another single post of Father & daughter. @leilanew69 of @ocabrazoka family. #thepaddedroomies #thepaddedroomofficial #raw_community #rk_community #welovebeautifulshots #thebestoftheuk #hastingsphotographer #bexhillphotographer #eastbournephotographer #rebels_united #hiyapapayaphotoaday #picturethis365. #gramoftheday #itsmyweek #aywmc #ayearwithmycamera @ocabrazoka @leilanew69 @valdison_goncalves @pietraggoncalves

66

3