Renee and Cherry from Black Spark Cultural Centre join Nana Owusu on The Score to discuss the centre’s role in fostering community, creativity, and resistance. Founded in 2021, Black Spark is an experimental, volunteer-run bookshop, gallery and community hub in Northcote, Naarm. They welcome countless grassroots community collectives, creatives and collaborators through their doors, hosting evrything from art exhibitions to poetry evenings to open forum discussions.

Renee balances her work at an environmental non-profit with weekends at Black Spark, believing that building community is essential for resisting capitalism. Whilst Cherry, a La Trobe student, created Class Out of School, a project that breaks down educational gatekeeping by bringing academics into community for public lectures. 

Black Spark is a welcoming and supportive space for the entire community. With a pay-by-ability system, no one is turned away from its events, which include music gigs, film screenings, meditation collectives, and more. Black Spark's mission is to be a space of creativity, learning and liberation. By stepping away from transactional relationships, Black Spark nurtures personal connections and solidarity on unceded, Aboriginal land.

“The best way to get in contact is to drop in for a cup of tea and have a chat.”

Keep up with Black Spark on Instagram and Facebook.