Can Russell Brand's Trew Era Café kick off a social change revolution?
- Text by Megan White
- Photography by Megan White
Russell Brand opened his very own Trew Era Café on March 27 on the New Era Estate, Hoxton – the site of a successful residents’ battle against rent hikes last year.
The café is a self-supporting, not-for-profit social enterprise project staffed by ex-offenders and recovering drug addicts. Brand says he aims to open similar projects across London.
“Thanks for coming to this thing, I feel like a minor royal without the allegations,” he told the huge crowd. “This estate was supposed to be closed by Westbrook [developers], but because of these women and the way they organised and the way they confronted that authority, it wasn’t able to happen.
“We’ll start more and more of these social enterprises. Eventually, we will trade with one another in our own currency. We are going to create our own systems, our own federations, our own currencies, our own authorities.”
Brand also criticised political parties, stating that they only help themselves, and that we should create our own systems.
“Politics is dead – this is the end of politics,” he said. “What we’re discussing now is what comes after, something worse or something better. They’re already preparing for something worse. Police are becoming militarised across the world. We have an opportunity to create something better. It will start with small enterprises like this, which put the power where it belongs – with the people.”
The opening also featured the founders of the New Era estate campaign, Lindsey Garrett and Lynsay Spiteri, and Focus E15 mother Jasmine Stone.
The café will also have its own beehives and chickens to make their own produce and trade with similar projects across London, more of which Brand hopes to establish.
Find out more about Trew Era Cafe.
You might like
The anti-tourism guides revealing Lisbon’s true, radical heart
We Hate Tourism Tours — The Portuguese capital sees millions of people visit a year, against a backdrop of political turbulence and a housing crisis fuelled by short term holiday lets. Jack Burke meets the crew subverting their city’s perception, while bringing lesser seen stories and monuments to light.
Written by: Jack Burke
The global skateboarding crew reshaping Muslim sisterhood
Skater Uktis — Founded in London in 2020, the crew has ballooned across the world, with meetups and members in Pakistan, Palestine and beyond. Zahra Onsori tracks its rise and the powerful community it has created.
Written by: Zahra Onsori
Massive Attack condemn authoritarianism after Singapore ban for displaying Palestine flag
‘Impromptu expression’ — In a statement released on Sunday, the band drew parallels to policing in the UK after being detained and banned from the country for raising the flag onstage at a concert.
Written by: Ella Glossop
Palestine Action ban ruling set for Supreme Court appeal
Final stand — Founder Huda Ammori has won permission to challenge the Court of Appeal’s verdict, which upheld the group’s proscription as a ‘terror organisation’.
Written by: Ella Glossop
Inside the searing, strangely wholesome world of competitive chilli eating
Red hot — Exploding out of pandemic-era isolation, a growing community of chilliheads are competing across the globe, devouring millions of Scoville units and fighting off agonising capsaicin cramps in the process. Hannah Bentley speaks to some of the scene’s key figures to find out why.
Written by: Hannah Bentley
As Hanoi’s nightlife faces raids & repression, its underground scene modulates
Spaces Between the Beats — Tensions between nightlife and authorities have grown in recent times, as police target venues and their patrons with increasingly frequent drug testing and searches. With clubs becoming hostile spaces as a result, Hanoi’s electronic music community is finding new spaces and forms of expression, reports Martin Guttridge-Hewitt.
Written by: Martin Guttridge-Hewitt
