About Braich Goch - Red Arm

Braich Goch-Red Arm CIC (BG-RA) is a collective of 4 people with a wide range of experience and knowledge and the desire to contribute to social change.  On 25th May 2017 we took ownership of the Braich Goch Inn and Bunkhouse, a 450 year old tavern in the village of Corris, on the edge of the Snowdonia National Park near Machynlleth, West Wales.  Surrounded by woodland, mountains, rivers, waterfalls and close to a beautiful coastline, the building is suitable for gatherings, residencies, performances and meetings.

 WHY?

We have all worked with diverse communities over the years, and have found residential experiences provide an ideal way for people to come together, build and deepen relationship, plan their work - cooking and eating and breathing the rural air together can often be the cement for bringing us together to work for change. Instead of always renting spaces from other people we decided that we could increase this impact by owning a property and making it a 'home from home.'

We aim to develop Braich Goch Inn as a residential centre and a critical educational resource for individuals, community based groups and organisations that are seeking to find ways to work together to combat the sources and effects of inequality, poverty, discrimination and oppression at local, national and/or international levels.

WHO

Whilst we have the building work was taking place we were formally closed, but nevertheless have had many visitors. Fifteen group visits brought 82 different people originating from 17 different countries of the world and now living and organising in Hull, Leeds, Middlesbrough, Birmingham, Manchester, London and Jamaica. Two local events - a women's street performance and a Latin American Music Festival prompted us to offer beds to 20 artists.  We have had three events for families to gather - another 32 visitors. We have begun a dialogue with a number of local agencies - The Centre for Alternative Technology, the Public Interest Research Centre, and Mid Wales Refugee Action exploring potential collaboration and joint ventures. Braich Goch is developing as a local resource and has already been used by local people for meetings, training, and a birthday party - more to follow.

And NOW:

We are getting the word out to local and national groups that the resource is there for them to use.

We are particularly focusing on Wales, finding and meeting activists and researching ways in which the Braich Goch could usefully serve their ends.

There are currently four interlinking projects being developed that will focus locally, nationally, and internationally:

     Women Weaving Webs (WWW) will focus on making Braich Goch a safe space for women to meet and explore critical issues and ways to work together to address them;

     Critical Experimental Laboratory and Performing Arts (CELTA) will create a space for diverse groups of people to research, experiment, understand and challenge oppressive practices and create artistic pieces to present their findings to a wide range of audiences

     Radical Advocacy in Action (Raa!) will work with people who are at the edge, fighting the status quo for survival, by supporting them to learn to be their own advocates and to advocate for others;

     HeArts and Dreams: training and workshops using art and creativity to engage people with issues and questions around refuge (young people, men and women), migration, cultural exchange, mental health and wellbeing. 

       Support us and donate today

Bank details:

Braich Goch-Red Arm CIC, 

Sort: 30-65-93

Acc: 23671560

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Braich Goch Sanctuary

For many of us the experience of seeking refuge or even being granted refugee status does not come without trauma; the long hours of interviews being asked the same questions in many different ways, the feeling that officials do not believe you, the constant struggle of having to tell your story over again, to so many people whose job is not to believe you but to catch you out and call you a liar. All of this leaves us with a detrimental state of mind, confusion and a very real feeling of isolation. 

Braich Goch-Red Arm (BG-RA) is an organisation of people from refugee and migrant backgrounds who understand and have been through, or are going through, the experience of seeking Sanctuary. This is why we want to offer our centre and expertise to people (with an emphasis on young adults) who are also going through, or have been through, this experience. 

At the BG-RA centre we can accommodate groups of up to 20 people for residential experiences which include walking the beautiful mountains and valleys, swimming in rivers and lakes and exploring the wonderful coast of the Snowdonia National Park. During our residentials we cook, eat, dance, sing and make music together, reclaiming our humanity and dignity, celebrating our differences and learning from one another.  

Groups may choose to come for a resting residential to recharge and enjoy the surroundings of the pretty village of Corris, where our centre is located. Alternatively groups can engage in much more structured sessions where we use critical pedagogies such as Participatory Action Research to engage young people in learning towards social and environmental justice. We also work with groups to develop capacity and to take concrete action to bring about positive social change in our communities.

We use a vast range of methods and tools to work with people, these include: visual arts, theatre, dance, music, participatory film making, critical reading circles and discussion circles. 

For more information on our Sanctuary programme please send us an email (braichgochredarmcic@gmail.com) or give us a call.