Classical music in a squat

I had never heard of a classical music concert in a squat before, so I was intrigued to go along and see what it is about. The Bonding Warehouse is a magnificent building on the waterfront in York. It was flooded in 2000, and has been derelict ever since. It would be a great venue for a restaurant and live music.

To highlight this waste of space, it has been squatted a couple of times in the past year or so. Last time, it was a typical nutter squat where scum gatecrashed a party and smashed things up. This time though it is very different. The squatters are students, and last night organised a classical music concert with violinists playing Bach, and then a brass section playing some modernist piece (less pleasing to my ears).

Classical music in a squat is truly subversive and punk. The routine thing to do is for somebody to move in a sound system and then deafen the neighbours with dance music - playing out an entirely scripted role. It's great when people think creatively and come up with something different.

It was a great atmosphere - an abandoned building, candles, fairy lights, violins, views of the Ouse and Cliffords Tower. It is frustrating that it is not in use. The squatters are arguing that it should be a community space. Let's be honest though - there is nobody with the will and resources to turn it into a community space. The squatters are only staying a short while. The only thing that will save this amazing building is a visionary entrepreneur who is prepared to invest capital and get it working again.

According to the indymedia article, the owners want to turn it into boutique shops. I can't see this happening - it's too far out of the centre to get the footfall, and the ground floor is too prone to flooding.

What it needs to be is a very simple ground floor bar that can be easily mopped in the event of a flood, with a restaurant and live music space on the 1st and 2nd floors. It would be an excellent summer venue, and would pull in people walking along the Ouse of an evening.