The Brycc House
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Inspired by (and consciously modeled upon) ABC No Rio, The Brycc House (Bardstown Road Youth Cultural Center) was a youth center in Louisville, Kentucky that served as a music venue, organizing space, and convention center, among other things. It inspired numerous youth in the region to create something similar in their towns, such as the Mycc Stand (Madison Youth Cultural Center) in Madison, Indiana.
It was born in 1999 when Bill Allison, a candidate for Third Ward Alderman, met with the staff of Brat Magazine to discuss their concerns about city government and youth issues. One of the things that the Brat staff wanted was a youth-run youth center on Bardstown Road, the north end of which is a major pedestrian-oriented commercial/residential district in Louisville. Allison agreed that this would be a good idea since many voters/constituents had expressed concern that kids were wandering up and down Bardstown Road. From one point of view, the kids were causing trouble and should be swept off the street; from another point of view, the kids had no place to go and needed a place of their own. Allison promised to get money for the center if the Brat staff would put together a proposal and form a nonprofit corporation to run the center.
That was exactly what happened. The nonprofit, Brycc House Inc, was formed in 1999 and obtained IRS 501(c)(3) status shortly thereafter. After several months of searching, the group found a building at 1055 Bardstown Road.
There were many plans for things such as an on-air radio station (which did make it as Internet radio), a darkroom, a community computer lab (this was somewhat functional under the directive of the Hex Collective), meeting space for radical groups, and much more. Much of the same work is being carried out at the new location, which has been dubbed The Brick House. Unfortunately, many of the projects did not get off the ground, as paying the extraordinary rent became the sole focus of the facility. Despite receiving limited grant money from the City Of Louisville, the center was forced to put on music shows nearly every day of every week for some time. The resulting burn-out and numerous personal crises among the members, not to mention the monetary strain, caused the Brycc House to close its doors and relocate.
[edit] Conventions and other major events
- Southern Girls Convention (2000)
- In.Fest.Ed (Independent Festival of Education)
- IWW National Conference
- PAZ (Permanent Autonomous Zone) Conference
- Insomniacathon
