The Reading Room Cardiff.

The Reading Room is a new collaborative project where people can read, learn, listen, and share ideas. It is being run at The Sustainable Studio as part of a project set up by community spaces across Cardiff, Peterborough, Newcastle, Gateshead and Manchester. The network of reading groups is backed up by Pluto Press and the Left Book Club.

The Reading Room provides not just access to the books included within its library collections, but also authors, who bring their insight on a variety of topics – subjects include grassroots organising, creative writing, campaigning, teaching, music and much more.

The reading groups included in this project provide forums to debate local issues that deeply affect people’s everyday lives. The Sustainable Studio takes its lead from the communities it partners with, and topics include inequality, the environment, precarious employment, LGBTQIA+ issues, structural racism and much more.

At its core, The Reading Rooms will help people find space to read, discuss and organise a better future. A better world is possible! 

The Reading Rooms Cardiff  is an opportunity to meet and discuss local problems that we encounter everyday with people who have developed innovative and powerful ways to make change happen through their writings, research and activism.

UPCOMING EVENTS & OPPORTUNITES

UPCOMING EVENTS & OPPORTUNITES

Opportunity

Reader in residence

The Sustainable Studio - home of our Cardiff radical reading room - is offering four local young activists aged 18-30 £625 each plus a food & drink allowance for a five day residency. You will browse our collection of Pluto Press and Left Book Club publications to:

● Propose new additions to the library working with the current Pluto catalogue

● Produce topical themed catalogues featuring a selection of books

● Suggest a new display of featured books

● Produce a 5-7 minute podcast about the experience

Deadline for Applications: 16.11.24

Applicants informed by: 23.11.24

Residencies to be completed by April 2025

Opportunity

Emerging event managers

We are offering for 2 emerging event managers aged 18-30 £1000 take an active role testing & shaping a new pilot & gaining industry ‘on the job’ immersive experience. You will:

Test an exciting new skills development programme - by doing it

● Develop industry knowledge by promoting & planning successful delivery of a Reading Room event & wider opportunities at TSS

● Co-produce a basic toolkit for planning & managing future Reading Room events

● Produce a 3-5 minute podcast about the learning experience

● Opportunity to support Reading Room through a 3 year programme of events with fee paid work

Deadline for Applications: 16.11.24

Applicants informed by: 23.11.24

Pilot to be completed by March 2025

HOW TO BORROW

The Reading Room is currently closed but will open soon from our new premises and include a new schedule of events.

  • You can borrow a  maximum of two books at one time.

  • Please return books after four weeks or email us if you would like to extend the period of borrowing. Extensions are allowed only if the book is not reserved.

  • Only one person can reserve at a time. Once someone reserves a copy that is due back, we email the person who has the copy to ask them to return it and notify the person who is next in one to borrow that title.

  • Books can be dropped off anytime within our opening hours (Mon – Friday, 10am – 5pm). Please post books into our grey drop box just inside our entrance.

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