Request Space

The front room of the Free Space – furniture can be moved to create a more open space for events up to 50 people.  The Free Space also has a kids’ room, kitchenette and office area.

To request use of the Minnehaha Free Space for your meeting or event, please fill out the form linked below.  It’ll automatically send us an email with the details of your request, and we’ll discuss the request at our next collective meeting.

MINNEHAHA FREE SPACE EVENT RESERVATION REQUEST FORM

By filling out this form, you acknowledge that you understand and agree to adhere by the guidelines and policies on this page (see the sections below for specific guidelines about suggested monetary donation and about musical events in our space).

We also recommend reading our Guide to Promoting Events at the Free Space – event promotion is primarily you/your group’s responsibility.

If you have questions, or if your meeting/event is less than a week away, you may wish to email us directly: radspacetc@gmail.com.

Minnehaha Free Space
Space Use Guidelines

By confirming a reservation for use of the Minnehaha Free Space, you and/or your organization agree to abide by the guidelines below, in addition to any other terms communicated by the MARS Collective/Minnehaha Free Space.

You and/or your organization agree to the following terms in regard to your use of the space:

• You will leave the space in as good a condition as it was found, or better. Depending on your use of the space, this may include vacuuming the carpet, mopping linoleum floors, taking out the trash/recycling, putting away chairs and other equipment, washing all dishes used, and/or more.
• You will adhere to all existing policies posted in the space, including (but not limited to) no alcohol/drugs, no pets, and smoking a minimum of 10 feet away from doors.
• You will treat other users of the space with respect.
• You will not engage in activities or behaviors that perpetuate oppression, including but not limited to racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, classism, etc. If these behaviors arise while your group is using the space, you will be expected to address them so that all visitors to the space may feel welcomed.
• The Minnehaha Free Space strives to be family friendly. If your event is open to the public, you are expected to develop and/or maintain policies and practices that facilitate intergenerational involvement, including elders, parents, adults and children, as appropriate.
• Because the mission of the Minnehaha Free Space includes values (such as self-determination and opposition to domination and oppression) that often run contrary to law, and because activists acting on behalf of these values are sometimes targeted by law enforcement for their political activity, you should not engage in behaviors that might put these activists at risk. Be smart about security culture: for example, don’t brag about or propose illegal activities while in the space.
• For the same reasons, you will not invite law enforcement into the Minnehaha Free Space, except in an extreme safety situation.

In return, the MARS Collective/Minnehaha Free Space agrees:

• We will treat you with respect.
• We will only release and publicize information about you and your use of the space as agreed upon.
• We will adhere to all agreements made about space usage and payment/donation.
• We are not able to provide childcare staff; however, the materials in our space are available for all kids and their caregivers to use at your event.
• We will, to the best of our ability, resist any attempts by law enforcement to subpoena and/or otherwise gather information about you, your group and your activities.
• We reserve the right to revoke your use-of-space privileges through collective decision at any time.

Staffing

For small events/meetings (approximately 20 people or less), at least one Minnehaha Free space keyholder should be present somewhere in the space at all times. For larger events, at least two keyholders should be present.

By confirming a reservation, the MARS Collective/Minnehaha Free Space agrees to staff the space in this way during your event. You should thank these people! Staffers DO NOT, however, necessarily agree to assist with the logistics of setting up or cleaning up for your event. Their role is to maintain the safety and functionality of the space, and to answer any questions you might have on the day of the event.

Compensation

The Minnehaha Free Space relies almost exclusively on donations, in one form or another, to pay our bills. Payment/compensation requests will be agreed to on a case-by-case basis for each use of the space. The following points, however, serve as a guide:

• For small events/meetings (approx. 20 people or fewer), we ask for the equivalent of “passing the hat” for donations to our space (this could take the form of actually passing a hat, or a small donation from the organizers). As a rough guideline, minimum operating expenses for two open hours at our space are about $15. This amount does not need to be agreed upon before the event/meeting.

• For larger events, we will ask for a donation from the organizers, agreed upon before the event (suggested: $15-50, depending on the nature of your group and the event). If the event has a suggested donation at the door, we may also ask for 10% of this amount.

• We believe that money should generally flow from the global north to the global south, and from those who have been granted extra access to income, property and other resources due to their identities (for example white, middle/upper class, settler, man, straight) to those who have been systematically denied access due to their identities (for example people of color, working class/poor, indigenous, women, queer). We will take this into consideration when asking (or not) for compensation for use of the space. Please give more if your group falls significantly into the first category, so that we can offer the space to others for a reduced amount or free of charge.

Shows

The Free Space sits in a residential area, with neighbors directly behind our space, above an adjacent storefront, and nearby.  We aim to be considerate and respectful towards our neighbords, especially at night.  Therefore, in addition to all the guidelines listed above, we have adopted the following policy for events featuring music:

• Music should conclude no later than 11pm.
• Regarding volume, the event must comply with City of Minneapolis ordinances.  All judgment calls about noise level will be made by Free Space staff, and organizers/performers will be expected to abide by their requests if there is an issue.City ordinance states:
  Noisy or unruly assembly is defined as a gathering of more than one person in a residential area or building between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. whose noisy or illegal conduct would be likely to cause significant discomfort or annoyance to neighbors.  In addition to noise, such conduct may include obstruction of streets/sidewalks, minors consuming alcohol, provision of alcohol to minors, fighting, disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct, littering, and public urination.Public nuisance noise includes amplified sound from radio, loud speakers, stereo or other electronic device, inside or outside, which carries to adjacent residences and is audible at 50 feet or more
• The poster and other announcements for shows in the evening (for example, on facebook) must clearly include that the show will be sober.  The poster for the show should be approved by the MARS Collective member who serves as your contact person for the event.
• Organizers of the show should  help cleanup our space until all necessary cleanup is finished, to ease the burden on our staff.

Thank you!