The Lions' Den

Rampant Lion, by Jason Carswell.

Unfinished Scottish rampant lion painting, by Jason Carswell.

The Lions' Den - Windsor Media Projects & Freedom Underground, is a collaboration and creative space for animation, arts, audio-video, classes, creatives, editing, events, lectures, meetings, newsletters, podcasts, productions, recordings, screenings, workshops, etc.

History

The Windsor/Essex Freedom Movement (WEFreedom.ca) has been needing/wanting a community center, meeting place, and creative production studio for years. Located in the heart of downtown Windsor, and first discussed in February of 2025, the go ahead was granted in September of 2025, and steps are underway to renovate and evolve the 34'x17' main space into a multi-functional creative, event, and utility space.

Jason Carswell came up with "Freedom Underground", Vincent Cease came up with "The Lions' Den", and the space is a stones throw from the Windsor Centre for Film, Digital Media & the Creative Arts, more easily called the "Windsor Media Centre", which has been slowly undergoing renovations for years - thus our nearby soon-active space will also be known as the Windsor Media Projects in association with Projex.Wiki.

Projects

At The Lions' Den we hope to continue developing and producing many projects - some included in this partial list...

• arts, crafts, and maker culture
• audio, music, and video productions and recording
• Television series pitches
• The LeverMind Variety Show
  • Santa Libertas
• WEFreedom.ca action meetings
  • local, regional, national, global
• WEFreedom.ca communications meetings
• WEFreedom.ca education
  • classes
  • lectures
  • screenings
• WEFreedom.ca health and nutrition meetings
• WEFreedom.ca local newsletter
  • South-Western Ontario calendar and newsletter, primarily outlined in August, 2023.
• WEFreedom.ca social events and meetings

Production and event recording space

• The Lions' Den/Name origins - Ideas on what to call the space.
• The Lions' Den/Management plans - Organizing and setting up.
• The Lions' Den/Space renovations - Fixing up the space.

Potential studio/workshop names

Ideas of what to call the studio space:

The Lions' Den - Windsor Media Projects & Freedom Underground

• Agora Phylaxis
• Agoras Libertas Phylaxis
• Alternatives Compromises Solutions Trade-Offs
• Calm Down
• Chill Down
• Essex AV Workshop EAVW
• Essex Media Centre
• Essex Media Workshop EMW
• Everest Bunker
• Everest Media Centre
• FOEPATCHISM Workshop
• Forever Space
• Foreverest / For Everest / 4 Everest
• Fortress Of Solidarity
• Freedom Bunker
• Freedom Health Truth
• Freedom Underground Studio FUS
• Fringe Majority
• Giraffe Ideas
• Glossed And Profound
• Gnome O'Tierney Studio GOTS
  • No More Tyranny Studio NMTS
• LeverMind
• LeverMind Workshop
• Lions Den
• Lions Lair
• Projex Workshop
• Safe Space For Freedom
• Santa's Workshop
• The Cave
• The Dungeon
• The Shelter (the name of an alternative club under St. Andrew's Hall in Detroit)
• The Underground (like London's subway + all things with the name and iconography)
• Truth Freedom Health
• Underground Lair
• Underground Broadcasts
• Victoria Recording Studio
• WE Freedom Workshop (Windsor Essex)
• Windsor AV Workshop
• Windsor Media Centre (satirically meant to be confused with the other centre with an awkwardly longer name)
• Windsor Media Workshop
• Windsor Recording Studio
• Wyandotte Recording Studio

Plans to do

• ☐ buy:
  • ☐ audio + video gear
  • ☐ sound dampening + moving blankets
  • ☑☐ projector + speakers
• ☐ draft:
  • ☐ draft business plan (goals, roadmap, scheduling, sustainability, profit, maintenance, etc.)
  • ☐ draft branding plan (name, logo, style guide, etc.)
  • ☐ draft public relations plan (marketing, advertising, social media, etc.)
  • ☐ draft scripts, screenplays, skits, stage-plays, teleplays
• ☐ plan:
  • ☑ plan layout
  • ☐ plan security (int/ext surveillance cameras, locks, etc.)
  • ☐ plan projects
    • ☐ audio-video recording + live streaming
      • ☐ events + performances (acting, bands, comedy, karaoke, lectures, meetings, music, music videos, stage, theatre, etc.)
      • ☐ live stream (internet access?) + recording (equipment?)
    • ☐ banquets + parties
    • ☐ collapsible wall of folding doors
    • ☐ cycloramas (white, green, black)
    • ☐ meetings
    • ☐ movie theater (white screen + projector + speakers)
    • ☐ moving walls on wheels
    • ☐ production and podcast recording
      • ☐ LeverMind Variety Show, featuring Santa Libertas (a dedicated corner)
      • ☐ Nepalese Podcast (a dedicated corner)
      • ☐ podcast accommodation for other shows (various rolling backdrops, sets, etc.)

Renovation to do

• ☐ clean space
  • ☑☐ clear space of garbage, wood, and stuff
  • ☑☐ determine what stays, sells, donations, etc.
  • ☑☐ organize Hakka supplies and stuff
  • ☑ anchor lockers to wall

• ☐ fix up
  • ☑ fix cinder-block problems
  • ☑ moisture-seal external walls
  • ☑☑☐ prime walls, ceiling
  • ☐ seal floor
  • ☐ paint murals on walls
  • ☑☐ paint lockers
• ☑☐ plan layout, security, projects (above) to determine needs and priorities

• ☐ buy
  • ☐ 3 demijons to make wine + beer ?
  • ☐ 8ft lighting
  • ☐ padlocks with one key set (bins, lockers, storage room(s), etc.)

• ☐ get / transport

• • ☐ Emma's to Dan
    • ☐ metal (+ shelving brackets)
    • ☐ old table saw to sell

• • ☐ Emma's to Hakka
    • ☐ books (bookshelf set decoration)
    • ☑ Christmas stuff
    • ☐ giant dolly
    • ☑ lighting
    • ☑ paint
    • ☑☐ supplies (anchors + brackets, nails + screws, pipes + wood, etc.)
    • ☑ tech gear (in bins?)
    • ☑ tools (drills, paint gear, saws, etc.)
    • ☐ UPS

• • ☐ Emma's to Home
    • ☐ animation table
    • ☐ UPS

• • ☐ Hakka to Emma's
    • ☐ wood to make wood rack
    • ☐ wood

• • ☐ Home to Emma's
    • ☑ wardrobe rack

• • ☐ Home to Hakka
    • ☑ GooGone
    • ☑ Christmas gear
    • ☑ audio/video gear
    • ☐ editing gear

• • ☐ Media Centre to Emma's
    • ☐ empty bins
    • ☐ books + files + mags (sorted into bins)
    • ☐ clothes (washed & sorted at home) (into bins)
    • ☐ kitchen (washed & sorted at home) (into bins)
    • ☐ misc stuff (washed & sorted at home) (into bins)
    • ☐ toiletries (washed & sorted at home) (into bins)
    • ☐ tools

• • ☐ Media Centre to Hakka
    • ☐ books (bookshelf set decoration)
    • ☑ Christmas
    • ☑☐ furniture (chairs, desks, mirrors, shelves, tables, wardrobe, etc.)

• • ☐ Media Centre to Home
    • ☐ clothes (wash, sort, then to donate, Emma's, rags, or trash)

• ☐ build + prep:
  • ☑☐ anchors + tracks in ceiling, walls, floor
  • ☐ animation desk
  • ☐ animation table + rig (also for table top shoots)
  • ☐ audio booth
  • ☐ carpet + sound dampening
  • ☐ divider rolling curtains
  • ☐ divider rolling walls - plain
  • ☐ divider rolling walls - with mounted set backdrops
  • ☐ divider temp-door panels that can be locked in place
  • ☐ divider temp-wall panels that can be locked in place
  • ☐ editing bay
  • ☐ equipment room
  • ☐ props room
  • ☐ supplies room
  • ☐ tools room
  • ☐ wall baffling (Rockwool insulation panels covered in black fabric)