A Manifesto on Free Cultural Spaces

Pretty Vacant  –  A Manifesto on Free Cultural Spaces

At the end of the 7th Futurologic Symposium on Free Cultural Spaces, ADM, Amsterdam, October 2017, we issued a ‘Pretty Vacant’ Manifesto in praise of the extremely diverse range of Free Cultural Spaces around the world. An invitation for all people to support the adventurous exploratories that are part of the FCS. Free Cultural Spaces are not just festivals and squats, but include many intentional communities, eco- and organics initiatives, free schools, creative nomads and more. Rock on, and get our world positively shaking again!

There were eight points in the eventual Manifesto. Here are three which capture the spirit of the FCS movement world-wide:

• We are the inhabitants and users of Free Cultural Spaces. People of all walks of life meet each other in Free Cultural Spaces. These spaces are particularly well suited for exploring the unknown and pushing boundaries. Their personal charisma reinforces the bonds between urban, rural and neighbourhood dwellers, and their hospitality fosters a versatile cosmopolitan society.
• A free cultural climate is at odds with the proliferating gentrification. Instead of attempting to eject (less affluent) elements in order to upgrade neighbourhoods or districts, Free Cultural Spaces promote diversity and mutual solidarity. No homogenization of the ab-normal, but a welcoming of the extraordinary.
• When city councils foster an even distribution of Free Cultural Spaces, spontaneous Zones of Opportunity (ZOOs) will arise everywhere, in city centres as well as on their peripheries. And it must be ‘the responsibility of the community as a whole’ to provide alternative locations whenever existing Free Cultural Spaces disappear.

View the full Manifesto