This is a real ‘web’, just like a spider’s – a place of connections – ideas – information – of dreams!
Our aim is to make it a Web of Hubs for alternative and free cultural spaces and people
The idea is to provide a loose-knit, non-hierarchical, web-based resource network for a wide range of what we are calling ‘Free Cultural Spaces’ (FCS). They wouldn’t necessarily use that term to describe themselves, but we need a simple, non-threatening term!
UK psych music festival.
Indeed, it’s Kozmik Ken’s Psychedelic Dreamfest in deepest Devon! Alternative Old Skool…
An arts-based intentional community in Switzerland. Music, performance, sports events, installations and 'fun'! An old foundry converted into a vibrant arts venue involving local people as well as those who are involved full-time in the Culture Factory.
In Wetzikon, Switzerland. They say that: “The Culture Factory is a former foundry, which is a place for cultural encounters and cultural production today.
The culture - one hand understood as performing and visual arts, on the other hand as human needs such as housing, work and meet each other - intended as a unifying element, the various parts of the Kulturfabrik together.”
La Caravana (Rainbow Peace Caravan)
Links to the history of La Caravana, a mobile eco-village project in South America. Much respected eco-nomads.
An ecovillage that is being developed with government support in the Pembrokeshire area of Wales in the UK.
The website describes the concept for the Lammas ecovillage as: “that of a collective of eco-smallholdings working together to create and sustain a culture of land-based self-reliance. The project supports a permaculture approach to land management – in which human beings are considered an intrinsic part of the ecosystem. As a result the approach to environmental management is one of stewardship for future generations rather than exploitation for short term gain.”
There are now many property companies providing ‘guardians’ for commercial and residential properties. These are UK links, but the schemes also exist across Europe.
They can provide a cheap from of accommodation, but there are challenges too. Some of the big commercial sites offer some communal possibilities.
Here’s a link to one.
And a look at the down-sides of the ‘reality’ of some schemes from the BBC magazine.
Commune/intentional community in Monterey Bay, USA.
‘There’s nothing like home’ video with Nikki Silva, one half of the Kitchen Sisters. A nice video plus a link to Sally Bookman’s description of La Selva Beach Community.
“Halfway between Dogpatch and Shangri-la”.
Canadian off-grid, tight-knit community with over 400 permanent residents. Described in a recent article as a ‘secret island’ near Vancouver. ‘Statistics Canada’ says it is the most highly educated community in British Columbia. The residents say that they are ‘not’ an intentional community. They do offer places for WWOOFERs.
A link to the residents’ site, and to an article that includes an interesting (if rather glamorous) video.
Their site states: “La Via Campesina is the international movement which brings together millions of peasants, small and medium-size farmers, landless people, women farmers, indigenous people, migrants and agricultural workers from around the world. It defends small-scale sustainable agriculture as a way to promote social justice and dignity. It strongly opposes corporate driven agriculture and transnational companies that are destroying people and nature.”
In the UK, its linked organisation is called the Land Workers’ Alliance.
Agriculture, conscious living, protest. This is:
A 50 year-old campaign of resistance against the construction of a second airport near the city of Nantes, in western France. This resistance culminated in the establishment of a self-organised autonomous zone, known as the ZAD. Over 40,000 people have taken part in creative acts of disobedience to defend this zone.
Links to their official site and a film about the resistance.