Thirty years of resistance is a lifetime, and projects like this one tend to live multiple lifetimes, through the impact of the many lives that come together here, shaping, building, dreaming of collective liberation.
And yet as time passes and struggles change, we also find that many things stay the same. Thirty years of celebrating together, fighting together… we want to be able to also rest together!
We see the aches and the wear of society reflected in our minds, in our bones, in our spaces, in our shoes, and we’re thinking that maybe it’s time for some big changes around here.
It is evident that meaningful, lasting change has its roots in material conditions. In this world-pandemic reality, with massive unemployment and multiple state barriers for marginalized individuals, we have questioned how it would be possible to transform our circumstances in a tangible way; to be able to grant better access for everyone, and in doing so create improve living conditions and ensure positive change in the dynamics and social patterns of Kanal.
This is why we have decided to take action and ask for support at this time. To be able to continue fulfilling our collective purpose, and to engage with our bodies to build a better future for the next generations of individuals who need the refuge of this space, WE CAN’T KEEP MOVING FORWARD WITH BROKEN HEELS!
For our 30th anniversary, we’re asking for some nice things for all of us. We all deserve nice things! First and foremost we wanna improve the living conditions in the space, so those who live here can have the energy to keep it running year round. This means warm wagons to sleep in, water in the kitchen even in the winter, a washing machine, a nice warm shower whenever, and a place to shit that never goes below 5°C. Doesn’t seem like a lot to ask for if you live in an apartment, but this is the luxury wagenplatz life we’ve been dreaming of!
Perhaps more excitingly for *everyone*, we’re remaking ALL of our common areas. This is gonna be a LOT of work, but it’s gonna be a lot of fun to get to build together again. We’re talking about finally finishing the Kino, of course, but also reinventing the stage to host aerial performances and daytime theatre! We’re talking about putting ramps everywhere we can and re-building our bar area completely! There will be lights! There will be signs! Also a greenhouse facility for our community garden! And the best for last… A FULLY ACCESSIBLE SAUNA Y’ALL! Right here, in our little hidden forest.
In this new chapter of Kanal’s life, we would like to prioritize holistic approaches of community solidarity. We want pleasure, nurture and joy to be a core part of our efforts towards empowerment, so let’s learn better ways of taking care of ourselves and each other. After almost two years of isolation and not being able to share with many people due to the obvious safety concerns around the COVID-19 crisis, we want to treat you (and ourselves!) to a better place than ever before. There’s a lot of us here that are new to the project too, so the vibe is definitely changing, and we wanna share with community already!
But for now, please keep staying safe, and please share our fundraiser far and wide. Check it out here, and read through for the full scope of everything we’re hoping to do: https://gofund.me/147fcb71
We have a list of things we need as well to make these things and other dreams possible. We don’t expect to raise the full amount of money we’re asking for (though it would be great if we did and even better if we surpassed it!) but if you or someone you know could provide any of the following things, it would be immensely helpful for us!
– MATERIALS
+ Insulation materials (matts, membrane, foam, and tape)
+ Construction wood (long beams, boards, interior and exterior panels, preferably untreated pine)
+ Clear heavy-duty tarps
+ Stage Frames (6m and 4m)
+ Paint and varnish for exteriors and interiors (wood and metal)
+ Water surge tanks and piping
+ Sanding disks
+ Screws and bits
+ Cobblestones, various sizes of rock, and gravel
+ Wood burning stoves in good condition
+ Potable water pipes that will not freeze in good condition (100m)
– TOOLS
+ Track saw
+ Angle grinder
+ Miter/Chop saw
+ Jig saw
+ Router
+ Electric welder
+ Water pump
+ Brushes, rollers, etc.
+ Van
– APPLIANCES
+ 2000L+ Sceptic tank in working condition
+ Washer / Dryer
+ Festoon lights for the outdoors
+ Poster-size Printer/Copier
+ Gas shower
+ Solar panels
+ Computer
+ Electric heater with thermostat
+ Sauna oven with stones
–SERVICES
+ Tractor repair (we need a willing mechanic to fix poor Ms. Marple, our assistant for moving the wagons around!)
+ Crane hire for sceptic tank replacement
+ Breaker and digger hire to dig Gray Water Pit
+ Transport for getting materials as needed
Get in touch with us via email to kanal@squat.net if you can help with any of those things or if you just wanna get involved with the works.
If you’d rather make a direct donation, our bank account is always open-We’re an organisation that survives solely on donations after all!
Wagenburg Kanal e.V
IBAN: DE15 4306 0967 1168 3089 00
BIC: GENODEM1GLS
(Please write “Donation” in the reference box on the bank transfer)
xo
Kanal Rakun