Mediawave 2021 community table

STRENGTHENING AND PRACTISING A COMMUNITY MINDSET

practising the offer of exchange value for reaching the (partial) money-freeness
 

I am proposing a community-based system for Kiscsősz, which the fresh, young team of organisers can adapt to their hearts' desire, after learning about its mistakes and virtues. Because no new system can be without its flaws, and refining the practice systematically can make it run more smoothly.

First of all, I must explain why it is so important to phrase it, to build it up in practice and to use it. Even after ten years of trying, we have not achieved a fully community-based operation, because unfortunately the last 30 years have thoroughly established the practice of service-based forms in a large part of society, making it seem 'convenient' by standardising the 'just pay it and you have it' mentality. The embeddedness is so deep that it can only be replaced and eradicated step by step with a slow method, going back to the rethinking of small community models that worked well before the global world. 

Despite what many might first think, the community-based system is not the same as a gratuitous system. It is important to say this because the 'election festivals' of the past decade, which now characterise much of our communities, with their plethora of free programmes and free goulash cannons, have created the belief that this is how it should be. But they are just a version of the ancient imperial system of 'circus, bread for the public'. Few people realise that those goulashes are not free, that politicians expect votes in return, which in the end means a (not too small) income for them.

In our experimental, small-community-based system we aim to draw attention to the fact that things are not for free, everything has a value/price and that it has to be compensated somewhere, by someone. Therefore, we want to introduce the principle of reciprocity, that is based on the idea that every thing, food, drink, activity has an exchange value that has to be balanced out somewhere. This is still present and practised in small rural communities even today. For example, if a neighbour brings you a bowl of fresh cherries, it is only fair to return the favour with a bowl of strawberries. Or the beautiful and practical custom of giving gifts at a pig's dinner is also based on mutual exchange. Whoever got in the circle and received it had to make the gesture of giving sooner or later.

We are thinking along the same lines, having previously created an experimental way of doing things, optimistically called 'Togetherness', but in reality we are still only at the halfway of reaching the dreamed festival model, towards community based together-being, we are more like somewhere inbetween the two.

We wouldn’t like to charge admission fees, because that would be slipping straight into a service-based model that we considered to be discarded by us, but we must try to make sure that not only we put ourselves into the Togetherness, but also those who come to the event.Walking half-way also means that we will have timed programmes that are reminiscent of the festival model, so that those who come to us as members of the public can see them for free, as a kind of present.

However, anyone who wants to become a member of our community and collaborate with us on some activities, community programmes, workshops, will have to accept our established rules of the game, which is basically about giving in exchange, or perhaps donating.

There will be a business corner where "traditional festival folks" can eat and drink for money.But there will also be an enclosed community corner (community courtyard) with a community table, a buffet (which will operate at close to commodity prices). Only those who contribute to the operation on a proportional basis will be allowed to enter and eat here.

How is it possible to support the community courtyard usage sustainably?

Community table
E.g. with goods brought to the table, preferably handcrafted products. To do this, look around grandma's pantry. But you can also bring any kind of edible food and drink, ham, sausages, bacon, cakes, cheese, fruit, vegetables, but also wine or brandy from dad. The contents of the community table will be the basis for the community breakfasts.

Donation offering
Anyone who - lacking in ideas and handmade goods - would like to support our community financially is also very welcome, as we are planning community cookouts with raw materials that have to be bought from some source. In other words, we need to contribute to the cost of the communal meal.

Level of contribution and community benefits (the value contributed is estimated by the community table handler)

- small contribution (up to 4000 Ft/10 Euro) - no wristband

• a symbolic product (up to 4000 Ft - bottle of wine, a couple of sausages, etc.) or donation brought to the community table allows for actual (day of giving) consumption from the community table. Furthermore, discounted consumption of products from the community buffet (in the context of giving the donation)

- medium contribution (between 5000-15000Ft/14-40 Euro) - you will receive a y

gold wristband for it

That comes with the benefits of:

• Community table tasting (during the entire time)
• discounted use of community buffet (during the entire time)
• community breakfast (during the entire time)
• participation in open workshops/ participatory workshops (during the entire time)

- significant contribution (over 20000 Ft/ above 50 Euro) - you will receive a silver wristband for

• community table tasting (during the entire time)
• discounted use of community buffet (during the entire time)
• community breakfast (during the entire time)
• community buffet dinner (during the entire time)
• participation in open workshops/ participatory workshops (during the entire time)

Hartyándi Jenő

Former organiser