8 March 2015 – In Groningen has a café opened in November 2014, that is built by everyone who wanted to help. No construction workers, but people from all over the world. The place calls The Free Café, where you can hangout, eat and drink for free. You can even follow a workshop for free.
What?
The Free Café is a place that is built by locals from young and old, but also people from elders. The building is built up with only recycle materials. The Free Café is an initiative from an artist couple, Ivanka Annet with an artist from new Zealand. People can hangout, eat and drink for free at their place, because they get food that is left for free from market vendors. Also workshops that are given there are free. People whom giving the workshops wants to share their skill for free and for fun. The most workshops are DIY-projects. For example, candle making, flower tiles, stop motion animation and soap, but also course mindfulness.
Why?
The initiators of this project wanted a place where people can work, eat and share knowledge with each other, where they don’t wants to make money with it. In an interview in the newspaper Annet said, she doesn’t buy any clothes, food or furniture. She has only to pay her bills for health insurance and rent. She can eat for free in The Free Café. Also using food from market vendors will help reducing foodwaste, which is good for the environment.
Trend & Future
This initiative is a new, but weak signal in the society right now. Back to basic in a new way, where locals can built their own place. This fits with the trend The Open World, Collaboration. People who didn’t know each other are working together. The Free Café is built from recycle materials and food that could be thrown away are going to be used again. It’s a very green and social initiative. People are more involved with the society and knowledge can be shared with everyone, when people come together. They are much more stronger, when all their knowledge is together. This last thing fits in the trend The Open World, Empowerment.
The initiators of the project fits in the trend The Open World, Sharing. They give a new idea, initiative to the society and makes the society a better place, without money as goal. Also the café is very open in how they run the business. The plan and initiative is very clear and on the website and interview they are very transparent about what they do. This fits in the trend The Open World, Transparency.
It would be nice if they are growing their own plants too. Maybe that will be the next project?
ByLenn 