Amsterdam Balloon Company comes to Christiania

In July 1973 a group of artists and kindred spirits occupied the village of Ruigoord, a few kilometers West of Amsterdam. Most villagers had been evicted and most of the houses were demolished. But the beautiful church was still undamaged, as were some houses of people who resisted their deportation. Harbours and heavy industries were planned here....

After years of political, legal and even physical struggle, Ruigoord is now officially recognized as a "cultural breeding zone", a creative and social experiment, where people of all ages and cultures try to create an inspiring and benevolent reality.

Although everyone working in Ruigoord is autonomous, we all dedicate some of our energy to joint projects. In our "Gesammtkunstwerke" such as theatre shows, festivals, rituals

or the building of fantastic constructions, the lines between the dreamers and the do-ers are blurred. The result is collective, non-commercial happenings, expressing in a unique way the spirit of the group. This group is known as the Amsterdam Balloon Company, consisting of kindred spirits from Amsterdam and all over the world.

Power to the Imagination

Open to everyone, the interactive, interdisciplinary and multicultural group activities form the reason and the right of the cultural freeport Ruigoord to exist.

Fortune Favours Fools is the motto we have placed above the entrance of our church. Indeed we are a ship of fools, enjoying an adventurous and free way of living. The "Luchtbus"is our mobile stage. It took us to Tibet and on countless other memorable trips.

This summer, as we celebrate the 35th anniversary of Ruigoord and the ABC, we come to Christiania to support this great center of idealism and innovation, this experiment in freedom so often misunderstood and misused by the ruling powers. We support you in your struggle against "normalisation". WE ARE NORMAL, and we want our freedom to be what we are.

A 1000 years ago the Vikings fought side by side with the Dutch against the christian empire. Now we stand together with Christiania (!) against the empire of conformism and uniformity.

We come to Christiania as explorers of impossible possibilities.

We come with the gift of our playful magic, which has helped us to survive as an urban tribe for all these years. Let's work together and share our experience.

Meeting of the Urban Tribes

From the 8th till the 20th of July the ABC will be staying at Christiania, to organize an intertribal gathering with the Christianites.

We want to establish creative and spiritual bonds and to make a statement about the global importance of alternative, experimental societies. We will declare Christiana a center of the world by raising a so-called Axis Mundi on its common grounds.

On the 18th of July a collective ritual will be conducted to inaugurate Christiania as center of the world. The Axis Mundi, totempole of a center of consciousness, of positive power and peace, will be made by several sculptors. Everyone is invited to make a mask for the ritual and to participate in the talking circle.

We are the rebels for peace, harmony, beauty and yes, good old love in a world of competition and paranoia. Let's celebrate...

Stichting Landjuweel

Ruigoord 42

1047 HH Amsterdam

Nederland+31(0)20 4975702

info@ruigoord.nl

www.ruigoord.nl