Dear Readers, dear past and future Kaláka Friends,

 

 

This diary is a compilation of the 17-year story of kalákas, during which it has become a movement. Looking and sorting through plenty of pictures, writings, and drawings has evoked our memories, and the joyful moments of encounters. These encounters included discovering landscape, communities living in these landscapes, water, meeting new people, and also encountering ourselves.

Our intention with this volume is not to draw up an inventory, but to share our delight in seeing that there is not much needed for happiness, only to be open, willing to act, and be determined to voluntarily work together for the vitalization of our landscape heritage and for each other. Doing it all cheerfully. Through our work places for healing and community gatherings were born and renewed, that since then people use lovingly, maintain and develop further, or in some cases left behind for slow deterioration.

Yet, this is only the physical part of the building process. The inherent part of working: learning and experiencing co-operation and our relation to work is the other - the inner - building process.

The experience of kalákas helped me perceive the real meaning of the statement heard frequently from my masters – that the highest manifestation of art is raising social life to the level of art. To fathom this in an intellectual way is difficult. However, very easy to comprehend, if we grab tools, clear springs, and dip into mundane reality covered in mud head to toe realizing our visions with open hearts.

Many people have asked us: why do you do kalákas? The answer is simple – because it’s a lot of fun!

Read further!

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How is a kaláka organized and carried out? (only in hungarian yet)