Taka Tuka needs your help!

Hello friends, family, artists, volunteers, nature lovers, party people and the rest of the fest!

The only way we can and want to start this text is by telling you all, how much we miss you! How much we miss gathering on our beloved island with you and how much we miss the times we have spent together!

It has been a long time since we last wrote to you and even longer since we last saw each other. In the meantime so much has happened! The entire world is undergoing immense transformations. We hope that everyone is staying safe, doing well and is getting through these times as smoothly as possible.

What the current situation looks like

We unfortunately turn to you with some challenges we are facing and which we would like to share with you. Through the good and the bad, right?

Currently we feel confronted with existential difficulties. To bring you up to speed: After the gatherings of the last years, we faced several lengthy lawsuits. Despite our biggest efforts to fight these and defend what we have built we lost the last and biggest trial. One outcome of the trial is a hefty fine on top of the lawyer’s bills.

The financial consequences are however just one part of the story. The biggest shock were the new restrictions regarding the Island. Mid January this year, we had to take down all of the constructions that were created on the island over the last years. So yes, our beloved bars, stages and lighthouse are no longer.

Of course this breaks our hearts! Not only because we have put so much energy and love into the island and the community, but because the oppression of the authorities feels very decisive regarding the future of our collective and the island.

Especially in Hungary this is not an unusual circumstance. The Hungarian government is trying to oppress alternative culture in every way possible; the “free thinkers”, the artists, the non-conformists, the politically active. Last year, the government announced the state of emergency and continues their hunt for civil organisations, foundations and NGOs. Community places and venues that support all of the above are facing immense obstacles and have troubles sustaining themselves. Sadly some have already lost their long-fought fight.

Therefore we are in urgent need for spaces formed of freedom, solidarity, community and art. The pandemic-regulations have made even more obvious how essential togetherness and alternative spaces are. The dismay over all of this however, just makes our fighting hearts beat even faster.

Wait, who is Taka Tuka?

For all the ones not quite as familiar with Taka Tuka, let's catch you up! Over the past years, Taka Tuka became a strong International community with its roots in Hungary. Here we keep in constant contact and exchange with the local environment. The Taka Tuka Natives are an art and culture collective consisting of people from all over the world - artists, musicians, cultural managers and many many more. Frankly, people united by one vision.

Together we are doing cultural and educational work. We see it as our mission to convey sustainability, open-mindedness and - quite clearly - to spread the joy of life. Taka Tuka means the sharing of lifelong lasting memories and living different structures of togetherness. Besides the annual Taka Tuka gathering the Island has welcomed several communities from all over the world.

An example of this are events of “Fiatalok a Magyar Vidékért” (Youth for the Hungarian Countryside) and Scout gatherings. These initiatives want to share with upcoming generations the values of community, respect for nature and learning in a playful manner through direct experience. It is about offering youth such crucially needed space for their development, far away from consumerism, stress and technology.

Where we are now

We still have our vision, our vibes and our motivation to make the magic happen, but we need time and especially resources to continue. Being faced with the fines, the dismantling of our structures on the island, the oppression from the authorities and the corona-restrictions this feels like a very crucial moment for us.

We have to re-organize and re-structure our way of functioning. BUT we are positive that with our combined power and your support we are more than up for the task! Too much has happened on this little island, too many beautiful stories are attached to this magical place, too important is our vision. We will not abandon our ideas and leave it all behind!

Our plans and what we need your donations for

• First of all we need to get out of our minus due to the fine and the ongoing bills.
• Just having demolished our constructions on the Island we decided to rely on mobile structures. They make us more independent and also fit perfectly to our leave-no-trace-policy.
• We will continue to support local infrastructures around the Island and in Hungary.
• Our mission continues to be about exploring and showing how events and gatherings can be made more environmentally and humanly friendly and otherworldly magical.
• We want to find a long term solution to be able to welcome you on the Island, this is quite a big and long bureaucratic mission, which is costly and during which we need legal support from lawyers.
• For 2021 we are planning alternative gatherings and if our plans work out, we hope to be all united again on the Island in 2022!

Corona was a slap in the face for everybody, but it especially left the tune-tamers, storytellers, dreamweavers, magic makers and festival organizers with no audience and even emptier pockets than before. Without being able to host events we now need your support and help from afar.

Taka Tuka Island is a non-profit community, we do it for the vibe, the love, the vision and for all of you! With your donation we can handle the corona and corona-unrelated issues we are facing. So we can be reunited once again, spread the vibes, spread the magic and especially spread the message.

Thank you for your support and hopefully see you all very soon!

Love & Lighthouse,

your Taka Tuka Natives <3