Photo ©Woolly Wormhead
Here is the Official Statement:Official Statement
The Mutoid Waste Company arrived in Santarcangelo di Romagna, Italy in 1990 to perform in that year's "Festival Dei Teatri", a renowned annual festival held in the town. From that time on Santarcangelo became a base for the group and it became their home. Their art, their way of life and they themselves became an accepted part of life in Santarcangelo. Over the last 23 years they have increasingly collaborated on projects with local institutions such as schools, and their ties with the local community have strengthened. In recent years some of the Mutoids have chosen the Yard as a safe place to raise their own children.
The Yard is unique: a place that follows the rules whilst living completely outside them, a place that advocates an alternative outlook on life, a place that allows people to discover new things - and it's wonderful that such a place is considered a true part of Santarcangelo and that the locals readily accept the Yard as part of their community.
Despite these many years of mutually respectful cohabitation there is one voice that has continually spoken against the Mutoids presence; a single objector who now seriously threatens this culturally important phenomenon.
Mutonia is not a campsite (even though its inhabitants live in caravans, buses, trucks and temporary constructions that look more like works of art than houses); it's not a standard travellers site (although many of its inhabitants have a semi-nomadic lifestyle); and the group have never illegally occupied the land.
In recent years Santarcangelo's local council has been searching for a solution to the situation, seeking help from other government bodies, with the ultimate aim of declaring the Mutoid Yard as a Site of Cultural Interest.
Unfortunately the Yard currently finds itself under a very real and serious threat of eviction - a reality which would not only destroy this unique community but also disperse its inhabitants and their artwork.
Here are the links I mentioned in the episode:
How You Can Help
For each copy of this eBook sold, Woolly will donate £7 (approx. $11/€8) to the legal fund. she states: "You can help us reach our fundraising target by spreading the word: by tweeting and retweeting links, by posting and liking on Facebook or by talking about this eBook on your blog or website. http://www.woollywormhead.com/hatopia/
The 'Pro Mutoid' page on Facebook is the online hub for our cause. 'Liking' the page will keep you up to date with news, reviews, support and more. Many of the posts will be in Italian, and as much as the online translators aren't perfect, they offer a great service! https://www.facebook.com/ProMutoid
We also have an official online petition, in both English and Italian, which is hosted at change.org, one of the largest websites for online petitions and worthwhile causes: https://www.change.org/petitions/salvate-mutonia
Thank you for all your help, it is greatly appreciated."
Go on. 10 patterns for £9? what's not to like?
