Please do not edit this page as this is the official constitution of Free Culture UK (voted on 8th of April 2006 at the Free Culture UK Meeting, Limhouse, London).
If you wish to propose changes make an announcement to the mailinglist fc-uk-discuss.
For the history of the constitution see HistoryFreeCultureConstitution.
FREE CULTURE (UK) Constitution
ARTICLE 1
The name of this organization, which was founded in 2005, shall be Free Culture (UK).
ARTICLE 2 - Purpose
Free Culture UK is a grassroots movement promoting an open, participatory culture. We believe that individuals and communities should be empowered to create, and that this can be done by legal, social and political means. We also oppose those who would restrict our creative freedom, whether by extending laws relating to copyright, repressing new technologies or promoting a closed, proprietary future for culture.
ARTICLE 3 – Objectives
Free Culture UK is a not-for-profit organisation that encourages skill sharing, equality and tolerance and it is opposed to racism, homophobia, classism, sexism, and xenophobia. The objectives of Free Culture UK will be to:
- Draw on the resources, skills and experiences of its members, to document the problems faced by free culture as well as their solutions.
- Make and facilitate projects being made on free culture issues.
- Acquire and pass on the skills required by free culture activists.
- To create access to a skills and equipment pool for the projects the group makes.
- Present interesting, thought-provoking free culture projects and exhibitions in pubs, clubs, community centres, cinemas and muddy fields across the country
- Promote the distribution of free culture made by or in connection with Free Culture UK
- Act as a point of contact and reference for campaigners and like-minded individuals
- Collaborate with community groups in furtherance of our purpose and other objectivies
- Develop and maintain an archive of grassroots political free culture activity.
ARTICLE 4 – Powers
To promote the objectives Free Culture UK may:
1) employ freelance staff on contract to supervise, organise and carry out the work of the group
2) buy, lease, exchange, hire or otherwise acquire any property necessary for the promotion of Free Culture UK
3) raise funds and invite and receive contributions through subscription and donations. The group will not undertake any permanent trading activities in raising funds.
4) Free Culture UK signatories may execute legal documents on behalf of the group as well as do all such other lawful things as are necessary for the attainment of the aforementioned objects. Any legal documents must be signed by any two of Free Culture UK’s agreed signatories.
ARTICLE 5 - Membership
The group is open to membership for individuals willing to embrace the overall aims and objectives of the group and work towards them on an equal footing with all the other members.
There are 3 types of members in the group:
a) Active Membership: Active members are "hands on" in the week to week activities of the group, and are expected to join at least 1, preferably 2 of the affinity groups and take part in regular affinity group meetings, come along to monthly members meetings (or submit apologies) and join the members e-group. They make decisions on behalf of the group (see Article 6).
b) Friend of Free Culture UK: "Friends" offer occasional support and networking and receive regular e-mail updates on Free Culture UK events and projects. Membership of the group's discuss list confers automatic 'Friends' status.
c) Institutional Member: Organisations and groups can help fund the activities of the group by joining as an Institutional Member. Support can be shown by way of active participation or a pledge of solidarity, dependent on the group's activites. Institutional membership is not open to political parties, religious institutions, multinationals or any company that deals with arms or has a poor environmental record.
The group has the right for good and sufficient reason to terminate the membership of any individual. The exclusion of members may only occur when at least 3 members raise concerns about an individual within the group at a general meeting. The individual concerned will have the right to be heard by the active membership of Free Culture UK before a final decision is taken by vote.
Membership fees may be charged at an agreed annual rate and will be set by the active membership.
The active membership will appoint a secretary who will maintain a register of all Members.
ARTICLE 6 - Voting
Voting will be performed via (1) the e-group with votes taking the form of emails to the active membership e-group or the secretary (who will pass them on to the e-group); or (2) Active members voting in a Management meeting (with proxies accepted through email to the secretary). Unless otherwise stated the issue under consideration at the vote will have been passed if there is a simple majority of eligible members for the proposal. Eligible members are the active members unless there has been prior agreement (by a 2/3 majority vote) among the eligible members to extend voting temporarily for one vote to other membership types (either as a simple majority or through consensus).
ARTICLE 7 - Management
The organizational structure is horizontal with decision-making policy taken by simple majority voting under Article 6.
The active members make decisions on behalf of Free Culture UK. The main forum for policy decisions is the General Meeting - Free Culture UK members who actively attend General meetings will be known as the 'Management Group', which meets approximately every two months and no less than four times a year. It is preferable for these meetings to be face to face but meetings by phone or even by internet chat are permissible.
ARTICLE 8 - Amendment of the Constitution
This constitution may be amended by a 2/3 majority vote passed at two consequent General Meetings.
ARTICLE 9 - Disbanding the Group
Free Culture UK may disband and terminate its activities at any time subject to a 2/3 majority vote passed at two consequent General Meetings or a consensus of the Active Members.