RESOURCES

The following list contains a range of tools, publications, audiovisual material, organizations and funding opportunities. These resources are selected to provide support and knowledge on obtaining and retaining space for non-dominant culture.

 

The resources are organized in 3 categories.

  1. SPACE OF URGENCY RESOURCES
    handbooks, tools, publications, audiovisual material

  2. EXTERNAL RESOURCES
    handbooks, tools, publications, audiovisual material

  3. ORGANIZATIONS & FUNDING
    links to useful organizations, open calls & funding opportunities

1. SPACE OF URGENCY RESOURCES

TOOL

RAUMSONDE
2023

RAUMSONDE is a support tool for planning events and preparing permit applications for events in open and free spaces in Berlin.

Use the RAUMSONDE to look for and find suitable outdoor venues and directly apply for the necessary permits for your event.

VISIT (WEB)

TEMPLATE

NEXT GENERATION OF CULTURAL SPACES LIVING DOCUMENT
2023

The NGOCS living document is a Powerpoint presentation made for cultural collectives that have an own independent space or aim to obtain an independent space for non-dominant culture.

We aim for you to download and modify this document to your needs. It can be used to present your space or concept to the outside world, especially to local administrators, property owners or potential funders.

DOWNLOAD (.PPTX)

PUBLICATION

NEXT GENERATION OF CULTURAL SPACES PUBLICATION
2023

The Next Generation of Cultural Spaces (NGOCS) creates a translocal artivist alliance to reimagine the use of historical spaces, reviving them through cultural activities to create safe spaces where non-dominant youth culture, queer communities and other marginalized groups in Eastern & Southern Europe can thrive. 

This report tells the stories and experiences of the NGOCS project team, as well as those of the spaces and communities touched by the project. It provides a glimpse into the journey towards enabling space, including the challenges and opportunities encountered along the way. 

VIEW (.PDF)

PUBLICATION

SPACE OF URGENCY PUBLICATION (TRANS EUROPE HALLES)
2021

“A narrative of cultural spaces by and for self-organised communities”

What is a space of urgency? What do we mean with “urgency”? Why are spaces of urgency important? What can we learn from spaces of urgency?

This publication explains the concept of Space of Urgency and highlights stories and resilience strategies of a number of non-dominant cultural spaces.

VIEW (.PDF)

AUDIOVISUAL

SPACE OF URGENCY DOCUMENTARY
2022, 14 min.

Short documentary on the narrative of Space of Urgency, in collaboration with filmmaker Jan Beddegenoodts of Cameltown.

The material consists of interviews with space organizers and activists around the globe, combined with atmospheric images, to bring across the positive aspects and importance of the spaces. These images are combined with recordings from protests and actions around Europe, related to the disappearance of independent cultural spaces. The documentary aims to bring across the fragility and urgency of the demise of such spaces.

AUDIOVISUAL

SPACE OF URGENCY VIDEO INSTALLATION
2022, 4 min.

This video collage gives a representation of profiles of spaces of urgency through a combination of quotes, images and videos from the profiles.

Portraying several of the spaces, it gives an overview of the challenges faced by a diversity of non-dominant cultural spaces. As with the documentary, this is intented to spread a better understanding about the importance and positive aspects, as well as the challenges and urgencies of the spaces.

AUDIOVISUAL

SPACES OF ADAPTATION TRAILER
2021, 11 min.

“Self-organization as a tool for the socio-ecological transition.”

As climate breakdown becomes impossible to ignore, actors of urban change face difficult questions: what is our role in the deep adaptation needed? How can we contribute to a socio-ecological transition that is just? We know that a greener, fairer society for all is possible exactly by empowering civil society, leveraging self-organisation and citizen initiatives. But how to demonstrate it? How can we get it to scale?

ADM - ‘Het Groene Veld’ (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
AUDIOVISUAL

ENVISIONING FREE SPACE 2022 – AMSTERDAM
2022, 8 min.

The Frei(T)räume / Envisioning Free Space has managed to unite a vast network of artists, activists, urban changemakers, scientists and political agents since 2016.

The latest edition took place in Amsterdam in November 2022. This documentation captures the urgencies that self-organized and non-dominant culture face and highlights how we can work together on solutions, in Amsterdam and internationally.

2. EXTERNAL RESOURCES

HANDBOOK

INITATIVE COOKBOOK
2016 (first edition)

Homemade civic engagement: An introduction to project management

The cookbook supports those who want to shape their society through common civil initiative. It covers a broad range of topics: ideation, planning, teamwork, target groups, public relations, fundraising, and finance management. The book has been awarded the Lifelong Learning Award.

Editors: Heike Fahrun, Nils-Eyk Zimmermann, Eliza Skowron

VIEW (.PDF)

HANDBOOK

GUIDE FOR OPENING, RUNNING AND GROWING A CULTURAL OR COMMUNITY SPACE

“Get the support you need to run a cultural or community space. Covering legal, financial, and practical questions, we have developed this guide to help you turn your idea into reality.”

This guide has been commissioned by the Mayor of London’s Space for Culture team and developed by Counterculture LLP. The guide focusses on the business aspects of running a cultural or community space. It is written for the UK, but contains much information that is generally applicable. 

VISIT (WEB)

TOOLKIT

DIGITAL TOOLS TOOLKIT
2021

The Digital Tools toolkit provides a list of open source solutions and easy to use proprietary software for communities to build their digital infrastructure

The applications are built by communities for communities, they are more secure, private and for the most part non-commercial.

Developed by OpenLabAthens

VISIT (WEB)

TOOLKIT

CULTURE HACK METHOD TOOLKIT 1.0
2019

The Rules have developed a method and toolkit to help social movements bring about narrative and structural change, they call it Culture Hacking.

“The Culture Hack Method as a process in which we intervene dominant culture narratives from an anti capitalist, anti patriarchal, anticolonial stance through questioning, analysis (discourse analysis, network analysis, content analysis), de-codification, recodification, and creative intervention.”

VIEW (.PDF)

PUBLICATION

ARTIST-RUN EUROPE
2023

Gavin Murphy
Mark Cullen (Eds.)

“Since first being published in 2016, this groundbreaking study has become a key text on the subject, a practical tool for those running or wishing to set up artist-run spaces, and a source of research for artists, academics and students, seminars, symposia and publications. This 2nd edition includes an updated and expanded index of artist-run spaces, with the inclusion of 50 additional spaces, and featuring spaces from Ukraine for the first time.”

VISIT (WEB)

PUBLICATION

Freiraum-Fibel (German only)
2016

Bundesinstitut für Bau-, Stadt- und Raumforschung (BBSR)

The Freiraum-Fibel (Free space guide) is intended to be a starting aid for all those who want to be actively involved in the design of their city and have the desire to create their very own open space. It informs about the legal conditions – from approval procedures to contract design to liability issues – and provides numerous tips and examples for making a city. It also provides good arguments to convince officials, property owners and other decision-makers of the merits of an idea.

The Freiraum-Fibel is only available in German and applies to the German law.

VIEW (.PDF)

TOOLKIT

THE GENERATIVE COMMONS TOOLKITS

The Generative Commons Living Lab and partners have developed a series of toolkits to serve as a resource for initiatives and communities wishing to implement an urban commons or already engaged in the governance of an urban commons

The 4 toolkits are covering Temporary Use, Participation, Governance and Legal aspects. 

VISIT (WEB)

3. ORGANIZATIONS & FUNDING

NETWORK ORGANIZATION

ARTIST-RUN ALLIANCE

“Artist-Run Alliance is a non-profit, artist-led global network of independent artist-run initiatives, promoting direct communication between artists, artist-run groups and alternative art lovers in their localities and around the world.”

On their website you can create a profile for your initiative, find other initiatives, find and upload Open Calls, events, actions and more. 

VISIT (WEB)

RESOURCE CENTER

ARTIST-RUN RESOURCE CENTER

“The Artist-Run Resource Centre offers a comprehensive content library of applied tools for creating, developing, maintaining, and promoting artist-run initiatives along with research and theoretical content examining the past, present, and future of the artist-run scene in Europe. It also offers an index of online resource platforms. All the content on the ARRC is uploaded by users.”

VISIT (WEB)

NETWORK ORGANIZATION

ARTISTS AT RISK

“Artists, writers, curators, critics and scholars are often targets of politically motivated threats and persecution all over the world.

Artists at Risk (AR) is dedicated to supporting persecuted art practitioners, facilitating their safe passage from their countries of origin, hosting them at AR-Residences and curating related projects, including the AR Pavilion.”

VISIT (WEB)

FUNDING & OPEN CALLS

AL-MAWRED AL-THAQAFY

“Culture Resource (Al-Mawred Al-Thaqafy) is a regional, non-profit organization founded in 2003 that seeks to support artistic creativity in the Arab region and to encourage cultural exchange within the region and beyond.”

Al-Mawred Al-Thaqafy offers grants and other opportunities for artists and cultural organizations in the Arab region. The website also contains many resources and publications with a regional focus.

VISIT (WEB)

NETWORK ORGANIZATION

TRANS EUROPE HALLES

Trans Europe Halles is a network of 140 cultural organizations from 40 European countries. The network has been at the forefront of repurposing abandoned buildings for arts, culture and activism since 1983.

The members meet twice a year to exchange knowledge, to start conversations and to connect with other cultural changemakers. Trans Europe Halles also collaborates regionally and thematically through Hubs, launching projects and form partnerships based on common interests, goals and ideas.

VISIT (WEB)

RESOURCE CENTER

TRANS EUROPE HALLES RESOURCES

“Here you will find a selection of our publications, videos and audio materials. They will help you learn how to become a better leader. How to open a successful cultural venue. How to make your organisation more resilient, and much more…”

VISIT (WEB)