After years of participating in an unjust ecosystem, artists and culture bearers are searching for viable alternatives to the traditional models of cultural production that have historically kept resources and power out of the hands of the workers. The solidarity economy, and cooperatives in particular, have started to gain traction amongst artists as an exciting solution. But what's the difference between a worker-owned cooperative and a purchasing cooperative? Is an ensemble a cooperative? Is talking about ownership inherently capitalist? In this workshop, participants will learn about the fundamentals that define cooperatives and how they differ from other types of collectives, explore case studies of cooperatives in the arts and culture sector, and brainstorm how a cooperative could meet their needs and the needs of their communities. Participants are welcome to join as individuals or alongside their collaborators, and will receive resources for further study into various cooperative models.
This is a 2-part workshop. Artists are asked to attend both sessions.
AUGUST 20 5-6:30 PM: SESSION 1
AUGUST 21 5-6:30 PM: SESSION 2
Suitable for artists of all disciplines. Assets for Artists workshops are open to artists in MA, CT, RI, and ME. As part of the Arts Action Consortium Boston artists receive priority access to all A4A workshops. \