Tool #1: Setting up co-operatively

When setting up a practice with your friends, you might want to consider taking the legal form of a workers co-op. Workers co-ops are based on the principle that there is no boss and that the workers manage the enterprise amongst themselves: one worker, one vote.

By setting up a co-operative one also becomes part of a co-op network of solidarity, as one of the founding principles is to trade among co-ops . Clearly, co-ops can be more or less radical, but they are generally inscribed in a long history of workers struggling to take ownership of the means of production and to escape exploitative, hierarchical and oppressive working relations.
 

Design practices organized as co-ops

UK: Calverts, The Ceramics Studio Co-op, Footprint Co-op, Pentagram,
Students for Cooperation (UK).
Find more UK-based co-ops here.

Italy: Co.mo.do Sociale

Radical Routes – a network of UK co-ops actively working towards social transformation
 

If you know of any design co-ops in your country, please let us now by dropping us an e-mail at info (at) precaritypilot (dot) net so we can link them from this site.

Last edit: 22.11.2014