School of Commons
Since late 2019, I have been co-running Zurich-based School of Commons (SoC) together with SoC founder Marea Hildebrand. School of Commons is a grassroots initiative dedicated to the study and development of decentered knowledge, with a focus on practices of peer learning, self-organisation, and commoning. Promoting a broad, integrative understanding of knowledge, we focus on matters surrounding the production and mediation of knowledge with a focus on self-organized practices and knowledge decentralization. The content and position of SoC is defined by our community rather than a predetermined program; research is conducted in our three labs (LEARN, MAPP, and READ), all of which are run as peer-based collaborative endeavours with annually changing members. Our labs bring together a wide range of participants, guests, and contributors who share their curiosity, skills, and visions. We offer personal support, financial resources, and an active community of peers and experts engaged in a wide range of topics.
With SoC, we hope to establish a community of practitioners in which reciprocal exchange, peer learning, and a friendly atmosphere are the main ingredients. We want our participants to feel like they are part of a larger whole, in which their presence is valued and necessary. We aim to develop a programme that is open to all, making the knowledge and practices that arise from our labs publicly available. We encourage working across different age groups, disciplines, and (educational) backgrounds. SoC’s programme is developed bottom-up rather than top-down; instead of providing a fixed curriculum, we encourage our participants to actively shape our programme, either by organising and hosting events themselves, or by inviting guest speakers and tutors that are relevant to their research. SoC is there to support and help organise the educational programme you would like to have.
Visit the School of Commons website (design by Fernando Obieta)
