Commons-based Approaches

Interested in learning more about working within a commons framework? This content explores practices that encourage sharing and collaboration, and examples of commons in action.

The Latest

How We Grew a Student-Centered Anti-Racist Movement at Our Institution of Learning

Essay

How We Grew a Student-Centered Anti-Racist Movement at Our Institution of Learning

by Tatiana Isabel Gil, Micah Rosegrant, Viviana Vargas, Ciera-Sadé Wade

10 September 2020

Modeling Solidarity: Theater As Political Action

Video

Modeling Solidarity: Theater As Political Action

Part of Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists’ ConFest Virtual Series

Monday 14 September 2020

United States

Crowdsourcing Theatre Practice in a Time of COVID

Essay

Crowdsourcing Theatre Practice in a Time of COVID

by Elena Araoz, Barbara Fuchs

20 August 2020

Howlround Theatre Commons

From the World Theatre Map

Modeling Solidarity: Theater As Political Action

CAATA

Latinx theatre Commons

National Black Theatre

Perseverance

Theatre

Honolulu Theatre for Youth

Moses Goods

Video

Modeling Solidarity: Theater As Political Action

Part of Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists’ ConFest Virtual Series

Monday 14 September 2020

United States

Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists presented a panel discussion Modeling Solidarity: Theater As Political Action livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Monday 14 September 2020 at 1 p.m. HST (Honolulu, UTC-), 3 p.m. AKDT (Juneau, UTC-), 4 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC-7), 5 p.m. MDT (Denver, UTC-6), 6 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC-5), 7 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC-4).

How We Grew a Student-Centered Anti-Racist Movement at Our Institution of Learning

Essay

How We Grew a Student-Centered Anti-Racist Movement at Our Institution of Learning

10 September 2020

Tatiana Gil, Micah Rosegrant, Viviana Vargas, and Ciera-Sadé Wade—members of the Boston University School of Theatre Anti-Racist Student Initiative (BU SARSI)—speak to how, after a public outpouring of testimonials from former and current students of BU’s School of Theatre—detailing racism, sexism, ableism, and more—they rallied together to innovate ways of addressing the white supremacy within the school.

Crowdsourcing Theatre Practice in a Time of COVID

Essay

Crowdsourcing Theatre Practice in a Time of COVID

20 August 2020

Barbara Fuchs and Elena Araoz share information about their new projects that attempt to make sense of the transformations to the theatre field and put a call out for artists to help chart these transformations.

(Canceled) Reshape Intensive Zagreb

RESHAPE

Video

(Canceled) Reshape Intensive Zagreb

A meeting of art practitioners actively rethinking and reshaping organisational models for the arts sector in the EuroMed region

Monday 9 March - Wednesday 11 March 2020

Zagreb, Croatia

Event Canceled: RESHAPE presents the Intensive Zagreb meeting livestreaming from Zagreb, Croatia on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv Monday 9 March to Wednesday 11 March 2020.

Meanwhile: Becoming Porous

Essay

Meanwhile: Becoming Porous

Mientras Tanto: Hacia La Porosidad

21 November 2019

Robert Duffley, Una Chaudhuri, Georgina Escobar, Eli Nixon, Adilson Siqueira, and Brontë Velez reflect on the Hemispheric Institute for Performance and Politics convening that took place in Mexico City in June 2019.

Center for Cultural Innovation's inaugural AmbitioUS convening

Center for Cultural Innovation

Video

Center for Cultural Innovation's inaugural AmbitioUS convening

Encouraging alternative economies and a fresh social contract for artists and cultural anchors

Wednesday 23 October 2019

Oakland, California

Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI) presented the inaugural AmbitioUS convening encouraging the development of burgeoning alternative economies and a fresh social contract in ways that artists and cultural anchors can achieve financial freedom. Livestreamed from Oakland, California on the commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Wednesday 23 October 2019 at 8:30 a.m. PDT (Oakland, UTC -7) / 10:30 a.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 11:30 a.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4) / 15:30 UTC +0 / 4:30 p.m. BST (London, UTC +1) / 17:30 CEST (Berlin, UTC +2).

a group sitting around a conference table

The Promise of the Commons

Essay

The Promise of the Commons

10 October 2019

In honor of World Commons Week 2019, a working group of eleven US-based arts and cultural makers share their vision on how adopting a commons-based approach can help transform the arts into a more equitable and just field.

orange swirl under black book title free fair and alive

Power of the Commons with David Bollier

HowlRound Theatre Commons

Emerson College

Engagement Lab @ Emerson College

Center for Economic Democracy

David

Bollier

Video

Power of the Commons with David Bollier

at Emerson College, Boston, Massachusetts

Monday 30 September 2019

Boston, Massachusetts

HowlRound Theatre Commons and Emerson College's Engagement Lab presented The Power of the Commons with author David Bollier livestreaming on the global, commons-based peer-produced HowlRound TV network on Monday 30 September at 4 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC-5) / 6 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC-5) / 7 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC-4).

a person sitting in a bathrobe eating breakfast cereal

Radical Disruptions

Selina

Thompson

Essay

Radical Disruptions

How Intergenerational Exchange Builds Community

22 September 2019

two doors and a wall with post-it notes and large paper notes

Drawing a Line

Essay

Drawing a Line

Addressing Sexual Harassment in our Theatre Communities

17 July 2019

Dawn M. Simmons, John Meredith, and Jen Lewis, from New England’s StageSource, discuss where progress needs to happen to address harassment in the theatre industry.

Happy New Year from HowlRound

Jamie

Gahlon

Essay

Happy New Year from HowlRound

Reflections on 2018

31 December 2018

HowlRound Director Jamie Gahlon reflects on 2018 and looks forward to 2019.

What If

Essay

What If

The JUBILEE’s Vision of Unity and Action

24 October 2018

Rachel Grossman and Kirk Lynn announce the JUBILEE, a year-long nationwide festival in 2020/20201 that asks companies to commit to producing a season of work by artists who have been traditionally excluded from the American theatre.

A group of people sit in chairs in a circle

The Birth of a Theatre Commons

Essay

The Birth of a Theatre Commons

HowlRound from 2009-2017

3 October 2018

Alexis Frasz and Holly Sidford of Helicon Collaborative share the case study they wrote on HowlRound. Alexis and Holly believe HowlRound’s story is particularly resonant for this moment in time, and has potential to influence thinking and shift practice in the theatre sector and beyond. This essay shares a few thoughts on why they think HowlRound’s story matters in today’s political and economic context.

The Birth of a Climate Commons for Theatre and Performance

Lanxing

Essay

The Birth of a Climate Commons for Theatre and Performance

18 September 2018

Lani Fu introduces the Climate Commons, an initiative that emerged from the Theatre in the Age of Climate Change convening in June 2018.

Radical Ideas Welcome

Abigail

Vega

Essay

Radical Ideas Welcome

What Should the Latinx Theatre Commons Do Next?

13 September 2018

Latinx Theatre Commons (LTC) Producer Abigail Vega reflects on the last six years of programming, and encourages the community to submit ideas for future LTC programming.

How to Host a Wikipedia Edit-a-Thon for Activists

Sierra

Carlson

Essay

How to Host a Wikipedia Edit-a-Thon for Activists

10 September 2018

Dramaturg Sierra Carlson describes her process for hosting a Women in Theatre Wikipedia Edit-a-Thon at her university, and encourages others engage in digital dramaturgical activism.

Denver

Leslie C.

Lewis

Essay

Denver

Where Playwrights Love Playwrights (and Actors, Directors, and Producers)

23 August 2018

Leslie C. Lewis looks at how playwrights are working together and building community with Rough Draught Playwrights in Denver, Colorado.

Celebration, Abundance, and ConeXion

Lisa

Portes

Essay

Celebration, Abundance, and ConeXion

Welcome to the Carnaval of New Latinx Work

19 July 2018

Lisa Portes' remarks from the opening of the Latinx Theatre Commons Carnaval of New Latinx Work in Chicago, Illinois.

Working With(In) Communities/ Trabajando Con y Para la Comunidad

Essay

Working With(In) Communities/ Trabajando Con y Para la Comunidad

Modeling Decolonized Practices/Las Practicas Hacia La Descolonización

31 May 2018

Director Megan Sandberg-Zakian talks with representatives of organizations which are intentionally working towards decolonized practices.

Shifting the Leadership Paradigm

Essay

Shifting the Leadership Paradigm

the Berkshire Leadership Summit and Beyond

9 April 2018

Sara Brookner interviews the steering committee of the Berkshire Leadership Summit, which brought together a hundred present and future US and Canadian women leaders to discuss equity and advancement in the theatre field.

Representation Matters

Gab

Cody

Essay

Representation Matters

The Monologue Project

8 April 2018

Gab Cody reflects on the birth of The Monologue Project, an initiative that started in Pittsburgh, USA and Dallas, USA to increase the canon of audition-length monologues for women of African Descent.

Opening Space for Collaboration and Change

Amy Clare

Tasker

Essay

Opening Space for Collaboration and Change

5 March 2018

Director Amy Clare Tasker on how the organizing practice of Open Space has revolutionized her work.

Art is Essential to Democracy

Tanya

Selvaratnam

Essay

Art is Essential to Democracy

18 January 2018

Tanya Selvaratnam, a co-founder of The Federation—a coalition of artists and activists—discusses their Art Action Day on 20 January 2018.

Networks and New Works

Nan

Barnett

Essay

Networks and New Works

NNPN Turns Twenty

16 January 2018

On the twentieth anniversary of its founding, Nan Barnett reflects on the National New Play Network’s growth, and discusses the organization’s impact.