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Commons-Based Approaches

HowlRound defines commons-based approaches as practices that promote relationality, cooperation, horizontal and decentralized decision-making and networks, bottom-up activity, and peer-to-peer sharing of infrastructure, material goods, knowledge, and ideas. Content in this section directly addresses practices of commoning from around the field. Dive in with essays on the promise of the commons, the birth of a climate commons, and how a commons becomes a selection committee.

The Latest

The Set of Practices We Call Home
Essay
The Set of Practices We Call Home
by Kaneza Schaal
11 April 2024
Blessings and Provocations from the 2024 Under the Radar Symposium
Essay
Blessings and Provocations from the 2024 Under the Radar Symposium
by Ashley Malafronte
8 April 2024
We Can’t Build an Equitable Theatre While Ignoring COVID
Essay
We Can’t Build an Equitable Theatre While Ignoring COVID
by Taylor Leigh Lamb
21 March 2024
A banner calling on people to crowdsource.
Let's "Put the Equity Back into Sweat Equity"—Be a part of building a new arts economy at CultureCoin.org
Essay

Let's "Put the Equity Back into Sweat Equity"—Be a part of building a new arts economy at CultureCoin.org

1 July 2013

Howlround crowdsources to help make better decisions in how they can support a better arts economy.

Several stacks of coins.
Practical Applications of the Culture Coin
Essay

Practical Applications of the Culture Coin

28 May 2013

David Dower examines the Culture Coin, and provides a sneak peek into a world where this new currency replaces cash in the theater industry.

Portrait of P Carl.
Why the Crowd? Why a Culture Coin?
Essay

Why the Crowd? Why a Culture Coin?

27 May 2013

In this essay, P. Carl gives insight on promoting cultural exchanges and uplifting communities of artists.

Video
Essay

Video

Culture Coin—Watch, Share, Vote Daily!

23 May 2013

HowlRound presents a video on Culture Coin, a peer-to-peer digital currence and resource sharing economy for all

The Twitter logo.
Weekly Howl on Thursday, May 23
Essay

Weekly Howl on Thursday, May 23

Culture Coin & Making the Not-for-Profit Arts Economy Work for Artists

20 May 2013

The Weekly Howl is a peer-produced, open-access discussion about theater culture and contemporary performance that happens in real-time on Twitter using the hashtag #newplay.

The topic for this week's Howl will be about how we—together as a field—can rapidly intervene to make the not-for-profit arts economy work for all artists through the Culture Coin project that HowlRound is proposing in the ArtsFwd Business Unusual Challenge.

A banner denoting a semifinalist in a crowdsourcing competition.
Vote for this project
Essay

Vote for this project

Let's put the "equity" back into not-for-profit "sweat equity"

15 May 2013

Vote for HowRound's CULTURE COIN in the ArtsFwd Business Unusual Challenge

The Twitter logo.
Weekly Howl on Thursday, May 9
Essay

Weekly Howl on Thursday, May 9

"Intellectual Property: How is it benefiting you, your arts community, the world?"—a Twitter chat using hashtag #newplay

6 May 2013

An underlying assumption we want to examine is that the not-for-profit arts community is best served by adopting the market-based economy and legal system that supports and protects intellectual property.

Logo for Space on Ryder Farm.
SPACE on Ryder Farm
Essay

SPACE on Ryder Farm

4 March 2013

Alex Barron reflects on the origins of SPACE on Ryder Farm, and the future of its program... and of artist residences.

Howlround's New Play Map.
Rewriting the Script
Essay

Rewriting the Script

Mapping the Development of New Plays in America

15 February 2013

Jamie Gahlon examines The New Play Map, and how it can help us rewrite the trajectory of new plays and new play development in the U.S.

The H logo for HowlRound.
Modeling a Theatre Commons
Essay

Modeling a Theatre Commons

14 February 2013

P. Carl, David Dower, Jamie Gahlon, and Vijay Mathew define their visions of HowlRound as a not-for-profit theatre commons.

Five actors pose for a group photo in front of a white wall with a window on the left.
13P
Essay

13P

Easy to Revere, Tough to Recreate

24 January 2013

Alex Barron on the challenge of finding leadership to make collectives like 13P work.

Cover of Diane Ragsdale's book "In The Intersection."
Book Launch of In the Intersection: Partnerships in the New Play Sector at Emerson College
Video

Book Launch of In the Intersection: Partnerships in the New Play Sector at Emerson College

Thursday 1 November 2012
Boston, MA, United States

HowlRound / The Center for Theater Commons at Emerson College presented a conversation with Diane Ragsdale, Robert Brustein, David Dower, Rob Orchard, and P. Carl on the publication of In the Intersection: Partnership in the New Play Sectorlivestreamed on the global, commons-based peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Thursday 1 November 2012 at 3 p.m. PDT / 5 p.m. CDT / 6 p.m. EDT / 22:00 GMT

Howlround's New Play Map.
Build with Us
Essay

Build with Us

New Play Map Version 4—Update # 3

10 October 2012

The New Play Map can now display key information on relationships between organizations, artists, and events.

13P Logo.
13P
Essay

13P

Why Implode?

9 October 2012

Rob Handel, co-founder of 13P, explains why the playwrights' collective needed to implode after its final performance. The answer? It simply couldn't happen any other way.

Logo for 13P.
The Finite Animal
Essay

The Finite Animal

13P's End Days

8 October 2012

Maria Goyanes on the conscious imploding of 13P, death, endings, choice and the lessons to be learned from the closing of a curtian.

The Twitter logo.
Twitter Conversation using #newplay on Thursday, Oct. 11
Essay

Twitter Conversation using #newplay on Thursday, Oct. 11

13P & Alternative Producing Models

8 October 2012
Several people walking towards a colorful tent.
Towards a Commons
Essay

Towards a Commons

The Rural Arts and Culture Working Group

6 October 2012

In the belief that rural artists need to be represented, Double Edged Theatre Company headed a conversation with fellow rural artists about action steps for the communities to take.

Build with Us
Essay

Build with Us

New Play Map Version 4—Update # 2

2 October 2012

Vijay answers some questions about knowledge commons and brings us the latest updates of the New Play Map

Howlround's New Play Map.
Build with Us
Essay

Build with Us

New Play Map Version 4 — Update # 1

23 September 2012

HowlRound wants your help in the development of the New Play Map. Read up on how we are innovating it to suit your needs and how to give feedback to ensure our goals are being reached.

Four images of Melanie Joseph.
Considering Our Dimensions
Essay

Considering Our Dimensions

13 September 2012

Melanie Joseph, the Artistic Director of the Foundry Theater, examines what it means to be an artist and an active citizen.

Collage of theatre artists gathering and speaking at the From Scarcity to Abundance convening.
Latinx Theatre Commons
Essay

Latinx Theatre Commons

Updating the US Narrative

9 August 2012

Anne Garcia-Romero on the genesis of the Latinx Theatre Commons.

Howlround's New Play Map.
Introducing The New Play Map Version 3.0
Essay

Introducing The New Play Map Version 3.0

11 July 2012

We've officially launched version 3 of The New Play Map!

Howlround's New Play Map.
Building the New Play Map Version 3.0
Essay

Building the New Play Map Version 3.0

Update # 4

9 July 2012

The last update before the official launch of New Play Map Version 3

So Where Do Artists Work?
Essay

So Where Do Artists Work?

28 June 2012

Ezra Ezzard talks about the rich history and bright future of Harlem, and the necessity of keeping it an affordable place to make art and develop artistic voices.

P Carl giving a speech at a podium.
Finding the Gift and Making Theater for Everyone
Essay

Finding the Gift and Making Theater for Everyone

18 June 2012

P. Carl's keynote from the 2012 CityWrights: Weekend for Playwrights enbolden artists to focus on making good art, rather than being overwhelmed by transactions.