— 5 week online course
Live from art
without selling out
An online course in cooperative cultural entrepreneurship for emerging arts professionals. Self-paced learning plus live weekly sessions, built at the intersection of the solidarity economy, entrepreneurship and cooperativism — with practical tools and a cohort of peers from around the world.
Enroll Now — 499€ →5 weeks · 4h per week · Live sessions Mondays · Guest speakers included
— Who it's for
Made for practitioners
No formal qualifications required. We welcome anyone engaged with arts, culture, and creative practice who wants to situate their work at the intersection of culture, entrepreneurship and cooperativism.
Artists & Creatives
Visual artists, performers, musicians, and creative practitioners looking to turn their practice into sustainable cooperative projects.
Educators & Researchers
Teachers, academics, and researchers exploring cultural education, collaborative learning, and social innovation in the arts.
Cultural Managers
Professionals working in museums, cultural institutions, festivals, and creative organizations developing sustainable cultural ecosystems.
Creative Entrepreneurs
Founders and freelancers building cultural or creative startups with a focus on cooperation, impact, and sustainability.
Community Organizers
People leading grassroots initiatives, collectives, and community-based projects focused on social and cultural transformation.
Social Innovators
Changemakers working at the intersection of culture, innovation, and social impact who want to design cooperative solutions.
— From past participants
What they build
“This course provided me with the blueprint and tools to build a cooperative—but it did so much more, delivering beyond what I had imagined. The workshop offered invaluable guidance and inspiration, thanks to the amazing people who spearheaded the course and their incredible projects, the invited speakers who shared insights from their own co-ops, and the thoughtful activities and exercises in the worksheets. Equally inspiring were the connections I made with the other participants, whose ideas and experiences enriched the entire learning experience.”
“Through the course, I have been massively inspired through the subjects covered as well as the lecturers and the guest speakers. The information has also been really insightful but laid out in such a way that it was easy to digest and understand. The structure of the course has been great, especially when fitting it around many other projects it has meant that I could do everything in my own time and the assignments were not too overbearing but all directly relevant with practical application for my future projects.”
“Thanks to the course, I was able to be a part of a cohort of individuals from around the world, whose drive and passion to create businesses that had the solidarity economy at their heart was inspiring. This pushed me to develop my ideas further and see how I can use this knowledge to develop my project further.”
“A key outcome of the course was the creation of an actual project, which resulted from my work throughout the program. The course offered effective tools for developing a cultural project based on cooperative principles, with both economic and social potential.”
— Apply now
Reserve your spot
Are you interested? Fill out our form for more information. You will receive a brochure with everything you need to know.
— The journey
From idea to pitch in just 5 weeks
The whole course can be completed at your own pace, except for the face-to-face online meetings, which will be pre-scheduled. To successfully complete the course, participants are required to attend a minimum of 80% of these online meetings. The readings, weekly assignments and final assignments will be self-paced by each learner, and the weekly online meeting will be facilitated by the team of educators.
- 1st WEEKIntroduction to the program, team & concept of Cooperative Entrepreneurship in the Arts
Cooperative and solidarity economy values - 2nd WEEKSpeculative brainstorming for creating business ideas respecting planetary boundaries
- 3rd WEEKCustomer profile analysis
Customer validation
- 4th WEEKIntroducing a Cooperative Business Model Plan
Cooperative governance & leadership
Case study analysis - 5th WEEKBranding and communication
Pitching and presentation
Final project presentation
Providing feedback
— How it works
Learn in your own time, together
Self-paced content
Each topic comes with an introduction, learning objectives, an assignment, and a curated list of articles, books and videos.
Live weekly sessions
90-minute synchronous meetings every Monday to apply what you've learned with the group.
A cross-cultural cohort
Team-oriented pedagogy that fosters self-leadership and critical thinking alongside peers from diverse backgrounds.
Guest speakers
Live sessions with international practitioners working in art, cooperativism and the solidarity economy.
— Guest speakers
Learn from people building it
Caroline Woolard
Artist, educator & technologist
Works at the intersection of art and the solidarity economy. Creative director at Pollinator.coop and co-founder of Art.coop, OurGoods.org and TradeSchool.coop.
Gregory Castera
Curator, educator & editor
Works across visual arts, performing arts and political ecology. Curator-at-large and chief of "Learning from the Commons" at Kanal-Centre Pompidou, Brussels.
Oihane Amurrio
Program coordinator & co-designer
Artist, educator and cultural entrepreneur specialized in the field of cooperative entrepreneurship in the arts. Oihane is the Lead Program Developer in Cultural Entrepreneurship at Travelling U.
Guerrilla Media Collective
Guest Speaker
A feminist translation cooperative with a strong focus on the commons. They are an international group of professionals dedicated to preserving the art of translation, and we see our cooperative as a tool for providing sustainable, dignified and ethical work to those in the knowledge sector.
— Good to know
Frequently asked questions
What is the Cooperative Cultural Entrepreneurship (CCE) course?
The CCE course is an online program designed for artists, cultural professionals, creative entrepreneurs, and community leaders who want to build sustainable cultural projects through cooperation, social innovation, and entrepreneurial thinking. Participants learn how to develop viable initiatives that create both cultural value and social impact.
Who is the course for?
CCE is ideal for artists, creatives, cultural managers, producers, social innovators, community organizers, and entrepreneurs working in the cultural and creative sectors. Whether you are launching a new initiative or strengthening an existing project, the course provides practical tools for cooperative and purpose-driven entrepreneurship.
Do I need previous experience in entrepreneurship?
No previous entrepreneurial experience is required. The course is designed for both beginners and experienced professionals. Participants are guided through key concepts, methodologies, and tools that can be applied directly to cultural, social, and creative projects.
What will I learn during the course?
Participants learn how to develop sustainable cultural projects, understand cooperative business models, design and validate value propositions, build strategic partnerships, strengthen collaboration practices, and create social, cultural, and economic impact through entrepreneurship.
How long is the course?
The course runs over five weeks and requires approximately four hours of study per week. Learning activities combine self-paced online content, collaborative exercises, and live sessions with facilitators and peers.
Is the course fully online?
Yes. The entire program is delivered online, allowing participants from anywhere in the world to join. The course combines flexible asynchronous learning with interactive live sessions.
Will I receive a certificate after completing the course?
Yes. Participants who successfully complete the course requirements receive a certificate of completion recognizing their participation and learning achievements in cooperative cultural entrepreneurship.
Can I develop my own project during the course?
Yes. The course follows a project-based learning approach. Participants are encouraged to work on their own cultural, creative, or social initiative and apply the course tools and methodologies directly to their project.
What makes CCE different from other entrepreneurship courses?
Unlike traditional entrepreneurship programs focused primarily on business growth, CCE emphasizes cooperation, democratic governance, collective value creation, and social impact. The course explores how cultural initiatives can become economically sustainable while remaining community-centered and purpose-driven.
Will I connect with participants from different countries?
Yes. The course brings together an international community of artists, cultural professionals, entrepreneurs, and changemakers. Participants benefit from global perspectives, peer learning, networking opportunities, and potential future collaborations.
How much time should I dedicate each week?
Most participants dedicate around four hours per week to course materials, assignments, discussions, and live sessions. The flexible structure makes it possible to combine the program with professional and personal commitments.
What language is the course taught in?
The course is delivered entirely in English and welcomes participants from diverse cultural and geographic backgrounds.
How do I apply for the course?
You can apply by completing the online application form on the course website. As places are limited, early registration is recommended. You can apply here.
What outcomes can I expect from the course?
By the end of the course, participants gain a practical understanding of cooperative cultural entrepreneurship, a stronger professional network, actionable tools for project development, greater confidence in leading collaborative initiatives, and a roadmap for future growth and impact.
Network
The participants joining the online course in Cooperative Cultural Entrepreneurship will be part of:
About
Travelling U
Travelling U is an educational cooperative that designs cross-cultural learning experiences based on three main pillars: collaborative learning, human-centred leadership and cooperative entrepreneurship. Travelling U co-founded and is an active collaborator in the Mondragon Team Academy World (MTA), an international network gathering currently 2500 team entrepreneurs and young change leaders all over the world.
About
Mondragon Team Academy
Travelling U co-founded and is an active collaborator in the Mondragon Team Academy.
Mondragon Team Academy (MTA) is an international community in which more than 2500 team entrepreneurs contribute to creating a global network of social innovation ecosystem laboratories.
About
Art.coop
Art.coop is a collective that exists to grow an arts/culture movement rooted in solidarity by centering artists and cultural workers making systems-change irresistible.