about

noplace is a project of the minha galera collective. To fit its field of activity noplace was turned into a company in october 2021.
Since then it created an interdisciplinary open space on 200 qm in downtown Cologne.

noplace organizes the users of its office, workshop and event spaces there as the progressive working community "noplace community".

/purpose

Those working in the field of art and design can and must engage in the development of a culture of transformation and its communication in order to develop guiding principles that can be lived democratically by the majority and are formed away from one-sided capital interests. In order to set these processes in motion, open work and meeting spaces are needed in urban areas.

Particularly in Cologne, the demand for such spaces and the connection to a network of young creative people is already very high. These people are looking for affordable office and studio space and want to share it with other people in order to learn from each other and implement projects together. Beyond the space to work and research together, they also need appropriate equipment, such as work tables and tools. Sharing these not only brings ecological and economic benefits, but also promotes the development of a trust-based culture of cooperation.

/business

Monthly user fees paid by the members of the noplace community cover the fixed costs, basic equipment and administration of the open space. The activities of the noplace community are mainly in the artistic-creative context. They are united by the desire for community and the drive to rethink the social construct of work. They all share their skills, tools and workplaces in order to be able to realize as many different projects as possible.

Prices for a fulltime monthly membership range between 125,– and 250,–. Project-based requests are usually compensated per hour. Nevertheless our goal is to make the resources of noplace as easily available as possible, so please contact us with your personal request. If possbile we also offer solidary financing or accept other forms of compensation than money.

/strategy

Interdisciplinary and project-related work is the core idea of the concept and is supported by an internal structure, which in its heterarchical patterns pursues the claim of autocratic cooperation and equality and is based on a clear distribution of roles.

The reflected examination of the prevailing social structures and the own claim will define the content in its elaboration. Based on this, an ethos inherent to the project will be determined, which is consistent in itself and significantly influences external communication. noplace additionally pursues an educational claim: events, such as talks, debates and seminars, serve internal enlightenment and further education.

/goals

noplace wants to constantly implement the company’s goals as a process by designing collective activity in open spaces. According to the corporate philosophy, the way is the goal. Apart from the difficulty of measuring the goals, they can be understood much more as practices and frameworks for the overall goal of transforming work:

– supporting socially engaged freelance–working

– providing space for art & culture in Cologne

– exercising cooperation and critical thinking

– transferring and connecting knowledge

/team

The entire team was able to acquire a considerable amount of soft skills through various workshops, presentations, pitches and contract negotiations. The six founders have been working together successfully on a daily basis for several years, creating a proven working atmosphere characterized by trust and non-violent communication. This experience combined with a very strong technical background makes the noplace team unique. Internally, even with a small number of employees, it is possible to swich tasks and appointments, since noplace operates without hierarchy.