Section outline

  •  

    Question: What business/organisational model should Tzoumakers follow?

    Recommended material: This paper; these photos and the following documentary (watch it on YouTube to enable the English subtitles)

    .

    Highlights:
    • The first task for the Tzoumakers community is to formulate a code of conduct, outlining the norms, rules, responsibilities, and expected practices. See Ostrom's eight principles (Class 1).
    • The community must also identify the domains of impact associated with the initiative. In the case of Tzoumakers, education — encompassing seminars, workshops, and research — emerges as a key domain.
    • Bottom-up governance, autonomy, independence, and a community-driven approach are the pillars of Tzoumakers's organisational model. As such, the multi-stakeholder cooperative stands out as the most suitable business format to adopt.
    • Potential sources of income include: grant funding (Erasmus+, Creative Europe, action research pilots, residencies); membership fees; consulting fees; public funding; repair and maintenance services; educational programmes and fees; customised production; agri-tourism; and hybrid approaches.
    • Spaces like Tzoumakers should be regarded as public utilities, and as such, municipalities should provide support.
    • Building a network among similar initiatives (across the EU to begin with) is essential. 
    • While effective locally, challenges remain in scaling without losing community character and avoiding industrialisation of the model itself.
    • Challenges to be addressed include: documentation accessibility for non-English speakers; lack of standardisation; and gender imbalances.