Commons: Between Dreams and Reality

Context

“Commons: Between Dreams and Reality” (2020) is a publication edited by Maria Francesca De Tullio and published by Creative Industry Košice. It brings together multiple authors (including Pascal Gielen, Giuseppe Micciarelli, Marjolein Cremer, Evi Swinnen, Will Ruddick, Michel Bauwens and others) and was produced with support from the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.

Culture as commons in Europe

The book frames “commons” as resources that can be managed through users’ self-governance and self-organisation beyond the traditional state/market divide, drawing on commons scholarship (including Elinor Ostrom). It argues that when social justice is centred, commons-based approaches can enable cooperative, non-competitive relationships, non-extractive economies, horizontal decision-making and more democratic institutions.

Participation, urban space, and governance

A key thread is how cultural and creative spaces—often self-organised makerspaces, cultural centres, re-appropriated or formerly occupied buildings—can become sites for community participation and experimentation in self-regulation, accessibility and inclusion. The text describes how communities can claim decision-making power over urban planning and public property through everyday practices and collective use of space. 🇪🇺 EU policy tensions and democratic deficit The publication discusses how EU-level values of cohesion and improved living and working conditions can be difficult to implement under frameworks that prioritise the Single Market. It describes the limits of EU action in social policy (often relying on “soft law”) and links these constraints to perceptions of a democratic deficit, reduced trust, and political backlash. One contribution highlights that only 0.14% of the EU budget (2014–2020) was spent on culture, using this figure to question the gap between participatory rhetoric and funding reality.

Models of participation: representation, deliberation, agonism

The book differentiates forms of democratic participation: representative participation through elections, deliberative participation through debate and expertise, and “agonistic” participation that emphasises conflict, emotion, performance and dissensus when groups feel excluded. It connects these models to cultural policy, arguing that artistic and cultural practices can make previously invisible demands visible and audible through non-rational forms of expression.

Case studies and practical lessons

Across chapters, the book uses “ordinary stories” and concrete examples to examine the growth factors, contradictions, and governance dilemmas of commons initiatives—such as how public authorities can materially support commons without undermining autonomy, and how labels like “commons” can be co-opted (“commons washing”). It also discusses experiments in funding and network-building (e.g., Connected Action for the Commons), emphasising long lead times, facilitation, reciprocity, and trust.

Policy directions and sustainability links

The text calls for stronger recognition of culture as a common good, long-term investment, and governance arrangements that enable community-led stewardship of shared resources. It links commons-based cultural governance to inclusion and sustainability, including proposals such as reducing administrative overhead, supporting grassroots capacity, shifting away from competitive funding logics, and encouraging ecologically responsible practices (for example, limiting air travel in funded projects).