This phrase was once used to highlight how everything in our society seems to revolve around the economy. But why do we accept the rules of the free market as a given? The economy is not a natural law; it’s a man-made system that we can—and must—adjust when it no longer works for everyone.

We should question whether market forces truly contribute to the fair distribution of housing or equal access to healthcare. Is it wise to let the market determine the prices of basic needs such as housing, healthcare, craftsmanship, and land? To bring about real change, we need to consider which aspects of our society we want to free from the grip of market forces.

More and more, we see initiatives where small, meaningful changes occur, and where individual strengths are united. Think of examples like the Bread Fund, Food Cooperatives, and Repair Cafés. These initiatives demonstrate that there are many ways to collectively create change on a small scale, often as alternatives to free market mechanisms. They show that collaboration, reciprocity, and the redistribution of resources contribute more to an inclusive, fair, and sustainable society than the current economy. The collective as a driver of change is more powerful than ever. Through collaboration, we learn from each other’s limitations, new ideas emerge, and different areas of knowledge are connected.

We now have the opportunity to consciously choose collaboration and, in doing so, change the direction of our society. During this meeting, we will be inspired by several exemplary initiatives that we call “change collectives”.

Discover how change collectives are creating impact through collaboration. We invite citizens, policymakers, designers, researchers, educators, and students to think together about the power of the collective in liberating capital, the living environment, and craftsmanship from market forces, with the aim of developing a new market logic. During this meeting, we will explore the working principles of collectivity with Future of Work, Collectief Kapitaal, OMNII, Constructlab, Ruanrupa, Lumbung, Art for Resistance, Buurtbinders, and Zandbewoners.

12:45 hrs · Arrival

13.15 hrs · Introduction by Future of Work and OMNII.

13:30 hrs · Denise Harleman from Collectief Kapitaal on how we can redistribute capital outside the market.

14:15 hrs · Peter Zuiderwijk from Constructlab on how to liberate your living environment from the economy.

15:00 hrs · Reza Afisina from Ruanrupa & Lumbung Gallery on how to liberate (individual) ownership from market mechanisms.

15:45 hrs · Break

15:55 hrs · Plenary discussion: Do we see patterns emerging in the methods of change collectives and the way they are detaching capital and living environments from the market?

16:30 hrs · End

How can OMNII support change collectives in creating value for people and the environment in Den Bosch, outside of traditional market principles?

18:00 hrs · Arrival

18:30 hrs · Opening by Future of Work and OMNII.

19:00 hrs · Short presentations by change collectives: What do they do, what are their goals, and what needs to be liberated from the market for them to succeed?

19:45 hrs · Break

20:00 hrs · Brainstorm and dialogue around the installation.

21:00 hrs · End