We live immersed in a digital and media architecture designed to hijack our time and dictate public discourse. Today, just a handful of opaque corporations and investment funds decide which movies get released, which news stories gain visibility, and which realities remain buried under the weight of an extractive algorithm. When information channels and public forums are conceived exclusively as financial assets, not only does creative work become precarious: democratic pluralism and the capacity to imagine other possible worlds are drastically impoverished.

In the face of this monoculture of narrative and attention, the answer lies not in passive complaint or technological resignation, but in the conquest of cultural sovereignty and commons-based infrastructure. Claiming our own spaces—both on digital servers and on the streets of our cities—means weaving networks of collective ownership where social value and a community-centered perspective take precedence over the immediate profitability of a few tycoons.

In this newsletter, we highlight three creative initiatives that demonstrate that establishing shared spaces is both urgent and feasible: a cooperative streaming platform that challenges the industry giants, an iconic cultural center in Valencia that is defending its financial autonomy after two decades of operation, and a festival in Barcelona that broadens the cinematic perspective to include ecology and the peripheries of the Francophone world.

A ‘Netflix’ for the 99%: The First Cooperative Streaming Platform in Spanish

📺 Dozens of filmmakers, journalists, content creators, and audiovisual professionals—including names such as Ayme Román, Jordi Maquiavello, Puto Mikel, Outconsumer, and Willy Toledo—have joined forces with the Furor TV team to launch the first daily cooperative television station and streaming platform in Spanish. With direct mentorship from the U.S.-based Means TV, the project was launched as a worker cooperative where those who create the content and manage the technical operations are full members with a voice and a vote in governance, breaking away from the fragmentation and lack of labor protections that prevail in today’s platform economy.

✊🏻 This initiative represents a strategic step toward media sovereignty and editorial independence. In an ecosystem dominated by corporate interests and partisan agendas, this platform will dedicate its programming and content to the struggles of the working class and the social and solidarity economy. Furthermore, it perfectly embodies the ethics of the commons by guaranteeing a universal collective return: a substantial portion of the programming will always be broadcast over the air and free of charge, allowing anyone to access diverse debates, critical analyses, and social cinema without relying on private subscriptions.

👉🏼 Make your donation here.

October is our home

🧡 Located in the heart of Valencia’s historic center, the Octubre Center for Contemporary Culture (supported by Acció Cultural del País Valencià and the Institució Cívica i de Pensament Joan Fuster) is commemorating two decades of tireless work with a campaign aimed at ensuring its technical and operational continuity. Home to the Centre Carles Salvador—an undisputed leader in Catalan language education that has educated tens of thousands of people—the building has hosted more than 5,000 cultural and civic events. Today, it requires urgent repairs: eliminating moisture, upgrading the technical equipment in the auditorium, modernizing computer systems, and installing energy-efficient LED lighting.

🗣️ Maintaining the walls of an independent cultural center in the heart of the city is an act of civil resistance and preservation of our collective heritage. L’Octubre is much more than a building: it serves as a bridge for dialogue among all Spanish-speaking regions, a space for critical thinking where the language is used naturally, and a catalyst for dozens of social groups that lack their own venues. Keeping this infrastructure alive strengthens the Valencian community fabric and safeguards the autonomy of a project that remains unaffected by institutional ups and downs.

👉🏼 Join the campaign and donate here.

7th edition of Ohlalà! Barcelona Francophone Film Festival

🎬 From November 19 to 28, the Ohlalà! Festival will hold its seventh edition, having established itself as the only film festival in Catalonia dedicated to Francophone auteur cinema. The festival screens high-quality films recognized by international festivals such as Cannes, Berlin, and San Sebastián, always in their original language with Catalan or Spanish subtitles to ensure full accessibility for the local audience. This edition stands out in particular for the launch of “Ohlalà! La Planète,” a brand-new section featuring films designed to spark reflection and debate on ecological challenges, the environment, and the climate crisis.

🌍 In an audiovisual market homogenized by major commercial circuits, this event broadens perspectives and combats cultural monoculture by showcasing lesser-known films from countries such as Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Senegal, Quebec, and Belgium. The social impact of Ohlalà! extends through training sessions with film school students, educational screenings for schoolchildren and families focused on social and gender issues, and specific accessibility protocols for people with disabilities, enriching Barcelona’s cultural life through diversity and intercultural dialogue.

👉 Support this campaign here.

Are you working on a social economy project and need funding?

If, after seeing these initiatives, you’re thinking about launching your own campaign or need to assess the financial viability of your organization, we have good news.

The Platoniq Foundation is now offering the last few spots for the Goteo Impulsa ESS virtual training series, supported by the Ministry of Labor and Social Economy. It consists of four practical and collaborative workshops (starting September 30) to help you validate your proposal, calculate transparent budgets, structure rewards, and engage your community from scratch.

In addition, participating gives you access to free, personalized technical consulting from the Goteo team to help you get your initiative off the ground.

⚠️ Registration will close for good this Friday at 9:00 a.m.