STANDING ON WATER - THE ART OF MAKING A FILM

Documentary filmmaking is a bitter-sweet long haul. Once you’ve made a documentary film, you don’t ever want to go through that process again. And I’m not talking about 5-10-minute youtube clips, I’m talking feature-length cinematic experiences. Movies. The real deal.  But even though I swear to never put myself through that painful process again, once I catch the glimpse of an idea or meet a person with an interesting story, I know I'm in trouble. It’s a curse and a gift. All the more it's a huge pleasure to now be able to present Standing on Water.

Anyway, I'm a filmmaker. Two years ago, I was introduced to a group of people in Klitmøller through my friend from Cowork Klitmøller. They were looking for someone to make a film for the local county, and that ended up being me. 

I started researching and talking to folks in the area. Along the way, I met a local kid by the name of Casper Steinfath who at the time was 19 and had just won a world title in Stand Up Paddling. I had never heard his name even mentioned, but I immediately felt an urge to find out more about this kid. Very little time passed before I felt a film was in the making.

This guy!

To begin with I had no idea what it would be about. I’ve wanted to make some sort of surf or snowboard documentary since I was plowing my first powder, chasing friends in the French Alps with a camera in my hand (pre GoPro and Internet-era). But I never found a good story in those years, and I didn't want to make another surf porn just because. It had to be a real story. And everyone have a story. It's only a matter of digging it out. Spending time with character(s) is the only way to do it – and hence what filmmaking is all about. So I did after meeting Casper, and it soon became clear to me that he's had a very special upbringing and lives a very special life. 

Together with Rasmus, I applied for a bit of funding and luckily got it. This marked the beginning of my journey, and I decided to travel with Casper, his girlfriend, brother and friend, to California and Hawaii to follow his quest to win the legendary Battle of the Paddle. 

Shorebreak carnage coming up.

I never wanted to make a sports documentary with the structure of a competition as the main story. I wanted more. The competition was a way to get to know Casper better, and to know more about SUP. Checking in to my flight from Copenhagen to San Francisco, I asked myself what I was doing and what the film would be about. I didn't know. But I knew I wanted to find the answer to that question.

One of my film teachers once said:

"When you make a film, you'll end up making three films. The one you imagine, the one you shoot, and finally the one you end up editing."

I have experienced that before and this was what happened again. I found myself constantly paying attention to everything, trying to write down what I had seen and the ideas that came to me as I went along. I wanted to compose images at the moment that would come together what I thought was the big picture. 

Eighteen months of funding, traveling, shooting, and periods with hardly no sleep, sunburned shoulders, reef cuts, head butts, 200+ hours of raw footage from more than eleven different cameras, weeks of combing through the vast amount of material followed by non-stop editing with editor and assistant directors Anders Obbekjær and Kristoffer Hegnsvad, finding and fine tuning the story, keeping the music composer Adam Mckenzie on track, coordinating with Kong Gulerod Film for post production, developing the art direction with graphic designer Super Schwarz and working with sound designer Max Frost for the final mix, we ended up with something we hadn’t imagined.

Shooting in the wilderness in California and head buttet by my camera housing.

Documentary filmmaking is a tough cookie. It’s a gamble, and it’s certainly not for those who want stability in their lives. At the same time that’s exactly why it’s so fulfilling, full of surprises, ups and downs. Everyday is a new beginning with new tasks and challenges. 

One thing for sure though, you need your peers and supporters more than ever in such a process. You need people around you, who believe in the project and in you. Sometimes even more than you do. You need someone to lean on, and you need to be asked the right questions all along to stay the sharpest and the best you. You need help to do what you can't, and the bonds you build in the proces are priceless. It's like a family. 

We've established a film community called 'Empty Chairs.' Not to necessarily produce a lot of films or make tons of money, but for the sake of working together and creating a lot of different stuff for the passion of it. As we’re approaching the premiere and release of Standing On Water, Cowork Klitmøller has been part of that family all along. I can never thank Troels, Benthe, Mette, Tina, Marie Louise and Rasmus enough for being there and for believing in me, in us. So far it has been an unforgettable journey. Unreal, and beyond imaginable. Together, the future is bright. And I hope for many new adventures in their pleasant company.  

Talent Flow Coworking – what doesn't kill you will make you stronger

When I met Isabelle, she was living in Vienna; she immediately struck me as a person on a mission. "Who are you, and what is your project?" she bluntly asked. We quickly fell into conversation. I told her about our project. It turned out it resonated with some ideas she has. Isabelles project is called Talent Flow Coworking. She has been kind enough to tell us more about herself and the place she's creating. Ladies and gentlemen, here is a woman with grit.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I studied at a business school in France and an additional year at HEC in a special program for start-ups in 1997. I set up my first company when I was 28 (1996). It was an industrial design and graphic consultancy firm acting in Hong Kong and China providing services to consumer goods manufacturers. With no bank support, I developed the company so that at some point it employed 20 people. I closed the company in 2006 due to the $US/Euro exchange rate, Chinese manufacturers' low profit, and the new local Chinese design competition.

I then went to Austria, learned German, and 18 months later, I set up a real estate agency. Very soon, I had specialized in Luxury Real Estate. However, I found that running the business was difficult in terms of creativity, networking and self-development. So I wasn't feeling very happy about it. In 2012, I got a very bad business setback: I wasn't paid a commission of 200K€, went to court for two years, spent 25K€, lost the case and went bankrupt ... That's life – and hey, what doesn't kill you will make you stronger.

Tell us about the coworking space you are creating – when/how did it all begin?

I started thinking about it because one of the designers with whom I've worked with for 18 years started a 400 m² with 80 desks coworking space in Paris. He opened a tiny space in 2004 with some friends; then he got the opportunity to buy 200 m² and later on another 200 m².  He doesn't organize any events or training for the people that are there; the place is working by itself. The atmosphere there is amazing. You can just feel the community spirit and synergies arising from the place. This inspired me to go on a field trip to New York in May 2014. I visited a bunch of places just to understand the activity. I dived into the market and gradually developed a new business idea.

Why are you creating a coworking space? 

First of all, I'm not doing this (entirely) for fun. I want to make a business, i.e., to earn money. I also want a place that'll make it possible for me to keep running my current business, which I started a year ago. I'm exporting cosmetic products from France to China. I also help people find manufacturers in China and just solved two cases in 2014 as a consultant.

I expect the place to facilitate synergies between people, to spark new ideas and businesses. I'll also give me an opportunity to pursue my passion for helping people developing their business. I have a lot of experience in local and overseas business, I know how to start from zero and lay out the steps for growth – and I know how to close a company.

What will be your day-to-day role once you're up and running?

To begin with, I'll be the face of the place, welcoming the new members of the space. From there, what'll happen will depend on the users' request. Mostly, I'll do my best to support them in growing their business by providing experience and network centered around useful training and events. That said, if I'm lucky, I'll be able to create a sense of "our space" and community. If I do it right, people will feel encouraged to contribute to the content, which will benefit first of all their business but also the space.

Why is your space awesome?

Well, I know how it is to be a foreigner wanting to start a business in Vienna. That's why the place will serve as a relay between all chamber of commerce organizations in Vienna and the immigrants who want to set up and run a business here. I'll be able to provide the right information in English (not in German). That's pretty awesome. Furthermore, the place will be great for local Viennese people and businesses that want to interact with creative and entrepreneurial people coming from other places.

How will the space be different from other coworking spaces?

There'll be a lot of diversity. People will spend 10 to 12 hours a day in the space, and so will I. It has to be perfect. That's why I care about design and work to provide quality furniture and a great environment consisting of a mix of work zones, zones for relaxing and playing, a bar and a lounge. I'll use my female intuition to implement a sense of belonging.

What is your biggest challenge?

I've invested my own money. It's a total €300K. That is almost everything I have, and I'm 47 years old, so I cannot make mistakes.

Where do you see your space in 5 - 10 years?

I want to open more spaces with my landlord (the Austrian Post) in Vienna and the countryside. I believe that a mix of presence in the city and the possibility to retreat to more quiet rural places close to nature is and will be of increasing value to businesses. The creative workforce is changing rapidly toward micro-businesses and independent workers. My vision is for my place(s) to provide some of the infrastructure supporting a well-organized cluster of extremely agile people and companies that'll be able to find a solution to pretty much any need out there. I think being able to do that is the DNA and, hence, the real value of the coworking movement. 

You can borrow my house and car if I can borrow your mobile home

Have you planned a trip to Klitmøller in your mobile home this summer? Would you like to live like a local in my house in Klitmøller – for free? Well, here’s your chance: Let’s swap! You can borrow my house and car if I borrow your mobile home. How’s that sound? If you are interested, please comment below. I know, there are some details – insurance, etc. – that must be in place first, but there are solutions to that. We'll find those together. If I succeed, we might pave the way for a more permanent home/mobile home swap service in Klitmøller — who knows?

No doubt, most of the residents in Cowork Klitmøller believe that our little village is the center of the universe, especially during the summertime, when the ocean is warmer, the days are longer, and the parties reveal so much more naked skin.

Believe it or not, we – the most dedicated locals – need to go somewhere else to surf, to eat, to get inspiration, etc. The ultimate freedom of a restless person such as myself is to have a mobile home. I can go north to Norway, east to Sweden, west to England, or south to France – maybe even Spain or Portugal. Only time and fuel will limit our mobility.

In Klitmøller, downsizing is not uncommon. It fits the lifestyle of a surfer, where flexibility is the key to the ultimate experience. I encourage myself on a daily basis to let go of consumerism and materialism, to free myself from “things” and focus more on freedom and possibilities.

Along with my boyfriend, I am, however, (still) a house owner, and not a wealthy one. We have three kids and an imaginary rabbit. In other words, sharing and trust are our currency. Renting a mobile home in Denmark is seriously expensive, as is renting a house in Klitmøller during the high season. So here’s a thought:

You, my (most likely German) fellow surfer, can borrow my house if I can borrow your mobile home. No money will change hands. You’ll be nice to my home because you know that I’ll take care of your vehicle.

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Credits to my friend Ole Busk for coming up with the home/mobile home swap service idea. 

Rayaworx Coworking – you go, take a swim and go back – to work

When I attended the Coworking Europe 2014 Conference, I met Doris Schuppe. Doris describes herself as a digital pioneer, mobile enthusiast and now coworking host. I soon fell into conversation with her as it turned out that we were working on similar coworking projects. 

Whereas our place is in Klitmøller, Cold Hawaii, in the (relatively) high north, she, along with her partner, began a coworking adventure in Southern Europe. Doris has been kind enough to share their story with us. Here it is:

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To understand why we're starting a Rayaworx Coworking at Mallorca, you've got to know two things about me.

First, I like riding my bike, a BMW F800 GS, together with my husband, who rides a Ducati Multistrada. Before moving to Mallorca, we were living in Munich and so were blessed with winding roads in the Alps near at hand.

However, as soon as the snow melts, the roads become crowded. For us, this was overshadowing our joy of driving, which increasingly was becoming frustrating to us. In 2012, we found ourself at a point where we wanted the change that could revamp the joy.

Second, when I started working as a solopreneur again in 2010, coworking soon became my favourite way of meeting new faces and getting something done. I disliked the isolation of having just my own office and was fed up with the ups and downs of a shared office.

In 2013, we had to cancel our planned motorcycle tour to the Pyrenees. Instead, we decided to go to Mallorca. We had been there several years ago and found it quite nice. We rented motorcycles and booked some tours with Mallorquin Bikes.

During the talks with other tour members, I realised that moving to Mallorca could both restore our joy of driving and support my passion for coworking. We could have great times on our bikes, exploring the roads in the Tramuntana Range and do business by offering coworking (and a stable Internet connection, which still is hard to find in rural Mallorca) as a service to expats and travelers alike.

After having convinced my partner, we worked for a few days on the concept and finally – as a first test – presented the concept to the owners of the motorcycle rental company. They immediately liked the idea, and well, for some reason, it gave us the courage to continue, and we haven't looked back ever since.

Lots of preparations later, in October 2014, we moved to Mallorca and founded our Spanish company. In February 2015, our 185-square-metre coworking space opened its doors in southeast Mallorca, in Santanyí, Bernat Vidal i Tomàs 43, 07650 Santanyí, just 4 km from the beach in Cala Santanyí.

Santanyí is also the name of the municipality; it truly is a gem and a very beautiful place. The area covered by the municipality extends around 35 km along the southeast coast of the island. It encompasses a variety of beaches popular for their scenic beauty. 

It also holds a large number of archaeological sites — 172 — evidence of the existence of a productive agricultural tradition since at least the Talaiotic Period. Santanyí is also home to a protected natural area, the Mondragó Natural Park. The area is great for outdoor activities, except for surfing. To surf, you have to drive to other areas of the island. 

There's still some bits and pieces we need to take care of before we can open our space. When that happens you'll not only have a nice place to cowork, you'll also have free access to bicycles. On hot days, the Cala Santanyí beach is only 15 minutes away. So you go, take a swim, and go back and work again. Not bad for a Monday at the office? Follow us to stay up to date. 

Our target groups are solopreneurs and digital creatives and/or nomads who want either to extend their vacation in Mallorca or to stay there for a while before moving on. Furthermore, we target agencies and project groups and invite them to use our place as a nice retreat where things get done. Finally, we target German- and English-speaking residents lacking a good Internet connection.

To this day, I can't tell whether this will work as planned. But I am pleasantly surprised by the positive feedback of friends and acquaintances; our new contacts in Mallorca are excited as well. They like the coworking concept and the idea of working off-site with a fresh sea breeze, sunshine, and delicious Mediterranean food. It's a new kind of vacation; you can travel to the area and the climate you would like to be in and still get things done and meet new faces and business opportunities.

Maybe some of you guys will come around to escape the winter? I would be delighted.

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Well, Doris, you surely have awakened our interest. We at Cowork Klitmøller wish you good luck. See you out there — on the roads and at the digital frontiers, and again thank you for sharing your story with us. 

Coworking is about the community – more precisely, the people

Everything I do, I can do through a combination of a computer and an Internet connection. I don't even need my own computer to do it. Everything is in the cloud, so any computer will do. Furthermore, I haven't got an employer who expects me to "show up" (once in a while). I have my company; I'm my own boss. So why do I choose to work from and pay for a workstation at Cowork Klitmøller?

To come up with (some of) the explanation, we have to go back to where it all started.

Coworking as a concept and a way of organizing work originated in 2005. It was Brad Neuberg who coined the term "coworking" (nb. header-image from the first coworking space, from Neuberg's blog) and was the first to set up a coworking space. The place was called the San Francisco Coworking Space. In 2005, Neuberg described "coworking" as follows:

"Traditionally, society forces us to choose between working at home for ourselves or working at an office for a company. If we work at a traditional 9 to 5 company job, we get community and structure, but lose freedom and the ability to control our own lives. If we work for ourselves at home, we gain independence but suffer loneliness and bad habits from not being surrounded by a work community. Coworking is a solution to this problem. In coworking, independent writers, programmers, and creators come together in a community a few days a week. Coworking provides the 'office' of a traditional corporate job, but in a very unique way."

In 2003, Neuberg had experimented with what he called The Nine to Five Group. The idea was that people would occasionally meet at a coffee shop and work together. According to Neuberg, it wasn't a success. He dropped the initiative after just one month.

The San Francisco Coworking Space rented a space at The Spiral Muse in San Francisco. The first official coworker was Ray Baxter, described by Neuberg as a sportsman, developer, and father.

A typical working day at The San Francisco Coworking Space began at 9:00 AM with a 45-minute group meditation; later, people ate lunch together. The day ended with everyone participating in a 45-minute "healthy activity." At 5:45 PM, everyone went home.

After a year, the San Francisco Coworking Space closed. Some months later, Neuberg, along with about 10 volunteers, opened The Hat Factory. At The Hat Factory each member worked on his or her projects but was invited to share knowledge and help the other coworkers.

Since then, the phenomenon has spread. The number of people making use of coworking spaces is increasing rapidly. The 2012 Third Global Coworking Survey, which had 2,700 participants, states that the worldwide total of registered coworking spaces had increased by 245% during the prior twelve months to – at the time – 2,072.

A year later, DeskMag and Emergent Research reported a further increase to over three thousand. In addition, the number of people using coworking spaces increased from 85,000 in 2012 to over 160,000 in 2013. The same study estimates that by 2018, one million coworkers worldwide will be spread out over 12,000 coworking spaces.

Surveys show that most coworkers are in their late twenties to late thirties, the average age being thirty-four. Two-thirds are men; four out of five have a university degree; the majority work in IT or the creative industry.

The Third Global Coworking Survey  reveals that a clear majority, 66%, chose "a social and enjoyable atmosphere" as the reason they chose coworking. Sixty-two percent chose "the feeling of being part of a community," while 57% chose "interaction with others."

In fourth place, with 54%, comes "good infrastructure (Internet, table, chairs, meeting rooms, etc.)" as the reason for choosing coworking. Fewer still, namely 42%, chose "knowledge sharing" as the reason they have chosen coworking.

Next comes "close to my home" (41%), "flexible working hours" (25%), "interdisciplinary collaborations" (23%), "easy-to-change workspace" (19%), "my employer or customer pays for it" (17%), and finally, "the opportunity to work in groups" (12%).

These results can of course be interpreted in many ways, the fact is that a coworker is someone who deliberately chooses to work with other coworkers. No one need (or was told to) be there to work. The coworker is there only to be a part of a community. 

Part of it can be summed up to the network and the (possible) collaborations that continuously arise from being there. Part of it is about helping and getting help, sharing knowledge and ideas. Another part is about meeting new people, being introduced to new networks. Last but not least, it's about hanging out with a bunch of nice people.

In conclusion: The only reason I'm at Cowork Klitmøller or, for that matter, any other coworking space, is the people that are there. That's how it is, and that's how it was when it all started.

Ingen (freelance) jihadist skal få skovlen under modet til at ytre sig frit

I dag har vi sørger vi. Vore tanker går til ofrer og pårørende for det seneste døgns terror i Danmark. I morgen står vi op og – vær helt vis på det –  tegner alle de tegninger og møder alle de forskelligheder, der skal til for, at ingen, ingen (freelance) jihadist får skovlen under modet til at ytre sig frit i Danmark og resten af verden – og nej, dette er IKKE en kamp mellem den vestlige verden og islam. Dette er alles kamp mod dødsens farlige tosser.

COIN will become an important and unavoidable dot on the Europe coworking map

We have come to the next story about other coworking spaces that you can visit and be a part of for a longer or shorter period. This one is told by Iva Kosović and is about a new initiative in Zadar in Croatia. I met Iva during a coworking tour in Lisbon. We quickly got into a conversation about COIN, which is the project she's passionate about. Iva is a member of the project team who's task is to successfully implement the project and to ensure further development of the Zadar coworking community even after the project ends.

Q: Tell me about the coworking space you are creating – when/how did it all begin?

A: From January 2012 until June 2013, the Association of Trades and Crafts Zadar, in partnership with 12 European organisations, has implemented an EU project called Coworking under the Leonardo da Vinci programme. The aim of the project was to produce a comprehensive toolkit of documents/means to serve as propellants for all European contexts considering the coworking option. As one of the partners, ATC Zadar gained appropriate insight and perspective of the coworking concept and implemented many different activities in cooperation with European, national, and regional partners in order to promote it and empower the coworking initiative at a regional level. At that point, the new local partnership started to build, and project partners were included in a new EU project conceptualization. On 14 July 2014, a grant contract was signed, and the project "Coworking Zadar – Innovation through Collaboration" has begun. The project will enable us to create a new coworking space in 2015.

Q: Why are you creating a coworking space – what do you expect to get out of it?

A: The main objectives of the project are to increase the competitiveness of the micro SME-s and create jobs through self-employment. The project intends to assist and support the development and expansion of the micro enterprises into the small-sized enterprise category. These things will be done by offering lower costs related to infrastructure and other support services (such as education and social events) that would help with their financial sustainability.

Q: What is your main value proposition (i.e. why is your space awesome)?

A: The coworking space will be called COIN – coworking industries. It will be a place tailored to its users' needs. Also, we could say that our extra plus is our city's geographical location. Considering the direction Zadar tourism is headed in and the fact that COIN will be the first coworking space in the Croatian part of the Adriatic Coast, we are planning to become a ''base'' for everyone coming to town who is in need of a space in which to (net)work.

Q: Who is your primary user?

A: Our target groups are micro enterprises (existing and potential micro enterprises providing intellectual services, job seekers, freelancers, etc.), the local coworking community, coworking space hosts, SME support providers, and European coworking champions (subjects championing a coworking cause – initiators, developers, promoters, providers). Our final beneficiaries are resident and non-resident micro enterprises, business travellers, the global coworking community, the local community, project partners, and business incubators.

Q: How is the space different from other coworking spaces?

A: Our biggest difference is more technical and relates to the very beginning of the founding of the space. Since the "Coworking Zadar" project team consists of people from partner institutions (the City of Zadar, the Association of Crafts and Trades, the Development Agency of Zadar County, Zadar County, and the Croatian Chamber of Economy), what could be the difference from other (mostly private) coworking spaces (especially whose owners we've met in Lisbon) is our institutional background.  However, this is not a bad situation. In fact, so far we have experienced more advantages than disadvantages from this "difference."

Q: In your mind, what is your biggest challenge?

A: In Croatia, there are only a few coworking spaces (in the capital, Zagreb and Osijek), but lately, coworking initiatives all across the country have arisen. Informing and raising awareness about the coworking concept is one of our biggest challenges. In that sense, we maintain a high level of communication with our experienced "coworking colleagues," and we have included them in various activities foreseen in the project.

Q: What's your take on a solution (if you have one)?

A: Since the beginning of the project in June 2014, we have had many different events (jelly, coworking breakfast, and education) in order to spread the word about the project, to get close to our potential users, and to create our coworking community. In a few days, we plan to visit coworking spaces in Zagreb and Osijek with our future hosts and users so they too can see directly what coworking is all about.

Q:  Where do you see your space in 5 - 10 years?

A: We are doing our best to make COIN "The place" for networking in Zadar, enabling all freelancers, entrepreneurs, tourists, and other users to come and work (or have have a meeting or a conversation). Also, our goal is for COIN to be a space that will be self-sustainable through memberships and sponsorships. EU project ''Coworking Zadar'' ends with the end of 2015, but, nevertheless, we are hoping COIN will become an important and unavoidable dot on the Europe coworking map in the future.

Q: Bonus: How do you envision coworking (in Croatia) in 10 - 20 years?

A: We envision COIN becoming the central place for fostering SMEs in the region and a meeting place of different professions and creative persons.

Thanks Iva – next stop Croatia :-)! 

Mutinerie: sharing values is the most important part

Coworking as a concept is only 10 years old. This post is one in a series of posts where I interview people I have met. They belong to coworking spaces in Denmark as well as in the rest of Europe and the world. Hopefully, the series will teach us something about the coworking movement. 

The first interview is with William Van Den Broek. I got in touch with William via Morgane Parma, whom I met when I participated in the Coworking Europe Conference 2014 in Lisbon. Morgane is a visual communication designer and a member of Mutinerie. William is the cofounder of Mutinerie in Paris. Here are his answers:

A: What is Mutinerie? 

Q: Mutinerie is a community of independent workers: entrepreneurs, start-ups, and freelancers based in Paris. The headquarters of Mutinerie is a coworking space of 400 square meters in the northeast of the city. We have about 200 active members. Some of them work nearly every day from the place, and others come only a few days per month. Mutinerie hosts and organises events, workshops, and celebrations. Mutinerie has various goals and no limits!

Q: When/how did it all begin? 

A: Mutinerie was initiated by three brothers and a playground friend who decided, one day in September 2010, to gather independent workers in a place where it would be nice to work, think, and live. After four months of hard work, Mutinerie opened its doors in early March 2012.

Q: What is a ‘Mutin’? 

A: A mutin means a mutineer. A mutin is a member of our community—a guy or a girl who decided, one fine day, to become self-employed and chose what he or she wanted to do with his or her life. He or she is a developer, designer, architect, journalist, translator, consultant, artist, or whatever he or she wants to be. Mutinerie is glad to have a huge diversity of skills. Sharing values is the most important part. Being able to share common goods with others and to trust and respect fellow coworkers is key to building a micro-society in which good things can bloom.

Q. How is Mutinerie different from other coworking spaces? 

A: We don't try so hard to be different; we just try to be good! The first thing was to find good people and to work hard to deliver a good quality of service. At the same time, we have high expectations of what is a community of coworkers. Coworkers are not in Mutinerie to show off or promote their stuff. There is an authentic atmosphere with authentic people who are able to trust each other. We managed to find a good balance between core coworkers, others who come here more rarely, and travellers. Doing so, Mutinerie remains an open community with strong relations between members. At Mutinerie, you will always have someone to welcome you and explain how things work in the community. The result is that ideas and relationships can grow strong quickly. 

Q: What is Coworking Rural (Mutinerie Village)? 

A: It is a coworking/co-living space lost in the middle of Le Perche, a French region located 140 km west of Paris. The farmhouse stands alone in a little valley surrounded by forests, grasslands, and a little river. As many coworkers can often work remotely, we thought it could be nice to offer a place where you can mix work and nature! The Village was born last summer after a major renovation of the old farmhouse. It includes a hostel, a coworking space, a maker space, and a permacultural kitchen garden.

Q: How are the rural and urban locations of Mutinerie connected? 

A: Mutinerie Village is a kind of countryside house for our coworkers and for the freelancers of Paris. Our little maker space in the Village creates another reason for you to go to our urban Mutinerie and craft things you need. We also organise workshops, parties, and celebrations at Mutinerie Village with our community from Paris.

Q: Where will Mutinerie be in 5-10 years? 

A: We have always said that Mutinerie is more a movement than a facility. Our motto means "Free Together" and sums up our main goal: connecting independent people and free minds. In terms of coworking spaces, a new Mutinerie is brewing in the south of Paris, and another space will open in June! If we prove our ability to develop new spaces, we will continue to open spaces in Paris. That said, operating in the heart of a serendipity machine like Mutinerie also means that a lot of unexpected things will cross our path and change it…

Q: Bonus: How do you envision coworking in 10-20 years? 

A: Ten-twenty years is really far away, and considering the rapid changes in our societies, predictions are a bit dangerous! Yet, some figures are still pretty explicit. When Mutinerie was launched three years ago, there were about 1,000 spaces all over the world, and, today, we are reaching 6,000! The number of coworking spaces has nearly doubled every year for the past six years, and we don't really see why the pace would slow down in the coming years.

Some studies have predicted that the number of self-employed people will exceed the number of office employees in a decade or so in most western countries. It is the beginning of a revolution in the ways in which we work and organize societies! Yet, I'm not describing a shining future where everyone is free, wealthy, and happy. Being independent is an exciting but dangerous adventure. Big companies are still able to offer protection, security in terms of revenue, and social interactions. Coworking mitigates the dangers facing a society of self-employed individuals. It enables people to be independent and free without being isolated.

Thank you William and Morgane – #JeSuisCharlie 

Happy New Year

Happy New Year! Egon – the storm – is here with gusts reaching 35 m/s. You probably know how it is when you're out here on the edge under those conditions:

Grains of sand bang on your skin. The sea looks like Armageddon. There is no order, only chaos moving like wildfire along the coast. Houses creak and squeak, and cars wobble down the street. Stuff tumble through the air ...

It's all over the place. It's nature moving in – as a reminder of everything from climate change to the things you have to tie to the trees that aren't here. You can run, but you can't hide. We love it!

The year 2014 was a good one for us. We had plenty of waves and decent wind conditions. Each of us did good business, and we all learned a lot about what it means to live in Klitmøller. Through our cooperation with the Foundation Realdania, we are, as you know, on our way towards establishing what we hope will be the perfect retreat for you, your friends, and/or your family.

We are not quite there yet. Right now, we are focusing on finding the rest of the funding needed to begin construction and on determining where the house should be located. Once this has been determined, we will carry out a design contest, find a winner, finish the construction of the building, and then all move in. The year 2015 will be a crazy one.

Until then, we are staying in a place on Ørhagevej 84. Lunch is at 12 o’clock, and you are welcome to join in. If you have time, we would like to hear your story and share waves, experiences, and, who knows, maybe even fame and fortune with you. ;) See you soon in Klitmøller.

Vi sagde aldrig - aldrig mere Poul og Nulle i hullet

Det er utroligt. Den første Cowork Klitmøller julefest er over en uge gammel. Det bliver helt sikkert ikke den sidste. Hvis du ikke var der, kan du godt spidse spyddet. Næste års fest bliver lørdag d. 12/12, 2015, kl. 21.00. Adressen, opgaver og tema følger.

Det blev intet mindre end et brag af en fest. Det er svært – vitterligt svært – at huske alles bidrag, én ting ligger dog fast, I bidrog, og det er vi fantastisk glade for. I kan sige, hvad I vil, men sammen sagde vi altså aldrig, aldrig mere Poul og Nulle i hullet.  

Først og fremmest tak til Glæde og det seks (eller var det syv) mand store band, I kom med. I satte virkelig gang i festen. Mellem tredje og fjerde sæt var der én af jer, der sagde: “jeg kan ik forstå, at I synes, det er så fedt, det lyder jo ad h****** til”.

Dét gjorde det ikke, I var for fede og sprængfyldte af glæde. Det var Christine - aka farmaceuten - også. Du sørgende for drinks og kan det der med kemi. Det sætter vi stor pris på. Aldrig har vi sakset så meget.

Tak til Nikolaj fordi du var den første, der meldte dig til festen. Tak til Nilüfer som i dagens anledning havde rejst sig fra barselssengen og hang ud med os til over midnat.  Tak til Mia fordi du blev hængende og var virkelig, virkelig glad til absolut sidste sekund. Tak til Simon, fordi du startede den der rundkreds på dansegulvet, tak til Dorthe fordi du lignede Rene Russo, tak til Hans fordi du talte så pænt til alle i baren. Tak til Martin fordi du viste os, at der rent faktisk gemmer sig en rigtig festabe i dig, og tak for rejsen rundt i tung metal sidst på natten. Tak til Christian og Belinda fordi I kom alligevel. Tak til Claus fordi du bare så, du ved, så håndklæde-agtig ud, og tak til Marie Louise fordi du havde den der kjole på uden ærmer. De arme ér bare pæne. Tak for Jakob, Therese, Rebecca og Martin fordi I kom og så så Københavner-lækre ud og til Rebecca og Martin fordi I overvejer at flytte til Klitmøller. Uanset hvad I beslutter jer for, har vi en plads til jer. Tak til André fordi du kom, selvom du først fik invitationen 90 min før vi gik i gang. Tak til Preben fordi du viste os, at man sagtens kan feste selv om man er tæt på de 60. Tak til Signe fordi du valgte vores fest. Tak for Lea og Sarah fordi I (også) trak gennemsnitsalderen ned. Tak til Linda, Flemming og Lou fordi I kom med hele familien og var super glade sammen med os. Tak fra alle os til alle jer, der ikke er nævnt.

Rigtig god jul til jer alle sammen, både jer, der kom, og jer, der ikke kom, og jer, der ikke aner, hvad vi taler om.

Cowork Klitmøller julefrokost 2014 - tema: Glæde