SCHOOL OF DISOBEDIENCE
condition-building
for
artist-run initiatives
You built the structure. Now make it capable of continuing.
You created a collective, project space, festival, residency, school, platform or another artist-run initiative because something was missing.
The artistic reason is clear.
But the conditions around it may still depend on grants, project funding, unpaid work, irregular income, one exhausted person, or the next application being successful.
Condition-building works on the structure around the artistic vision.
The aim is not to become bigger.
It is to become less fragile, less dependent, and more capable of choosing how you continue.
A small economy can still be a strong economy.
Independent artistic initiatives are often pushed toward two models:
depend on funding
or
grow.
We are interested in a third possibility.
Building a small, circular economic model around what already exists.
What can generate income directly?
What can circulate?
What can be repeated?
What are you already producing that has value?
Where does money enter and leave?
Which activities support others?
Which dependencies are useful, and which make the whole structure vulnerable?
A grant can remain part of the ecosystem.
It just does not have to be the ecosystem.
The artistic reason is clear.
But the conditions around it may still depend on grants, project funding, unpaid work, irregular income, one exhausted person, or the next application being successful.
Condition-building works on the structure around the artistic vision.
The aim is not to become bigger.
It is to become less fragile, less dependent, and more capable of choosing how you continue.
A small economy can still be a strong economy.
Independent artistic initiatives are often pushed toward two models:
depend on funding
or
grow.
We are interested in a third possibility.
Building a small, circular economic model around what already exists.
What can generate income directly?
What can circulate?
What can be repeated?
What are you already producing that has value?
Where does money enter and leave?
Which activities support others?
Which dependencies are useful, and which make the whole structure vulnerable?
A grant can remain part of the ecosystem.
It just does not have to be the ecosystem.
Condition-building Audit
A concentrated process for artist-run initiatives that want to rethink how their artistic, economic and organisational structures work together.
1. Preliminary conversation
An online conversation with the collective or core team to understand the project, its current economy, structure, difficulties and ambitions.
2. One-week on-site Condition-building Audit
I spend one week inside the project.
Together we examine the existing model, identify dependencies and unused resources, map how value and money circulate, and work concretely on possible changes.
The week combines:
3. Follow-up after one month
We look at what has been implemented, what is working and what needs adjustment.
4. Follow-up after three months
We evaluate the first structural changes and decide what should continue, change or stop.
5. Two emergency calls
Two additional calls can be used during the three-month implementation period when an urgent decision or difficulty appears.
This is for you if…
We don't help artist-run initiatives become bigger organisations.
We help them build stronger conditions for remaining artist-run.
Small enough to remain human.
Strong enough to continue.
1. Preliminary conversation
An online conversation with the collective or core team to understand the project, its current economy, structure, difficulties and ambitions.
2. One-week on-site Condition-building Audit
I spend one week inside the project.
Together we examine the existing model, identify dependencies and unused resources, map how value and money circulate, and work concretely on possible changes.
The week combines:
- observation and audit
- conversations with the team
- Condition-building workshops
- economic and structural mapping
- development of new formats or income possibilities
- testing possible changes
- a concrete action plan
3. Follow-up after one month
We look at what has been implemented, what is working and what needs adjustment.
4. Follow-up after three months
We evaluate the first structural changes and decide what should continue, change or stop.
5. Two emergency calls
Two additional calls can be used during the three-month implementation period when an urgent decision or difficulty appears.
This is for you if…
- You have already built something.
- There is an artistic vision, an activity, a community, a program or a structure that exists in the world.
- But you want to make it possible for that structure to continue without permanently chasing the next grant, growing beyond the scale you want, or relying on invisible and unpaid labour to hold everything together.
We don't help artist-run initiatives become bigger organisations.
We help them build stronger conditions for remaining artist-run.
Small enough to remain human.
Strong enough to continue.
Fee
The Condition-building Audit starts at €4,000.
The final fee is determined according to the country, size, current income and resources of the initiative, as well as the complexity of the structure we are working with.
Travel and accommodation for the on-site week are additional.
This is not priced simply as one week of consultancy.
The Audit transfers a methodology developed through years of building and running artist-led structures: economic choices, formats, pricing, circulation, audience-building, dependency reduction, organisational decisions, and the knowledge that comes from testing what works — and what does not — in practice.
The objective is not to create a long-term dependency on external consultancy. The objective is to leave your initiative more capable of making these decisions independently.
The final fee is determined according to the country, size, current income and resources of the initiative, as well as the complexity of the structure we are working with.
Travel and accommodation for the on-site week are additional.
This is not priced simply as one week of consultancy.
The Audit transfers a methodology developed through years of building and running artist-led structures: economic choices, formats, pricing, circulation, audience-building, dependency reduction, organisational decisions, and the knowledge that comes from testing what works — and what does not — in practice.
The objective is not to create a long-term dependency on external consultancy. The objective is to leave your initiative more capable of making these decisions independently.
How to apply
1. Complete the short diagnostic form
The first step is a short form about your initiative: its size, current organisation, financial model, main dependencies, and what you want to change.
The form takes around 10–15 minutes.
→ Start the diagnostic form below
2. Selection
We review the application to understand whether the Condition-building Audit is the right intervention for your situation.
We look for artist-run initiatives that already exist, have something concrete to work on, and are ready to make structural changes.
3. Fit conversation
Selected initiatives are invited to a short online conversation with Anna Ádám.
The purpose is to clarify the central problem, understand the scope of the work, and make sure there is a strong fit on both sides.
This is not a consultancy session. The detailed work begins once the collaboration is confirmed.
4. Tailored proposal
If we decide to work together, you receive a tailored proposal defining:
5. Confirmation
The collaboration is confirmed once the proposal is accepted and the agreement is signed.
If financing is a difficulty, you can indicate this in the application. Once there is a strong fit, we can also look at possible ways to finance the Audit.
The first step is a short form about your initiative: its size, current organisation, financial model, main dependencies, and what you want to change.
The form takes around 10–15 minutes.
→ Start the diagnostic form below
2. Selection
We review the application to understand whether the Condition-building Audit is the right intervention for your situation.
We look for artist-run initiatives that already exist, have something concrete to work on, and are ready to make structural changes.
3. Fit conversation
Selected initiatives are invited to a short online conversation with Anna Ádám.
The purpose is to clarify the central problem, understand the scope of the work, and make sure there is a strong fit on both sides.
This is not a consultancy session. The detailed work begins once the collaboration is confirmed.
4. Tailored proposal
If we decide to work together, you receive a tailored proposal defining:
- the focus of the Audit
- the final fee
- the one-week on-site process
- follow-up structure
- timing
- travel and accommodation conditions
5. Confirmation
The collaboration is confirmed once the proposal is accepted and the agreement is signed.
If financing is a difficulty, you can indicate this in the application. Once there is a strong fit, we can also look at possible ways to finance the Audit.