Organising from Elsewhere Podcast The Art of Collective Ownership: From Squats to Amsterdam Alternative w/Ivo Schmetz
In this episode, we explore The Art of Collective Ownership with Ivo Schmetz — designer, musician, activist, and long-time steward of Amsterdam’s free spaces. After graduating from art school in Maastricht, Ivo “accidentally” stepped into the squatting movement and helped occupy both the OLVG hospital (1998–1999) and the iconic OT301 (1999–present). These experimental spaces shaped his life’s work: not just as a hybrid designer and videomaker, but as a builder of collective projects that challenge ownership, power, and separation. As a board member and programmer at OT301 and one of the driving forces behind Amsterdam Alternative, Ivo has spent the last decade publishing a bi-monthly free newspaper, hosting public debates and cultural events, developing Vrij Beton to realize new collectively owned spaces, and creating a multimedia web documentary on collective ownership. In this conversation, he reflects on 25 years of living, creating, and organising in community — and what these free spaces can teach us about interdependence, autonomy, and the future of the commons.
00:00 Introduction to Collective Ownership
02:26 Welcome to the Podcast
03:07 The Squatting Experience Begins
03:24 Life in the Squat
04:39 Organizational Challenges and Growth
08:31 The Move to OT 301
09:23 Navigating Legal and Social Changes
09:59 The Role of Artists in Gentrification
13:05 Establishing a New Collective
14:34 Organizational Methods and Decision Making
18:55 Balancing Individual and Collective Needs
27:10 Evolving Organizational Structures
34:27 Amsterdam Alternative and Future Vision
44:04 Personal Engagement and Motivation
45:12 Exploring Organizational Culture
47:06 Challenges and Decision-Making Methods
47:48 Radical Innovations in Organizing
51:31 Collective Ownership and Neutralizing Ownership
54:28 Interconnectedness and Organizational Structures
01:01:22 Role of Assimilation and Gentrification
01:06:07 Ownership and Collective Wisdom
01:09:15 Inspiration and Small Initiatives
01:28:45 Final Thoughts and Future Collaboration
www.ivoschmetz.nl
www.amsterdamalternative.nl
www.collectiveownership.net
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