Dear courageous commoners
We ended March in a grand way ✨: with the first National Gathering of the Commons. Forty enthusiastic builders and doers came together to weave stronger networks and exchange experiences on key topics: relationships with local governments, finding funding, growing our networks, building support structures, and more.
There was a clear sense of optimism throughout the day. The Commons are alive and kicking—and there's a growing movement of people organizing themselves, not as private companies, nonprofits, or publicly funded entities, but as commons:
community-organized and governed through stewardship and shared responsibility
funded through smart business models with diverse income streams
driven by a clear intention to create positive social and environmental impact
A massive thank you and shout-out to Commons Lab, Florerende Gemeenschap and RCR2 for their support as organising partner.
With this momentum, the Commons Hub programming and offering is moving steadfastly toward becoming a space to meet, dream, and learn about commons and commoning.
Some of the core questions we hold dear is:
- Can a commons be a sustainable, regenerative business model in today's society?
- Are commons a resilient, robust alternative for setting up a project in the 21st century?
- Can commoning bring us back to feeling alive, energized, engaged and aligned?
We certainly believe there’s a lot to relearn in how we build and steward our dreams toward being regenerative for ourselves, the project and our environment. Organizing as a commons has sustained communities for centuries—regenerative and sustainable, in service of both people and the planet.
Commons challenge us to steward life itself. And with that, it offers a model for a thriving world, if we want it to be. The well-deserved revival of the commons is already underway.
We need to see ourselves more fully as active stewards of life’s unfolding process and as part of a larger living world.” Michelle Holliday in her book The Age of Thrivability
👉🏼🌱 Curious to learn more about commons and explore how projects can serve as practice grounds for a more thrivable world?
On May 15-16th, Leen Schelfhout and Michelle Holliday are offering a two-day workshop on this very topic: Projects as practice grounds for a more thrivable world. A workshop for social and impact entrepreneurs, leaders who want to bring energy back to their organisations, and anyone interested in steward ownership and governance. More info here.
Upcoming Events
We publish all events on this calendar. If you register, you will receive an e-mail notification for every upcoming event.
Feel very welcome to become a member and enjoy priority access for using the space and receive discounts on the events happening at the Commons Hub.
Check out the events organised by members of the Commons Hub 👇🏾🌸
🥗Open Community Potluck Lunch
📆 every Friday - 12:30 - 13:30
Curious about the Commons Hub? Join us on Friday for our open community lunch! Bring a friend, and some food. 🍱🧡
Hack the Commons
📆 every Friday afternoon 13:30 - 15:30 RSVP
Every Friday afternoon, hackers come together to improve our digital commons and build tools for the commons in the Satoshi room, second floor of the Commons Hub. Bring your laptop . Bring your own open source project or work together on one select project with guidance. 🛠
🌕 Le cercle des 13 lunes - full moon ritual and meditation
📆 Friday April 11th, 19:30 - 21:30 Register here
🌹 Cercle des 13 Lunes – Inspirons notre feminin Sacré 🌹Guidé par la Tisserande des Filets, Gardienne des Arts et du Rose Vibrant. Venez vivre une expérience unique alliant méditation, partage, mouvement et créativité, baignée dans l’énergie douce et enveloppante de la Pleine Lune.
🐥Authentic Relating Practice - Workshop
📆 Tuesday April 17th, 18:30 - 21:00 Register here
The intention of this workshop is to create a heart to heart connection with yourself, with strangers or with people you might know. Meet one another fully without masks and strategy, communicate your inner world with authenticity. You can expect a mixture of exercises that are playful and deep, inviting us to share vulnerability ourselves.
Cercle de parole: Sexe & Amour
📆Monday April 21th, 19:00 - 21:30 Register here
🎨 Toi aussi tu ressens l'élan de parler de ces sujets qui sont trop peu abordés dans notre quotidien ? Rejoins-nous pour un moment suspendu, pour se déposer, se questionner, se connecter sur le thème suivant :👉🏻 Le sexe: une voie pour obtenir de l'amour, de l'affection, du contact humain ?
💃 Earth Day Clothing Swap & kick off of Fashion Revolution Week
📆 Tuesday April 22th, 18:00 - 22:00 RSVP
Kick off Fashion Revolution Week 2025 with a sustainable twist! Join us for a clothing swap event where your old clothes can find new life. Bring up to 10 clean, gently-used items and swap them for something fresh - good for your style, great for the planet. Enjoy inspiring talks, good vibes, and a cozy café experience. Let’s embrace circular fashion and celebrate Earth Day together!
🌙 Powerful drum meditation: Building inner structure
📅 Friday April 25th, 19:30 - 22:00 Register
A shamanic drum journey to ground your energy, cultivate inner stability, and open space for true prosperity.
This journey invites you to reconnect with your body, create a solid inner foundation, and align with the rhythms that support a nourishing, abundant life. Through the steady pulse of the drum, we access the wisdom within — where clarity, calm, and real growth begin.
🧘🏼♀️Series of Somatic Yoga sessions - Inner and outer awareness
📅 Monday April 28th, 18:30 - 19:45 (start of series) Register
Reconnect with your body’s wisdom in this 5-week yoga and somatic series!
In our busy lives, we often disconnect from our bodies, living mostly in our heads. But what if we paused to listen and rediscovered the intelligence within us? Join us for a series of classes designed to help you tune into your body through Hatha yoga, meditation, breathwork, and somatic exercises. Whether you’re new to movement or experienced, each session is open to all levels.
Open Space 100 - Breaking boundaries - Reclaiming work: what else is possible?
📅 Thursday May 1st, 10:00 - 16:00 Register
On May 1st, International Labor Day, we invite you to join a unique gathering at Commons Hub Brussels, where you'll be part of a vibrant assembly of people exploring the meaning of labor and reimagining the future of work. More information here
⛓ Crypto Wednesday - monthly meetup of Crypto enthusiasts in Brussels
📅Wednesday May 7th 19:30 RSVP
Every first Wednesday of the month, the crypto community in Brussels meets in real life. This month is no different! Crypto Wednesdays are organized bottom-up, with a mix of presentations and guided conversations. Everyone has plenty of opportunity to learn, participate, share and ask questions. It's a great way to meet fellow citizens with similar interests. We have beers and sodas, too! 🍹
Projects as practice grounds for a more thrivable world
📅Thursday and Friday May 15th and 16th, 9:30 - 16:30 Register
A hands-on, practice-based workshop on stewarding projects, organizations and communities as thriving living ecosystems. What if our organizations and communities could thrive like living ecosystems? All info here and registration here. 🌱
Facilitators: Michelle Holliday and Leen Schelfhout
Curious about Michelle's work? Watch her Ted Talk 👇🏾 on The Pattern of Living Systems or visit her website here.
Save the date
📆 On 11-12-13th of June, Graham Boyd Phd, creator of the FairShareCommons concept and author of several books on the topic, and Leen Schelfhout will host a three day deep dive workshop How to make sustainable, regenerative business models for commons & steward owned and governed projects. More info soon! Keep an eye on our Lu.ma calendar!
Commons Inspiration
Since Michelle Holliday is a guest at the Commons Hub in May, her Ted Talk from 2011 deserves a proper spot in our newsletter. ✨ In this talk she challenges us to see what the pattern of living systems reveals about the future of humanity.
How to support the Commons Hub?
Join us at our space – whether you're a freelancer, a team, or an organization!
Interested in a community-led co-working space? We’d love to welcome you! Come by to try it out for a day or join us for our Friday potluck community lunch. More info about memberships here.
Need a meeting room for your team or an event venue? We’re here to make your gathering a great experience, offering the support you need to make it memorable for you and your guests. More info about our spaces.
Wishing you all well and looking forward to meeting you in the space! 🧡
written by Leen (with contributions of Zoitsa and Xavier🙏🏽)
Connect with us via email hello@commonshub.brussels to continue the conversation! To stay up-to-date on our latest news and events, make sure to follow us on Lu.ma, LinkedIn, Facebook. Or join us on Discord.
