Autumn Assembly - workers.coop

About the event

Our first opportunity to get as many members together. To build a community, celebrate our successes and work together on our challenges.

PDF programme here

Are you serious about worker cooperation?

workers.coop Autumn Assembly will be the first chance for members and supporters to take stock together, since we were conceived at 2022's Worker Co-op Weekend. We created something new, that we owned, and that we alone were responsible for.

Now it's time to relook at our vision, mission, strategy, and map out our future path.

We believe in liberating work, and helping as many workers as we can to connect to the worker co-op movement. After a year of 'forming and storming', the big questions are becoming clear:

Is the vision and mission still the right framing for how we move forward?
As a federation and a movement, what should our strategic priorities be?
What are our key tasks over the next year?
Are we organised in the right way?

Join us on the 25-26th October in Birmingham to work on these challenges, celebrate what we've achieved so far and strengthen relationships. The event will help decide our future direction and work plan.

This event is still very much in planning and organising mode so check out the forum discussion here to share your ideas and if you want to get involved in the organising.

Ticket prices

Tickets are for the full event as we believe attending the whole thing is important for movement building. There are three ticket prices: Standard, priced to recover costs, Bursary aimed at members facing financial constraints and Solidariy aimed at members who can afford to pay a bit extra or for non members attending. If you are not a member and would like to attend at the Bursary or Standard rate, Join us.

Bursary - £50 +VAT
Standard - £100 +VAT
Solidarity - £ 150 +VAT

Programme

To view the programme, click here.

Party

On the 25th evening we are organising a Party. This is an extra £15+VAT for those interested to cover food and entertainment.

Come down at 8pm to Nortons in Digbeth. There'll be pizza and a DJ (DJ Superstar DJ) from Selextorhood, a Birmingham based group that supports women and gender minority* DJs. As well as quieter activities and an outside space.

Other activities

Accessibility

There will be a quiet room and art space that attendees can drop into with some organised crafts throughout the event. See here with further accessibility information, or get in touch with specific needs.

Stirchley Co-op Tour

Join us at 5pm (Wed 25th Oct) for a tour of a couple of South Birmingham's worker co-ops and Stirchley Co-operative Development, a mixed use worker co-op and housing co-op community owned development under construction.

'Loud Spring' film screening & discussion

A fringe event open to the public at 8pm, running at the same time as the party, we will be showing 'Loud Spring'. It looks at collective paths out of the climate crisis followed by a discussion on worker cooperation, held at The Warehouse Cafe, Allison Street, Digbeth.

Accomodation

Accomodation is not included but budget options and organising beds can be found here on the forum.

This is not a replacement for our usual Worker Co-op Weekend in May.

This event has some similarities:

Self-organising, member led session - Share ideas for sessions here
Great Vegan and Vegetarian Food, this year provided by Veggies Co-op
Learn from and connect with other worker co-ops

Some differences

Is not self-catered, so no potato peeling
No camping or other included accomodation, you need to sort yourself out
Has a seperate bookable party, with a bar and some "organised fun"