The Economy Sucks. Here’s What Artists Are Building.
A free, curated network for artists to find work, trade housing, and keep culture alive when the normal systems are failing.
Archive note
This is Shona’s original Countercult writing, republished from the Business Creatives Substack with permission.
We built a free, curated network for IRL housing and jobs because I am insane and we need this. Plus global open calls + Klunkerkranich launch party inside.
Sep 02, 2026
For the 7-second attention span (I see u and u see me): We built a free, curated network for IRL artists to trade housing and grab jobs. I built it alone on an open-source stack because I am insane and we really need this. Skip the tech corporate bullshit and APPLY TO THE COUNTERCULT NETWORK HERE at https://countercult.network
the best thing u can do to help us for free is subscribe or tell ur cool friends too pls n thx. its how we get better ops for u all. silly, we know.
IN THIS ECONOMY??!?!?!
THE TIME HAS COME ALL YE CREATIVES. aka we need you the community to pull thru for this:
I developed, built, designed, and bootstrapped with my lil tips ive gained over the years for this entire thing all by myself bc I am insane. Yes, I’ve basically become a developer throughout this journey, and the whole thing is built on an open-source stack. It took months of grinding, but it is finally time to spread the word: WE HAVE A CURATED NETWORK FOR ARTISTS to secure jobs, trade housing, and archive your own culture. And yes, it is completely FREE.
How is it free? Well, I’ve been studying a lot of different business models, and tbh it’s free because it needs to be. Later on, if you actually land a job or find housing through the network, we might ask for a donation or a sliding scale fee to help sustain server costs, operations, and paying people for their labour. It is what it is. (Unless, of course, someone out there knows a billionaire philanthropist who low key/high key cares about keeping culture archived and alive 👀).
JUST DON’T BE A CREEP
It is strictly curated, though. You have to apply to get in. A lot of people take advantage of creatives, so we are not just letting everyone in. Plus, there are creeps we keep out. So, y’know, just don’t be a creep or weird. After all, this is built for IRL artists and venues. We gotta trust you.
We talk a lot about sustaining culture as artists, but right now sustaining culture isn’t about abstract concepts. It’s about survival. It is about jobs and housing. The broader arts and culture industry adds a staggering $1.2 trillion to the economy, yet data shows over 57% of individual artists face severe financial vulnerability just trying to secure food and rent. The math is completely broken. In major cultural capitals like New York and Berlin, independent spaces are vanishing, forcing creatives further out to the fringes just to exist.
yes there is a housing feature yep yep and here’s why
So let’s do it ourselves. We are all looking for spaces, and most of us technically have spaces, studios, or apartments to share or trade when we travel or work. We already have 2 spaces in the network that want to host or trade with artists in our network. The only catch is that you have to be in our network to see them. Consider posting your own, or list your business space too to host artists. There is a lot to get out of it and once again, it is FREE, FREE, FREE. Lol.
WE HAVE TO BE THE SOLUTION!!!! I mean it and u know it.
This newsletter is different from all the others. This is our main feature and our real opportunity. If we want a chance for more fair, community-sourced jobs and housing, we really need the community to pull through right now. We have to collectively get this thing off the ground. We have to try to be the solution we need.
APPLY TO THE COUNTERCULT NETWORK HERE
THE LAUNCH PARTY hehe
To celebrate this huge milestone, we are collaborating with a secret-ish Berlin club rooftop bar thing called Klunkerkranich. This September 17th. Local artist for a drawing (hosted by me, Sketchy Shona) and jazz jam, with house boppy DJs until 1am also from our countercult network who have been with us supporting all of our crazy ideas.
So come, meet us, network with us, netTWERK with us if you happen to be in Berlin. We’d love to have you. You just show up, feel free to bring others, and tickets are at the door. (Maybe even bring a tip for the artists).
And please, yes, promote it and share. The platform and our last community event for now.
local artists featured:
Drawing Jam: Sketchy Shona (live drawing performance + workshop)
Jazz Jam house band: Analog Beats Collective (organized by Bobbi)
DJs: MAD.MOD \+ Natascha Roze
(dm or comment or email us for an invite so we can remind u to the party!)
CREATIVE FEATURE
tbh surprise surprise its me. not that I like it, but its only fair that you know who built this is a fellow crust artist. I also do creative direction, strategy, and tech stuff, but mostly survive off of my art career. fortunately or unfortunately however u wanna look at it.
im a military brat, ended up in NYC, and now in Berlin. I didn’t know much about civilian life (ffs I was raised by soldiers on military posts) and naively decided to be an artist because I had no idea what to do if I wasn’t going to join the line of soldiers bc I didn’t know much else outside of that. I just knew I questioned authority too much and even the army was lie…ur an artist now GET OUTTA HERE.
and here I am trying to rally us up and get culture sustainable- at the end of the day that’s why we’re all here. To experience life, but it takes artists to translate that into culture.
so yeah- I paint, I sculpt, I make installations and tattoos. here’s one I did in bushwhick a few days ago of my bestie. its not the best, but its honest work iyk what I mean.
feel free to stalk me, I get it. Shona the Artist & THE FLOOR
so please- please take a look at joining because yes it took a lot.
OPPORTUNITIES
PRESS TITLES TO APPLY
🟢 COUNTERCULT SPACE SWAP & DATABASE
- The Deal: Our native platform to trade spaces and secure work without middlemen or tech data-miners.
- Perks: Instant access to 2 verified partner spaces waiting to host or trade with artists.
- Cost: FREE.
🟢 RURALI-ART BY RURAL HACKERS (GALICIA, SPAIN)
- The Deal: An open-source AI creators lab in rural Galicia designed for artists who want to use tech to speed up administration, documentation, and operational bottlenecks so they can claw back actual studio time.
- Perks: Fully covers on-site accommodation and meals for 7 days in Anceu Coliving. They focus explicitly on ethical data and open-source tools. plus we trust them a lot.
- Cost: FREE to apply and participate.
🟢 SWATCH ART PEACE HOTEL RESIDENCY (SHANGHAI)
- The Deal: Live and work for 3 to 6 months in a dedicated studio inside a historic landmark building on the Bund. Open to all creative disciplines.
- Perks: Free accommodation, workspace, daily breakfast, and housekeeping. They also fully cover round-trip airfare to Shanghai.
- Cost: FREE to apply. Yes, it is completely free to submit your application; there are absolutely no processing or entry fees.
🟢 TOKYO BIENNALE 2027: SOCIAL DIVE
- The Deal: Open call for artists and curators to research and build site-responsive community projects across 11 designated neighborhoods in Tokyo.
- Perks: Covers flight costs (up to JPY 300,000), local accommodations, project development budget (up to JPY 200,000), and a JPY 100,000 honorarium.
- Cost: FREE to apply (Closes September 30).
🟢 GLOGAUAIR BERLIN RESIDENCY (BERLIN-KREUZBERG)
- The Deal: On-site artist residency in Berlin for terms throughout 2027 to develop your practice alongside a global cohort.
- Perks: Dedicated studio space, community exhibition opportunities, and curated curatorial support in the heart of the city.
- Cost: FREE to submit your initial open call application.
FREEBIES
We don’t have a freebie for you this time.
That said, we are always open to actual discounts and perks for our network. If you run an independent space, service, or brand and want to offer something real to our community, get in touch with us.
Let us know by sending us a message!
Thanks!
- Thank you for your time and continued support. Your engagement means the world to us. Let us know what you think of our newsletter in the comments. :)
###### Well, that’s all for the next two weeks! If you want more opportunities and updates, more often, make sure to check out our stories and posts on INSTAGRAM, since we only feature our most curated picks in this newsletter.
###### Stay creative!
-Sho
CounterCult is a global creative network working across contemporary art, culture, and technology, operating from Berlin and beyond.
Have a place, tourism, or cultural-development brief?
Countercult Studios works as a contractor or specialist delivery partner on research, mapping, cultural strategy, campaigns, experiences, commissions, archives, and production.
Originally published on Countercult’s Business Creatives Substack. This is a faithful reprint from 2026-09-02; time-sensitive opportunities and event details may have changed.
editorial process: Our Journals are pulled from our writings over the years to get information out as quickly and as widely as possible, and to get to what matters: finding each other and claiming our seat in the circular economy. Some ideas overlap between Shona Neary's work on cultural infrastructure and their artist practice as Sketchy Shona. AI is a tool for infrastructure, not for creating Journal writing or artists' work. We welcome original reporting and pitches from journalists and independent publishers.