frequently asked questions

Do you have an office I can visit?

The Berlin Kreativ Kollektiv (BKK) has no offices. We are a self organised, 100% volunteer run operation and work hard to avoid any fixed operating costs for the thriving community around the Berlin Kreativ Kollektiv. The coordinating team operates from their own homes using their own resources and in their free time. 

The BKK coordinating team meet regularly to maintain the collective active. Members are always welcome to join these meetings in case of proposals and idea suggestions. This is a chance to get to know each other and explore how you can participate and get involved.

How is the BKK organised? 

Starting in 2021, the Berlin Kreativ Kollektiv is coordinated by a new all volunteer team of around 8 part-time members. We are all Berlin based makers, creatives and shop owners working in their free time to help this creative community grow. There are small subteams divided into their separate fields such as events, communications and social media. Other subteams might be formed if new members decide to start them. There is no hierarchy, as the organising team are makers and members themselves. Decisions are made by consensus. 

If you are a member and would like to propose an idea or organise an event, you can propose it and be ready to run it, in communication with the coordinating team.  

To keep in mind:  all the work is done by volunteers, which means limited resources in every aspect. To maximise the resources available, all Berlin Kreativ Kollektiv members are invited to get involved. Especially if you take part in any event, it is expected you also contribute to the organisation and running of events.

Who can be a member of the Berlin Kreativ Kollektiv?

Anyone who is based in Berlin, is a maker, crafter, artist or small shop owner can apply to be a member of the Berlin Kreativ Kollektiv. The goals of the Berlin Kreativ Kollektiv  is to  help,  support and promote the Berlin creative community. 

The Berlin Kreativ Kollektiv is home to a diverse  group of creatives and makers, who love the hand-crafting of design-based products. Designers, who follow their creative streak, or creatives, who work on the restoration of vintage design items.

It doesn’t matter the stage where you are at with your artwork or small shop: you might be just at the beginning of your creative journey as a freelancer or have a successful career as a designer or small shop owner. 

To join the Berlin Kreativ Kollektiv you need to live in Berlin or the surrounding area, be a maker, creator, shop owner or artist selling your creations.

How do I know if a membership is right for me?

We’re not just a Kollektiv in name; it’s also the true spirit of how we work. If you’re an independent maker in Berlin who believes in sharing knowledge, working together and in the incredible power of Berlin’s creative community, then this is the place for you! The Berlin Kreativ Kollektiv is self-organised and community based, so if you join you will be able to propose activities and organise them as well.

The BKK membership is right for you if…

• You support community based efforts such as pop-up shops, markets and creative collaboration, online and in real life.
• You are willing to share your time (when possible) to organise events and share your work as part of the Berlin Kreativ Kollektiv with us on social media
• You are good at communicating and can help spread the word about other makers
• You are a creative business owner, maker or creative willing to network, share knowledge and build  partnerships with other creatives like you in Berlin
• You are a self-starter, creative willing to make things happen

Can I apply for a membership at any time?

Membership applications are currently open on a rolling basis, using the membership form HERE. If we notice that this system is too much to handle for the small volunteer coordinating team, we might revert to opening membership twice a year to allow the volunteers organising team to process applications. 

I work with one or more other partners. Can we apply for shared membership?

Yes, we accept members who form some kind of corporate entity as one member. Members of the entity can also apply separately if they prefer. Please note, that this membership will benefit from the same member advantages in the same amount as single-person members, regardless of how many people are in your entity. Contact us directly at hello@berlinkreativkollektiv.com and we’ll be happy to discuss how this works.

What does the membership cost?

There is no fee to become a member of the Berlin Kreativ Kollektiv. 

However, as a self-organised community, the Berlin Kreativ Kollektiv  expects members to contribute and engage, respect community guidelines and share skills/resources to strengthen the Berlin creative community. Everyone is welcome to apply and everyone is expected to participate.

How long does my membership last?

Your membership is ongoing and doesn’t have an expiration date. Your membership will only end if you leave Berlin and its surrounding area, if you choose to cancel it – or if your behaviour goes against our community guidelines.

Where can I find out more about the community guidelines?

You can find the community guidelines  on the page “About the BKK”  

How do I cancel my membership?

 You can cancel your membership at any time. If you decide to cancel your membership, please email hello@berlinkreativkollektiv.com, informing the Berlin Kreativ Kollektiv coordinating team that you wish to terminate your membership and kindly drop-out from the newsletter if desired. 

In order to support the Berlin Kreativ Kollektiv community, it is important to keep an updated membership that meets the membership criteria. With a small volunteer team and no fees to support clerical or administrative work, we ask the members to inform the BKK organising team of any changes that may affect their membership.

If you move out of Berlin, close your shop or are no longer active as a creative, you no longer fulfil the criteria for membership of the Berlin Kreativ Kollektiv. We ask you to contact us if this is applicable. 

How are the community guidelines applied?

Every member needs to agree to the community guidelines when they fill out the application form, by confirming they have read them and agree to respect them.

Members can report behaviour that goes against the community guidelines to the coordinating team via email hello@berlinkreativkollektiv.com. Please only use this communication channel, so we can document the process appropriately.

The coordinating team will consider the allegations, contact the parties involved and verify if the guidelines have been disrespected. If this is the case, the person disrespecting the guidelines will see their membership cancelled. This includes the participation in the Facebook group and access to promotions on the Berlin Kreativ Kollektiv social media channel.

What language are the workshops held in?

Our workshops are held in either English or German, depending on who is hosting them and who is attending. We try to be as bilingual as possible, when we have the capacity to provide bilingual support.

I’m not a member, can I still attend an event or workshop?

Most of our events are open to both Berlin Kreativ Kollektiv members and non-members.

I’m not a member, how can I stay updated on events and workshops?

Simply click here to sign up for our general newsletter, and we’ll keep you informed about upcoming events and workshops that you can attend.

Will you help promote my event / workshop / sale?

Please feel free to let us know about your creative event by sending an email to hello@berlinkreativkollektiv.com. You can also reach out to us via our Instagram account. Our dedicated volunteer social media team has a lot to manage and carefully curates every post, so we cannot guarantee our ability to share all events.

 You can also tag us on Instagram  @berlinkreativkollektiv or  use the hashtag #bkkmakes, so our Social Media team can be aware of what you are up to and help you promote it.

I have an idea or a location for an event, will you organise it?

We welcome ideas to help promote and support the Berlin creative community. Please get in touch with us at hello@berlinkreativkollektiv.com to let the organising team know more. We will get in touch to discuss your idea in more detail. Consistent with the Berlin Kreativ Kollektiv community based spirit, we ask you to consider being ready to be part of the organising team if you want to make this happen.

I know a company or a location that would be a great match for the Berlin Kreativ Kollektiv, how do I go about it?

This sounds great! We are always interested to hear from companies or locations that would like to support Berlin creatives. Please get in touch with us at hello@berlinkreativkollektiv.com to let the organising team know more. We can arrange a call to learn more about the idea and its possibilities. As a self-organised and community based organisation, the Berlin Kreativ Kollektiv lives from its member’s time and dedication to make things happen. Please consider being part of the implementation or organisation of any proposal you pitch.