OCCII, Amsterdam

OCCII (short for "Onafhankelijk Cultureel Centrum In It") has a long history of existing as a self-sustainable and autonomous independent venue. OCCII not only provides a stage for underground and radical music acts – it is also run almost entirely by volunteers. Every OCCII volunteer helps the venue in one way or another. Each individual has their own purpose, goal, way of operating, interests, level of input, quality of production … and (let’s not forget) characteristics. Those mechanics hold a charm, but maybe also a few weaknesses.