The Foundry
The Foundry is a self-organised, non-profit residency project and event space in a Galician village — an old ironworks and manor house with five hectares of land, run by its members rather than by owners or staff. It has been going since 2018, in a place that made iron from the 15th century until Napoleon's armies came through in 1809.
It rests on three commitments: openness, meaning anyone who wants to come can come; self-organisation, meaning the people who use the space maintain it; and no profit, meaning nobody can take money out of it. It was conceived as counter-infrastructure — a place at the edge of state and market where living and working space is held in common rather than owned.
This is the association's working archive: what happens here, how decisions get made, what we have learned, and what we are still arguing about. It is written by the people doing the work, and it is deliberately unfinished. For news and longer essays, see the blog at bravosfoundry.com
- What is The FoundryA self-organised, non-profit residency project and event space in a Galician village.
- TimelineFrom a 15th-century ironworks to an association working to hold the place in common.
- VisitingWhere we are, how to get here, what to bring, and how the house works.
All pages
Start here
- What is The FoundryA self-organised, non-profit residency project and event space in a Galician village.
- TimelineFrom a 15th-century ironworks to an association working to hold the place in common.
- VisitingWhere we are, how to get here, what to bring, and how the house works.
Taking part
- Commoning Reading CircleA monthly circle reading one text together.
- Volunteering and StaysGuests, volunteers, stewards, co-livers and residents — what each involves and how to ask.
- Projects and ProgrammesHow to propose something, the summer programmes, and what has been held here.
Land and place
- Land CareThe huerta, the food forest, eucalyptus and mushrooms, and the open question of how this land should be kept.
- The BuildingA 150-year-old forge: how its systems work, what has been restored, and what still needs doing.
How we organise
- FundingHow the association pays for itself, what we have applied for, and what the paperwork taught us.
- How We Govern OurselvesMembership, consent decisions, the steward circle, the board, and commonising the buildings.
- Keeping in TouchThe meeting rhythm, the channels, languages, and how we handle members' information.
- Getting the Word OutHow the Foundry presents itself: the site, the blog, open calls, the parish and the press.