Laura Aufrère has worked for 15 years in the cultural sector, including five years as coordinator of the union representing social economy initiatives in live/recorded performance and the visual arts in France (UFISC). She defended a thesis on independent venues as cultural commons (CEPN - Paris 13, 2024), and works on the dynamics of the social/solidarity-based economy and the commons in the cultural sector (collectives and shared initiatives, cooperation processes, governance, plural economy and logics of reciprocity, social protection, social models of solidarity, etc.).
She is now research and development coordinator for La Main, Foncièrement culturelle. Set up as a Société Coopérative d'Intérêt Collectif (SCIC) with ESUS accreditation, La Main is a land-ownership tool providing support and research-action for the shared ownership of cultural and artistic venues. Starting from the land issues encountered by these venues (non-renewed or precarious leases, difficulty of access to land, work and rehabilitation needs, etc.), and without becoming an operator, La Main supports and assists cultural venues in their land management, in order to protect them from real estate speculation.
