Founder Samir Ali set up Commune in 2012 as a co-working space in Erskineville, and since then the community-driven collective has expanded to run events, workshops and some larger-scale festivals around the city. For the last few years Commune had a space in Waterloo, which has since closed to make way for the next iteration in Newtown.
The new space at 32 King Street will transform the former bookshop, Gould’s Book Arcade (which has moved to another location in Newtown), into a café, bar, and an event space that’s open to the public. They’ll run their usual Yoga by Donation classes in this space, plus offer coworking desks and a commemorative library in honour of Gould’s literary legacy.
“Commune is about bringing people together for social good – for the betterment of the world that we all live in,” says Ali. “I hope it’s a space that people come to and feel welcome, can meet new people, learn new things and feel a part of something.”
Commune in Newtown will also be home to TEDxNewtown, which launches in November 2019.
The space is still under construction and is penciled to open in September 2019.
