Akiya Collective is a society of artists, makers, and architects restoring abandoned houses in Japan into art installations, community spaces, and interactive habitats.
We are non-profit organization and a community-driven project dedicated to creating spaces that are in harmony with the local environment.
Over the last year, we:
✧ Incorporated our legal entity, a US-based non-profit organization (with a 501c3 fiscal sponsor)
✧ Hosted two residencies, with cohorts of 10 people each, in rural areas in Izu and Nagano
✧ Developed relationships with city governments and locals, learned different renovation techniques, and produced installations
✧ Researched 100+ properties, visited 25+, and explored 5 different areas of rural Japan
✧ Established our first community home in Nagano Prefecture
We have open-sourced our process and research in an online playbook for others to learn from. In our community of 1,000+ people, there are already members who have committed to purchasing property near our base. Through our project, we are actively supporting a network of home owners in acquiring, renovating, and operating properties in tight-knit regions for cohabitation and coworking.
During this grant round, we are looking to crowdfund for renovations for our first community home, which will be hosting build weeks, and 2 additional residency programs in 2024.
Application Period:2024/01/15( 12:00 UTC )-2024/01/2912:00 UTC
Round Period:2024/01/30( 12:00 UTC )-2024/02/1512:00 UTC
Matching Funds Available: 166.5 ETH
Matching Cap: 50 %
The goal in 2024 is to scale Zuzalu and create an open vibrant ecosystem, with multiple independent spinoffs that innovate on the original idea. We can carry the torch of Zuzalu 2023, with the experience, learnings and culture from these early days, and bring it to the next level by working with and welcoming top talent from our broader world. This round’s primary objective is to fund spinoff events, referred to as "Zu-events." This initiative is expected to significantly contribute to the fulfillment of Zuzalu's mission in the year 2024. A “Zuzalu event” is a long-duration in-person gathering whose goal is to experiment with open frontier digital and social technologies.
Round Eligibility