The co-operative holds a networking and support space for people and organisations working in the environmental and social regeneration sectors. It provides income-generating opportunities through the creation and distribution of content as well as offering services including:

• Video production and content creation
• Copywriting and research
• Graphic and web design
• TV presenting
• Live events and facilitation
• Digital storytelling platforms
• Event media coverage
• Social media campaign management
• Photography
• Media skills training
• E-learning material development
• Communication strategy development

We also create our own initiatives and hold our own media presence. Further to this we aim to help young talent grow their skills, share their unique stories and make the necessary contacts to enter into the workspace. Ownership of projects is shared between the creators and the cooperative.

Vision

The world is facing an unprecedented crisis, significant environmental degradation, deepening social inequality and economic collapse. These interlinked crises are exacerbated by man-made climate change. We will only overcome these challenges and be able to bring about a sustainable and regenerative world by working together to rebuild our connections and relationships with natural systems, and with each other.

Our vision is a healthy, regenerated world, and a wholesome future for the next generation.

Our main goals are to:

• Produce content and experiences that educate, empower and support the creation of a regenerative world
• Create and maintain a network of multi-media practitioners and communicators
• Find and create income-generating opportunities for members
• Assist content creators to be sustainable in the sector

We can bring about positive societal change by collaboratively producing and amplifying quality socio-environmental content through creative mediums. This content aims to shift ways of seeing and relating to the world around us.

Values

Our values are based on those of the International Co-operative Alliance: self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. We also embrace the values of collaboration, honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others. Our value system acknowledges the need to combat the significant levels of inequality in South Africa, particularly those related to race and gender.

We have chosen to work through the cooperative model because it offers economies of scale and scope, increased bargaining power, a space for learning, and the ability to offer value to our members and broader society.

Our values guide the way we approach our collaborations with each other and the wider world, this includes the messaging we put out as Mycelium, the projects we create, and the meetings we hold internally and with the network.

We are disruptors that take a gentle and peaceful approach with high impact. We focus on positive, creative, problem solving for regeneration. We are mindful, compassionate, respectful and inclusive. We listen, and create space for all voices and views to be heard equally, in a conscious and open way.

CO-OPERATIVE MEMBERS

There are six founding members involved in the day-to-day running and growing of the co-operative. These are the official co-op members who work as co-directors in a horizontal leadership structure. They oversee all the projects that are run through Mycelium, and also manage the Mycelium Network, and host the mixer events for participants. Each member brings their own unique skills, knowledge and experience and embodies a vision to create regenerative change through a collaborative approach. Their biographies can be found below.

NETWORK MEMBERS

The Mycelium Network is an informal connection space within the co-operative that is open to all multimedia storytellers, creatives and regenerators that share our vision of bringing about collaborative and transformative change. Its purpose is for participants to creatively cross-pollinate while sharing skills and inspiration. Biographies of our network members can be found here, and you can follow this link to read more about network benefits and how to join.