Working within cultural institutions, how can you stay independent while trying to change the very systems you are part of? This book explores that tension by mapping out how “commons” can exist both outside and inside structures of cultural production. It connects cultural commoning to wider histories of social struggle, looking at the spaces around institutions as both fragile commons and practical foundations for change. Through essays, real-world examples, and fiction, these cultural organisers, writers, and artists from different fields and places tackle this tension hands-on, pushing for real strategies and offering a crucial framework for navigating conflicting values.