Welcome to the heart in the Operavi mission. While Operavi restructures the journey—creating equitable, repeatable tour routes for artists—the Odeum Cooperative (Odeum Co-op) is our foundational reimagining of the destination. It’s not just a venue; this is the essential local node in a decentralized network, built to prioritize artistic connection and sustainability over transaction.

Community owned and operated, Odeum represents the evolution of the “3rd space”

A place we gather because we co-create, co-own, and co-benefit

A cultural commons

A democratic venue

A neighborhood engine

A cultural and economic anchor

A hybrid work/play ecosystem

A site of shared surplus value and shared meaning

The Problem: A Broken Foundation

The traditional touring model isn't just strained at the booking level; it is fundamentally compromised at it’s point of contact: the venue. The current standard operates on a high-risk guarantee system, where venues or promoters must pay artists a fixed, upfront fee regardless of actual turnout.

This model forces venues to become conservative gatekeepers, prioritizing "safe bets" and established names over vibrant, diverse local scenes. The financial risk is so immense that it:

Stifles Artistic Diversity: New and mid-career artists are often deemed too risky

Inflates Ticket Prices: To cover high guarantees and potential losses

Creates Adversarial Relationships: Booking becomes a tense negotiation over risk allocation, not a creative partnership

Commoditizes the Experience: The art becomes a product to be presold, shifting focus from shared experience to financial minimums

The Odeum Coop Solution: A Foundational Unit for Shared Success

The Odeum Coop is designed as the physical and philosophical anchor of the Operavi touring network. It is a venue model built on cooperation, not competition; on sharing, not guaranteeing. The booking process changes from requiring a “talent buyer” to a “talent planner” where local and touring acts can schedule themselves in our books with the same deal split. The democratic nature of the co-op allows for inputs from every member who can request, suggest, and book their own friends and family to share their art for a night. This creates intrinsic motivation for members to become curators, patrons, and staff all at the same time. As crowds for particular niche genres emerge, members can vote to create their own weekly or monthly event i.e the Filipino community books their own Karaoke night, or the Latino community has their own Tejano night, or even a weekly dubstep show for all the ravers.

Why This Sales-Split Shift is Non-Negotiable

Switching to a sales-split model is not merely an accounting change; it is essential to prioritizing the art over its commoditization.

• Art First: When the financial pressure of a guarantee is removed, venues can confidently book artists based on artistic merit and community interest, not just projected sales figures. The question changes from "Can we afford them?" to "Will our community love them?"

• Sustainability Over Speculation: Venues gain a predictable, sustainable model. They are no longer gambling on a night's success but building long-term partnerships with artists and their community.

• Empowerment for All: This model empowers independent venues to thrive outside the corporate ecosystem. It empowers artists to reach new audiences without their agent needing immense leverage. Ultimately, it empowers communities by ensuring their local stage hosts a dynamic and varied array of voices.

The Operavi tour system is the roadmap. The Odeum Co-op is the home base. We are seeking passionate venue owners, community spaces, and "feet on the ground" local advocates to establish these cooperative nodes in cities and towns across the map.