The West End Music and Dance Teachers’ Cooperative are a  worker-owned enterprise with over twenty member-owners.

The The Board of the Cooperative will always consider applications from prospective members who want to benefit from “buying in” to our enterprise and community.

| Benefits of Membership | Fees and Charges | How to Join | FAQs |

Some of our Cooperative members

Benefits of Membership

Members of the West End Music and Dance Teachers’ Cooperative enjoy:

• Access to professionally-equipped studio spaces at Browning Street Studios and Upstairs @ 199 at significant discounts from public rates;
• Input into Governance of the organisation and opportunities for election to the Board of Directors;
• Ongoing professional development and networking opportunities;
• Inclusion in any group advertising undertaken by either Browning Street Studios or Upstairs @ 199.
• Opportunity to use private studios at off-peak times for personal private rehearsal, with no charge;
• Access to wifi internet, phone and fax facilities for the carry-out of your business, meeting spaces and printing/copying service;
• A presence on the Cooperative’s website as well as the website of Browning Street Studios or Upstairs @ 199, depending on which spaces are used for your practice;
• Access to a library of books relating to music and dance teaching, and small business management; and
• Free storage of tools of trade as necessary.

Fees and Charges

The Cooperative charges prospective members a $20.00 application fee for each new application made for membership regardless of the outcome of this application.

To maintain active membership, all members must pay a subscription fee as follows:

Individuals
Annual Fee:   $210.00 / or 6 monthly Fee: $140.00 / or Quarterly Fee: $85.00

Organisations
Annual Fee: $420.00 / or 6 monthly Fee: $280.00 / or Quarterly Fee: $170.00

Associate Membership (“Friends of the Coop”)

Watch this space! 🙂

All new members admitted to membership must also buy a $1 share of the organisation.

How to Join

Complete a FormCM01-CooperativeMembershipApplication

Post this form, with a brief CV,

ATTN: The Board of Directors

West End Music and Dance Teachers Cooperative Ltd

17 Browning Street, South Brisbane Q 4101

You may also wish to fill the form out electronically and email it to us at wemusicdancecoop @ gmail.com

You can sign any emailed forms when you come in for your initial meeting.

FAQs

1. Do I have to be a Coop Member to make use of Coop Facilities?

No, all of our facilities are available to the public for hire. Note that our public hire rates are higher than rates for Cooperative members. But for people just starting out, or wanting to hire casually, you may prefer to hire our facilities this way.

2. I am not a teacher but I would like to support the Coop in some way. Do you have Associate Memberships?

We are currently investigating introducing a “Friends of the Coop” type of associate membership. Please email us if you are interested in finding out more (wemusicdancecoop [at] gmail.com)

3. Why do I have to apply for membership, when Cooperatives are friendly and open societies?

Teacher-members of our Cooperative need to demonstrate the necessary skills and qualifications to join our organisation. We also don’t like issuing memberships to people who won’t benefit from the association – you may be better as an associate or “Friendly” member. Drop us an email to find out more.

4. How long before I find out if my application for membership has been successful?

Our Board meets fortnightly, but we’ll usually consider your application with a few days of receiving it. Give us 7 days to get back to you, as all five board members need to consider your application.

5. I don’t really understand how I can run my own business within a Cooperative

Our members are microbusiness owners. To work from our premises, you will need (amongst other things) an ABN. We have a comprehensive guide to getting started here: Letter to Potential Teachers. It’s quite long, but it’s an excellent resource for anyone weighing up the pros and cons of getting involved.