You’ve probably heard of unConferences but how about unMonasteries? Yes, the collaborative movement has extended into monastic life, at least an updated, social enterprise version of it. Situated in Matera, Italy, the first official unMonastery aims to provide a select group of changemakers with a place to live, eat and work together.

UnMonasteries come out of the Edgeryder community, a group of young Europeans seeking to reinvent the economy for inclusion, sustainability, and meaningful work. The idea is that unmonasterians will work with the community to solve (g)local problems and act as accelerators for a diverse range of projects. A new concept, the unMonastery movement is still getting its legs, but it’s gearing up to be a focused and sustained way to connect, create and collaborate.

Check out this TV report in Italian about the first unMonastery in Matera. Click on the cc icon on the video to turn on English captions (turn on Italian captions first, then translate them into English).