I have known the zusa team for a decade now, having worked on Tandem as a freelancer, supporting the team on editorial matters, helping with social media and crafting the Tandem newsletter. I love telling stories and Tandem was all about stories from inspiring people working to build a better world. I still remember vividly the positive energy in that meeting room in Berlin when we started to rethink a new communications strategy and website for Tandem. It was thrilling! Throughout the years and the many travels, we built such strong connections through beautiful and life changing projects. I now feel I am part of a family.
It’s such a privilege as a freelancer to be able to work with an organisation sharing your values: I believe in what the zusa team stands for, and I love their way of working towards making a difference while also enjoying what we do, supporting each other, and creating the space for many voices to tell their story, and participate in the vision of making the world a slightly better place, despite the many issues we are all facing.
This really is what’s best about zusa: its collective spirit and the feeling of true solidarity, one that is not only driven by words but also action.
Through our connection, I have grown on a personal and professional level, learning so much through editing the stories of so many artists working in regions I knew less well: how they work, in which context, what challenges they face and how they overcome them… It’s been a constant process I am very thankful I could have been part of.
If I could describe zusa with one word, it will be process, because this is I think one of the greatest strengths of zusa and its team: the respect and understanding that everything is a process, because it allows to learn from mistakes and get better together. This focus on the collective rather than the individual is what will help us all do better work.
