OCC Spain

Introduction to OCC Spain

Open Cultural Center was established in Spain at the end of 2017. As some of the volunteers who founded OCC were from Catalonia, it made sense to have a base in Barcelona. Like Greece, Spain is also home to many migrants and refugees. They mainly come to Europe via the Western Mediterranean and Western African routes, but many also travel from Latin American countries such as Venezuela.

At OCC Spain we offer free educational activities for refugees and migrants at MigraCode and Barcelona Language Lab. We also raise awareness about the experience of refugees by doing talks at schools and hosting events to promote social inclusion and cultural diversity. A significant part of the work we do is administrative, and we also support OCC Greece in fundraising and communications.

The OCC Spain team is made up of ESC volunteers, interns, external volunteers and several full-time and part-time employees. Some of the team members live in the shared volunteers flat near the office. We have a weekly meeting on Tuesdays during our co-working day when the whole team works from the office.

What does OCC do in Spain?

OCC has an office in El Born, one of the neighbourhoods in Barcelona's old town. The office is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and there is always someone there to welcome visitors, students and team members. The office is in a space that is shared with the neighbours association, who we sometimes collaborate with.

OCC's work in Spain is centered around education, social inclusion, raising awareness and innovation. Every team member is involved in different projects and we all work together to provide the best quality support possible to everyone who benefits from our activities. We have some base projects, like MigraCode and Amigo Mio, and some short-term projects, like Untold Stories for example.

MigraCode is one of OCC's biggest and most impactful projects. You will definitely meet some students and alumni during your time at OCC. It is a programming course that is free for people with a migration background. Through this project, OCC works towards the integration of migrants in the European labor market.

OCC Spain also offers free language classes in Spanish, Catalan, Arabic and English, to improve the target community's chances of integrating and accessing employment and education. Teachers and students from all over the world learn together in a multicultural environment. You may be involved as a volunteer teacher or as a student, or you might just want to join our language exchange meet-ups.

As we only have a small office space and due to the current health risks, all MigraCode and language classes are held online at the moment.

The community of people who are involved in our activities mainly live in Barcelona and have already integrated to a certain extent in the local community. They may have lived in Spain for a few years already, or be familiar with the Spanish language or culture. Inclusivity and cultural exchange are at the heart of OCC activities, and all team members are expected to promote these values. Although OCC Spain is not located near a refugee camp like OCC Greece, it is always important to be openminded, understanding and respectful in all our work, and welcome everyone equally.

Unfortunately, since the beginning of the global health crisis, we have not been able to continue events such as the monthly intercultural event or the jam session. Nevertheless, we have organised some events respecting the local health restrictions, such as the book exchange for San Jordi in April 2021, where we sold roses and copies of our book Amigo Mio.

(The footage in the video below was recorded before the pandemic.)