ARCOIRIS Headquarters: The LGTBIQ+ heart of Ciutat Vella will not close

Key Features of the Project
Our initiative is a comprehensive community management model that uses a physical headquarters in the heart of the Gòtic neighborhood as an engine for social and economic change. Unlike other spaces, ours is not just an administrative office, but an active refuge that merges human reception with professional development.

We are the headquarters where strategy is crafted so the LGTBIQ+ community ceases to be invisible in the city. Under one roof, we integrate legal and emotional assistance for newcomers, technical training for self-employment, and the production of major cultural milestones such as the ARCOIRIS Festival and Orgullo de Ciutat Vella—which always go hand in hand with our ARCOIRIS Entrepreneurs Showcases—creating a support network that accompanies individuals from their arrival in the city through to their full social and labor inclusion.

What Makes Us Different?
What sets us apart from other proposals is our capacity for intersectional reception and our technical solvency:

Gateway to the neighborhood: We are not a rigid institution; we are the first "safe space" where an LGTBIQ+ migrant can express themselves without fear and receive immediate guidance in their language and cultural code.

Transforming vulnerability into talent: We do not stop at basic assistance; we equip people with tools so that their crafting and creative skills become their economic livelihood through our ARCOIRIS Entrepreneurs Showcases.

Grassroots governance: The project is not top-down; it is co-managed by the users themselves and neighborhood organizations (such as the Ciutat Vella District Labor Networks), ensuring that resources directly benefit the local territory and its residents.

Project Objectives
To consolidate this work and ensure no one is left behind, we have set the following goals:

Secure the continuity of the physical headquarters to guarantee a permanent, safe welcoming space in central Barcelona.

Implement a comprehensive support program for LGTBIQ+ migrants, including immigration legal advice and psychosocial support.

Facilitate access to basic rights and housing or health resources through an active community mediation network.

Provide technical and legal mentorship to 50 micro-entrepreneurship projects to foster economic autonomy for people at risk of exclusion.

Boost the visibility of diverse talent by organizing cultural showcases and local fairs on Av. de la Catedral and other locations to be explored.

Promote responsible consumption and the values of the Social and Solidarity Economy within the district's commercial fabric.

Train a team of 50 volunteers in intake tools, awareness raising, and large-scale event management.

Digitally transform the entity's services to streamline counseling processes and improve connectivity among network members.

Reasons and circumstances: Why was this project born?
The ARCOIRIS Headquarters project was not born in an office, but on the streets. It stems from observing a painful paradox: while the Gòtic neighborhood transforms and space prices become unaffordable, the community support networks that sustain the most vulnerable are left homeless.

Three critical circumstances led us to create this project:

The fragility of safe spaces: We have witnessed locations that served as refuges for the LGTBIQ+ community close down, leaving hundreds of people without a place where they can be themselves without fear.

The invisibility of migrant talent: We identified that many individuals within the community, especially newcomers, possess incredible craft and entrepreneurial skills, but lack the technical and legal infrastructure to formalize them.

The need for rooted culture: We want events like Orgullo or the Fiesta Mayor not to be merely tourist showcases, but to have a solid logistical base in the neighborhood that allows the economic benefits to stay in the hands of the local residents.

We devised this project because we believe that the rainbow flag cannot just fly one day a year on a stage; it needs a headquarters where work is done the other 364 days.

Communities and users: Who is it aimed at?
Our community is diverse and intersectional, and the success of this campaign will directly impact:

LGTBIQ+ individuals in vulnerable situations: Especially those facing double discrimination due to their identity and migrant origin. For them, the headquarters is their first point of information, legal advice, and emotional support.

Local entrepreneurs and artisans: Our network of more than 50 micro-projects that see the headquarters as their "incubator." These are individuals committed to the Social and Solidarity Economy (ESS) who need the technical support we provide to help their businesses thrive.

Residents of Ciutat Vella: People who believe in a vibrant, diverse neighborhood with local commerce. Families and young people who participate in our workshops and want Av. de la Catedral to be full of culture and values.

Volunteer Network and Partner Organizations: The 50 volunteers and more than 20 collaborating entities that rely on our infrastructure to meet, coordinate, and build community.

By donating to ARCOIRIS, you are not just maintaining a space; you are keeping alive the human network that ensures Ciutat Vella remains a place where everyone belongs.

Track Record and Experience of the Driving Group
The ARCOIRIS Association was born out of the need to create a real link between LGTBIQ+ advocacy and the local economy of the Ciutat Vella neighborhood. Over the years, we have grown from a mutual support group into a technical benchmark in managing Social and Solidarity Economy (ESS) projects and local community culture.

Our experience is backed by:

Management of Large-Scale Events: We have successfully designed and executed the ARCOIRIS Cultural and Festive Cycle in iconic spaces like Av. de la Catedral, technically and artistically coordinating events that gather thousands of attendees and dozens of entrepreneurs.

Mentorship and Entrepreneurship: We have supported more than 50 craft and commercial projects in their professionalization and visibility process, facilitating their transition toward an ethical and sustainable business model.

Social Impact and Reception: We have a solid track record in accompanying LGTBIQ+ migrants, managing an annual flow of more than 700 users who come to our headquarters for technical and legal advice.

Human Team: The Engine of ARCOIRIS
We have a multidisciplinary team that combines professional rigor with activist passion:

Project Management and Coordination: A team responsible for dialogue with the District, grant management, and strategic planning.

Production and Stage Management: Professionals experienced in infrastructure setup (stages, sound, marquees) and direct coordination of live artistic talent.

Social Communication: Specialists in managing social media networks, newsletters, crowdfunding campaigns, and donor loyalty strategies.

Volunteer Network: A consolidated group of 50 volunteers who contribute their time and knowledge in logistics, reception, and care at the ARCOIRIS Point.

Resources and Infrastructure
To guarantee the success of this initiative, we already count on a solid foundation:

Headquarters in the Gòtic: Our physical space (C/ Roca), which functions as an office, meeting point, logistics warehouse, and training center.

Digital Assets: A proprietary database of over 1,100 registered individuals, an active newsletter, and messaging channels (WhatsApp Business) with high mobilization capacity.

Proprietary Logistical Equipment: We possess outreach materials, signage, and basic IT equipment for the administrative management of the entity.

Strategic Alliances: We are part of the neighborhood's associative fabric, collaborating closely with the organization of the Festes del Gòtic by managing communication, as well as working alongside other entities in the Solidarity Economy Network.

We have the necessary experience to scale our impact; we only need our headquarters—our command center—to no longer be at risk so we can continue working for a more diverse Barcelona.