Urchin is a film and animation studio rooted in free/libre tools and culture. Using business practices that promote commonwealth, our mission is to explore the versatile medium of animation independent of commercial pressures that restrict it to genre. Enhancements we develop to the software commons support access to expression – an important tool for art, economic development and social justice. At the same time, our participatory media encourage literacy in the underlying tools and systems that aid or impede expression to influence how we assemble not only in culture, but as a global society.