The following article was written for the Winter issue of Lilipoh Magazine (http://www.lilipoh.com)


Looking back through history we see the long arc of our evolution, our journey from unity toward individuation.  Before his passing this past April, Norman Davidson, master Waldorf teacher and beloved Sunbridge College professor, wondered where a new guiding myth that spoke of humanity's future would come from.  The story of the fall from spirit into the material world has versions in almost every culture.  This imaginative picture is a type of reality, he said, and while this story is still the guiding myth of our world it increasingly feels incomplete in describing the challenges facing us.  What new narrative describes our involution, the counter arc that sees us consciously rise up out of materialism, individualism intact, to join in a new community of co-creators?

As I study our current cultural landscape, I ask myself what new mythology puts our current lives into the context of the evolution of consciousness?  What stories will document our rise as maturing beings, outgrowing a reliance on power structures based on dominance and black or white thinking?  What guiding frameworks give us the tools to understand a path of conscious initiation that takes place both in the cosmic but also in the everyday? 

Where is this emerging myth of personal responsibility being articulated in the world?

Einstein's famous quote states that the problems facing humanity and the planet can not be solved on the same level on which they were created.  My thought is that this next  emerging level is so broad in its scope and outsized in its scale by the cultures surrounding it, that it goes largely unnoticed and often under-appreciated by those struggling in their own arena for such innovation.

I believe this myth is taking shape beneath the radar of a mainstream culture that is wary of earnest searchers striving towards deeper meaning in life.  Lives led without a dose of post-modern irony, apathy and skepticism can feel threatening.  There are of course alternative stories, vantage points where the problems facing the world are seen from a new perspective.  There are contemporary myth makers that sense a disconnect between their own experience of life and the narratives that we have been collectively living under.  This living awareness of inaccuracy can then be paired with the imagination to arrive at new structures, new stories and pictures that more closely relate to actual felt experience. 

In future issues of Lilipoh I hope to explore new cultural phenomenon in greater depth, highlighting diverse places within our cultural landscape that are adding to a new collective guiding principle.  Here are three such sources that I would encourage readers to explore.
...


Daniel Pinchbeck's latest book 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl (2006, NY: Harpers Collins) fearlessly (and at time perhaps even recklessly) hops from Mayan calendar prophesies to crop circles, global shamanism and visionary states.  What makes this book unusual is not just the subject matter, but the methodology that Pinchbeck applies to both these unexplained phenomena and to his own inner processes as he journeys to meet them.  Pinchbeck, attempting to unravel the mysteries of what is being asked of contemporary humanity, is a scientist who knowingly includes himself in his observable data.  He displays a hesitant but powerful faith in a cohesive logical reality that must include the mystery of spiritual worlds.  Pinchbeck's web-based magazine, Reality Sandwich (www.realitysandwich.org) is likewise filled with clear and forward thinking essays and interviews covering everything from urban homesteading and visionary art to the latest finding of quantum physics.
...


The film The Fountain (2006, Warner Brothers) written and directed by Darren Aronofsky (Director of π and Requiem for a Dream) stands for me as a good indication of where an emerging "New Edge" movement currently lies within the larger culture.  Released last year to poor box office sales and critics who just didn't get it, The Fountain is a beautiful film with layered meaning and powerful indications for life, death and time.  There are many esoteric touches throughout the film for viewers who make the effort to find them.  Aronofsky's high level of respect for the viewer puts him at odds with an industry and audience much more accustomed to easily digestible entertainment.  To me, The Fountain is a good example of a new field of partnership media, created by an artist seeking sophisticated engagement from their audience and not afraid of mediums and artistic channels that can reach audiences who will be challenged by such requests for engagement.  A visual website created for the launch of the movie (http://thefountainmovie.warnerbros.com) and an audio remix project (www.thefountainremixed.com), are interesting examples of the possibility for similar experimentation on the internet.
...


This past summer confirmed for me that perhaps the most promising real-world laboratory for new guiding myths to be shared and refined is the arts festival known as Burning Man.  The yearly week-long event offers a glimpse of what Rudolf Steiner called the "communing society"* of our collective future.  A gathering built around the support and promotion of each individual's right and ability to create, Burning Man is a radically participatory event.  Attended every year by a growing group of culture makers including the founders of Google and many other internet companies, movie stars and musicians, countless authors and scientists and even the occasional government official.  Burning Man is increasingly having a measurable, if yet still largely unnoticed, effect on mainstream society. 

I would love to continue the dialogue about where and how this emerging culture is forming.  Please feel free to email me at Jordan (at) education-of-the-imagintion.org.


*Steiner suggests this "communing society" is the third of three stages to Humanity's evolution.  The first is the "Power Society" ruled by those who spoke for Divine will.  The second, of which we are nearing the end, is the "Bargaining Society" which is a chaotic jumble of individual's selfish wills.  In the third, unity is not achieved by returning to a singular common society, but by each mature individual's higher will being held in a universal harmony.

The Center for the Education of the Imagination is committed to providing authentic essesment of it's arts in education program.  This essesment takes the form, of teacher made, artist made and student made art work as well as pieces created by CEI itself.


The following clip is from an artist in residence at Milton Middle School that resulted in a Renaissance fair after 4 days of learning about period art, dance, clothing and music.

I'd just arrived back from three weeks in Kenya and was facing a little crisis - many of the people who had expressed interest in attending Burning Man weren't going to be able to make it, I had even less money in my checking account and more on my credit cards than I had thought and most importantly, I was no longer sure that a week out in the Black Rock desert of Nevada was practical or even necessary.

I'd arrived back from Africa hyper-sensitive to the use (and abuse) of resources.  My reverse culture shock entailed me being blown away at just how much infrastructure we as Americans take for granted - the amount of concrete that goes into a single highway overpass or the expense of just one of the countless streetlights we pass everyday. 

Even though my past experiences had been amazing and Burning Man was far and away the most environmentally responsible gathering I'd ever been to - I still shuddered at the idea of 50,000 people who couldn't think of anything better to do with their money than take off for an opulent week in the desert.

It didn't take long for a larger picture to return as my friend Lach and I began making plans for our voyage and the logistics that go along with bringing everything you need to not only survive a week in the desert but also make an offering to the community that could only come from you.  We spent the day in China Town gathering items for the tea shop we would set up and a familiar feeling began to creep in.  A certain excitement that I'd felt as a child climbing the stairs to a  roller coaster or water-slide.

Burning Man is what it is often made out to be.  It is a week of hedonism, fueled by silicon valley tech money and psychedelics.  And It is an excuse for people to show off wild art, to ride around on crazy contraptions, burn breathtaking pieces of art and wear over the top costumes or nothing at all.

But at another level (one that gets much less play in the press), Burning Man is an earth shattering glimpse into a possible future.  The week long festival happens once a year on the second largest flat area in the western hemisphere - hours from the closest city and many miles from home for the vast majority of its participants.  Burning Man can't be understood without including this pilgrimage that begins before and continues on after in as many different variations as there are people attending.

It strikes me that in many ways it is the antithesis of a civil war reenactment.  Rather than mimicking what has already been -  people gather to throw their arms open to everything that could be.  Rather than the uniformed civil war soldiers ringed by passive observers, Burning Man is an experiment in radical participation.  Somewhere during the week every single person gets to swing their sword and lead the charge.

People come to the festival for many different reasons.  Being so many things to so many different people makes a comprehensive description tricky and it's not surprising that many articles miss the point entirely.  The organizers are careful to keep the philosophy fluid enough to avoid any dogma.  But if a common element is present - tangible within the first moments of stepping foot upon the playa surface - it would be freedom.

It can be shocking just how truly freeing life in Black Rock City can be.  So much of what we are led to believe in as necessities in the "default world" (what participants in the festival call the world beyond the gates) are shown to not only be open for debate but possibly downright harmful to the experience of being human.

Burning Man operates on a gift economy.  It is unexpectedly sweet to receive a cup of cold ice tea on a 100 degree afternoon with no return expected.  The wallet and cellphone, watch and car-keys are turned over for a different set of tools.  A head lamp becomes your best friend and your clothes become only as good as their ability to serve you in heat and cold and delight others or remind you of the archetype that you embody.

Your days and nights become about interaction and relationship.  A destination only serves as catalyst for the profound and beautiful experiences along the way.  Your normal sense of ownership and control are turned on their head as dust-storms arise and neighbors rush to help each other anchor tents and reinforce shade structures.  Strong winds and unflinching sun humble us and a wide horizon of majestic mountains and bright, bright stars puts all the weeks endeavors into their rightful place.  Put simply, Burning Man amazes with what is possible.  It awes with what the human being is capable of when working together, when giving to the greater community, when being transparent with their gifts and weaknesses and striving.

I'm now, one month later, slowly becoming grounded again in this reality.  Like waking from a dream, I'm struggling to remember the clarity that engulfed me.  Each year I attend Burning Man, I find a testing ground where all my working hypothesis about what might be inside of me and what might be the absolute nature of reality - get worked through.  I emerge exalted and humbled on the other side.
 
The image that I came away with this year is that we are proceeding along lines and organizing principles much larger than a single philosophy that any of us holds.  But each of us is immensely important to the process.  We are co-creating the next step, and all that is asked of us is our conscious, loving participation and our sharing of our findings as we mine our own depths of who we are and what our place is.  Its a brilliant realization to glimpse the proper gratitude at the honor of getting to count myself among so many others, slowly awakening to our role as evolutionary agents in this epic masterpiece.

Here are two multi-media pieces that were produced live May 1st of 2005. Both were inspired by questions of the evolution of consciousness and technology that I was working with at the completion of a year studing Anthroposhophy (literally "Wisdom of the Human Being") at Sunbridge College (http://www.sunbridge.edu).

What follows are the mass email entries I sent to my friends and family while in Kenya for 3 weeks from July 22nd to August 13th.

...
July 25th
So, I'm sitting here in an internet cafe in Kisumu (Kenya's 3rd largest city) watching a mosquito buzz around the monitor wishing I'd put some bug spray on after swimming in the hotel's pool. Actually the trip has been very smooth sailing thus far, we made a tight connection in London in the nick of time, had all of our bags arrive with us (a minor miracle occording to the shocked look on people's face when they hear nothing was lost) after our 26 hour flight. We spent today at an amazing New Life Home in Kisumu playing with 46 infants and toddlers and ate lunch at a dock on the edge of Lake Victoria where we watched hippos wade and make huge rumbling burping noises.

We are leaving for Nakuru tomorrow, and will spend the following day in a game reserve and national park checking out "the big five" (which i guess refers to elephants, giraffes, rhinos, hippos and lions?). Everyone we meet is all huge smiles and very quick to help in whatever way they can. I've only been in country for a couple days (the jet lag and lack of sleep has made it all a bit of one continuous dream) and already ridden on the back of a bicycle, 3 wheeled cab, minibus, and assorted planes. I think we take a land rover with open top cockpit on safari:)

Hope everyone is well,
Cheers,
Jordan

...
July 29th
Jambo!
Another internet cafe. This time though I'm better rested - we're in Nairobi and will be here for several days, which will allow me to gather strength for the next epic trek along some absolutely crazy roads. I can feel the pink in my cheeks (and a good burnt neck no doubt) from spending the ENTIRE afternoon in the Masai market. I left my video camera in the guest house, which I'm sure was a better move logistically, but i do regret not having captured the over-the-top ritual of bargaining on the prices of everything. I think i have a natural talent:)

The safari ended up being a great experience. So, peaceful to be out on open ground with zebra and giraffes grazing around. Lake Nakuru has over 1 million flamingos standing in it at any one time, with gives it large pink swaths from a distance. And baboons are always a hoot, including the one who climbed into the van and stole biscuits out of my bag. Thank god, we're well armed with cameras and a video camera.

We attended church this morning which was a great experience, fun music and a pretty inspired sermon as well actually. I found a nice health food store and have been fairly impressed with the grocery stores and restaurants in general. There is quite a bit of Indian food and we're going to get Ethiopian tonight. I've been tentative with the fresh fruit and vegetables but the juices are amazing. Tusker beer has quickly been adopted by the group as our drink of choice and my water intake is hovering right around a healthy liter a minute.

So, yeah - good times. The Kenyan people are as hospitable, friendly and kind as they are rumored to be and huge smiles are everywhere.

See you soon,
Jordan

...
August 2nd
Hey all,
I spent an incredible day yesterday in Kibera, which is the largest slum in Sub-Sahara Africa, right on the outskirts of Nairobi, and wanted to share a quick note with you all about it. I was flooded with ideas and feelings this morning as I lay in bed reflecting upon the 10 hours I spent trekking through winding walkways being introduced to amazing people doing amazing things. The Goethe quote that was referred to several times in our course together came to mind while thinking about how often knowledge of all the intricacies of how much needs to be done in the world holds us back from engaging in immediate, bold action.

There is something incredibly clarifying about immense poverty. While the obstacles these people face are truly staggering, so was the amount of faith displayed to me again and again as I traveled from one grassroots organization to another. A boys club formed when 15 boys who play football together decide that they are going to do something to improve their area and began to collect trash and sort it to sell to recyclers and in the process become unofficial safety officers, patrolling the streets in the evenings and talking to other youth about violence, drugs and HIV/AIDS. Now 6 years later, over 75 boys and girls are engaged with what has become a bit of an under-the-radar community center, regularly performing street theater which spreads positive messages in the slang that the young people speak.

We met women who operate a "merry-go-round" which acts as a savings and loan, as well as death insurance which will pay for the funeral costs and try to take care of children left behind by a member. The women contribute a few cents each week to a kitty which goes to one women so that she is able to buy some larger purchases, she repays this loan with a few cents interest and at the end of year they are able to purchase several bolts of cloth to dye and sell. Their goal is to be able to afford to buy school uniforms for their children so that they can attend the "free" primary school. Because of the frequent deaths due to AIDS it is rare that any of them are able to attain this illusive goal for their children.

There were many other examples of social entrepreneurship and community collaboration, but what impressed me most about them all was the optimism, hospitality, kindness, humor and faith of the people engaged in them. Almost to a person, everyone I met was unbelievably articulate about the problems they are confronted with and the intangible qualities that give them hope. There was a palpable experience of the genius and magic that participatory action carries with it.

We'd been warned before we went in that people would be asking for money and that people would try to run a scam on us. I was surprised (and somehow also not so surprised) that I was instead asked for something quite different. These people were excited to share their story and show us their daily lives, not for the money that I, or most of us in the West, could have provided, but with the hope that my mind would be changed about the quality of life they were leading and that I would recognize the spirit by which they were engaged in their attempts to better themselves and their families. I was asked for support, not to throw money at their immediate problems, but support for the initiatives that had arisen out of themselves.

Our classes conversations about Inner and outer transformation come to mind as I reflect on the local projects and local interactions that will solve the global problems looming. The relationship that occurs when diverse people meet and are transparent about their needs, their strengths and weaknesses and learn from each other must be the exact quality of global healing.

I'm currently in awe of the absolutely beautiful, authentic smiles surrounding me and am inspired in some small way to help pass that on.

Best,
Jordan

...
August 5th
Hey Everyone!
"Jambo" from Kenya! Mom, Kathy and I have had an amazing two weeks. We just returned to Nairobi last night from two days at Lake Naivasha where we were able to walk around a game park (whispering distance from a herd of zebras) and travel on "Matatus" the public transportation mini-buses (complete with 24 people packed into a 12 seater and blaring music).

Kathy and Mom fly home early tomorrow morning and I'll be taking an overnight train to Mombasa on the coast for one more week of solo traveling.

I'm sure we'd all highly recommend a trip here. The people are incredible - kind, hospitable, passionate and very quick to laugh and smile. The food has been amazing and I've personally been very inspired by the grassroots community organizing that is striving to improve the quality of life here, in what is still a very poor country.

I regret missing the reunion and look forward to seeing pictures.

Best to everyone,
Jordan

...
August 8th
Another internet cafe, another city. Though this feels like it could
be another country. I'm on Lamu Island which is about 6 hours north
of Mombasa in the Indian Ocean. Technically still in Kenya, Lamu is
very rooted in its Swahili past. The police commissioner owns the
only automobile on the whole island, everyone else gets around on foot
or donkeys (there are donkeys walking around everywhere - and kids
race around bareback!). The city is breathtaking, "main street" is
about three donkeys wide, ancient cobblestone with even more narrow
allies running off of it.

I'm staying in an incredible place made out of the traditional coral
rock, an interior courtyard covered in plants and lounge chairs on the
3rd story roof that overlooks the 14th century city and a horizon
lined with ornate mosques and beautiful, hand carved fishing boats
bobbing in the ocean.

Its a very good thing the island more than lives up to everything the
guide book made it out to be because the trip here has been quite the
adventure.

I took an overnight train from Nairobi to Mombasa - 17 plus hours. I
had to do a mad dash to catch the train from the Kibera slums where i
was shooting a Yo-MTV raps style video with crowds of street kids
following me as I took video of two local MC's who led me across the
slum's garbage dump and through their market, gulping air to keep up
the rhyming for a seamless 15 minutes. So, I do a dramatic jump onto
an almost moving train (in honesty, it ended up turning off its engine
and being delayed 20 minutes:) and arrive in the car that Paul, a
Scottish guy I had met at Hell's Gate National Park a couple days
earlier, had booked, reeking like raw sewage and rotting garbage.
Jonathan, a brit who had just been climbing Mt. Kenya for two weeks
joined us in our cabin and we quickly realized that there weren't any
lights on the train as it began to get dark.

We were the last car in a line of 20 before the dining car. Due to
delays caused by the "electrical malfunction"(i.e. no lights) we
weren't "called" (i.e. cook in a chef's hat walking through the cars
hitting a chime with a metal knife) until almost midnight for our
dinner. I was laughing like a little kid as we ran through the
rocking narrow passage-ways of identical train cars by headlamp. It
felt like a fun house mirror maze. Finally, with bruised shoulders,
we sat down to eat our fantastic meal by candlelight in the dining
car.

Much of the novelty had worn off after spending the better part of the
next day chugging through small dusty villages and African bush. Once
we arrived in a smoggy Mombasa we decided to immediately head north
for the sea-side (and Italian resort) town of Milindy. Jonathan, the
high-rolling Londoner adventure guy, Paul, the "please slow down when
you tell your long winded stories 'cause I can't believe that's
english you're speaking" Scottish guy, and myself got in a cab that
agreed to take us to the Gedi ruins and then on to Milindy where we
would spend the night.

The cab driver drove around the block and then told us that his
radiator wasn't working but that he had a friend who would drive us
for the same price. Things were going well enough (aside from the
cratered road) when we arrived at a police checkpoint (they're
everywhere) and the cop, complete with AK47, ripped the car's sticker
off the window and took the driver's licence and papers. The driver
assured us that it would be ok, even though he obviously wasn't a
registered cab. We sat alongside the road as we waited for the
driver's police officer brother-in-law to come and write a letter,
which, along with 500 shillings in an envelope, had us back on the
road.

So, fast forward through mythical ruined city with wild monkeys
everywhere and a night talking about monty python with two guys from
the u.k., to this morning and my decision to take a Matatu the 4.5
hours up to Lamu rather than wait another day for space on a coach
bus. I found someone who assured me he could get me on a mini-bus
which would stay at the legal 14 passengers (already an insane amount
of people in such a small space) and would run express to Lamu.
Knowing this would be my only chance if I was going to get to come up
here, I paid too much money and got into a vehicle already loaded with
a roof-full of produce sacks and watched as person after person
crammed in. After arguing with the driver and getting an empty
assurance that he was responsible for our safety and would get us
through the police check points, we took off - the engine working
overtime and the shocks creaking at every bump.

The ride up was completely Wild West; gun-toting boy soldiers,
platoons of baboons, illicit trading in back water villages, more
corrupt police chiefs and lots and lots of close contact with locals
content to contort themselves into crazy positions to fit into an
already full vehicle. Needless to say, getting a visual of the ferry
was a godsend. My legs felt like someone else's after having assorted
strangers sitting in my lap.

So, yeah - Lamu. I'm here and its amazing. The mosques compete to
see who has the best call to prayers going on and the little kids
playing in the walkways are all smiles and not afraid to make contact
(a little girl latched onto my leg and wouldn't let go after I
responded to the "how are you?" that children all over Kenya call out
any time they see a white person).

Sending mad love from the dark continent,
Jordan

...
Aug. 18th
Hello Everyone -
I thought I'd finish up with the last email of my little
Kenyan chronicles. I'm safe and sound on U.S. soil after a couple of
days getting re-accustomed to U.S. roads (they are so smooth!) and
U.S. air (where is the not-all-together-bad smell of burning trash!?!)
and most of all, the sheer volume of resources at our disposal.

My final few days in Kenya were the perfect closing on an incredible
trip. I spent way too many hours on buses first from gorgeous Lamu to
Mombasa and then from Mombasa to Nairobi - about 18 hours of driving
in all. Upon arriving back in Nairobi I met-up with a couple I had
met on the airplane coming over, they were from Kenya but now live in
Canada. They wanted to take me to "Carnivore" which is probably the
most famous restaurant in Kenya, and consistently voted one of the top
50 restaurants in the world. I was interested in checking it out, but
the idea of having an endless stream of roasted red meat (including
zebra, crocodile and ostrich) brought to your table on long Masai
spears until you signal your waiter that you can't possible eat any
more - made me a little queasy. We decided to eat at an Indian place
and then go to Carnivore for drinks afterward so I could get a look.

The whole evening felt pretty opulent after what I'd been seeing on my
trip. We spent over 5,000 shillings ($75) for dinner and then the bar
attached to Carnivore cost 400 shilling (about $6) to get in and I'm
not sure how much drinks were but a water I paid for was 200 shilling
($3 - it costs about 30 cents in a Kenyan supermarket). All pretty
typical by U.S. standards, but the difference there is that the people
bringing you your food might be making 300 or 400 shilling a day. The
guard at our guest house (every "compound" has a guard who opens and
closes the gate) makes 150 shillings for a 12 hour shift. That's just
a little over 2 U.S. dollars.

So while dinner was fantastic food and Carnivore's bar had a huge
dance floor with DJs playing to a global crowd, I couldn't help but
think about the vast majority of Kenya's who not only wouldn't see the
inside of either of these places, but couldn't. I suppose there are
plenty of places in the U.S. like that, exclusive resorts where the
rich spend thousands of dollars a night, but in general - much of
Western economic life is moderated by a big fat swath of "middle
class" who can save up for dinner at Trump Towers if they wanted to.
In Kenya, as a "developing nation", this middle class is in short
supply.

It was interesting that it was Africans that I was with and while we
did comment on the gap between rich and poor - there was also clearly
a sense that this is what development looked like. This couple had
been able to study and work abroad and when they returned to visit
their friends and family, they had to work to not be conflicted about
having a drink with the tourists at the disco, knowing what the
evening could buy so many in this country.

The following morning I met up with the Kibera crew (Kibera being the
largest slum in Sub-Sahara Africa with a majority of its 700,000
residents living on less than one U.S. dollar a day) and we met Tom
Trigga who has a tiny recording studio, open workshop space, a video
editing computer and a small arsenal of video cameras. He is
sponsored by a Swedish organization named Global Relations and
regularly receives gifts of equipment and rent payments for the
compound housing it all. I'd brought Sizza who I'd video taped on an
earlier occasion, MCing acapella as we made our way through the Kibera
marketplace. Tom Trigga blew us away with the documentaries he was
making, the media classes he was teaching young people and his
willingness to get involved with supporting any positive projects
coming out of Kibera where he had grown up. His small studio and the
record label he established are regularly putting out number one
reggae and hip hop hits in eastern Africa. He agreed to record one of
Sizza's songs and wants to speak more about putting together a yearly
arts and culture festival for the youth of Kibera.

Leaving Tom's, Zam took me to meet an amazing friend of hers who is a
craftsman within Kibera and was classically trained to make the
intricately carved doors I had been so impressed with in Lamu.
Although probably just 40, he is considered an elder within the slum
and often parents bring him their children to teach. He showed me his
workshop, a 8'x8' room neatly lined with wooden projects and tools but
barely big enough for 2 people to work. And because he has only one
set of carving tools, the boys that he takes on to teach usually are
only able to sand the projects with small pieces of sand paper that
are used until perfectly smooth. He has one electric sander that has
been welded and re-welded together and he won't let any of his
apprentices use it for fear that if the spinning plate comes flying
off someone other than himself might get hurt. He showed me the
clever wooden preschool toys that he makes and provides for a school
in exchange for secondary school fees for his children and I promised
to look into getting them sold in stores outside of Kenya.

The whole day had been incredible and I fell into bed absolutely
committed to being of service to the people that I'd met while there.
A car picked me up at 5:30 in the morning to catch my flight out of
Nairobi and after 24 hours of traveling, with a dazed lay over in
London drinking free liquor and inhaling too much perfume in the duty
free shops, I was back in New York.

So now I'm going back over my notes, playing back conversations and
proposals, and trying to imagine how it will all fit into my expanded
spectrum project. The ideas are very concrete, the need is real and
the support is very possible.

It was a three week trip that changed the course of my life. Not in a
big, flashy, earth shattering way, but in the subtle, inevitable way
of something that comes in the perfect way at the perfect time.

So, this is the last email on my first trip to Kenya but only the
beginning of hearing more about the expanded spectrum project I'm
sure. It'll be awhile before I have a chance to upload photos and
even longer before I'm going to be able to do anything with the 20
hours of video I took, but when I do post it - it'll be available at
http://www.expandedspectrum.org.

namaste.
Jordan

Proposal and Outline for Kibera Cultural Project Nairoi, Kenya:

Kibera is the largest slum in Africa, located on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya and home to close to one million people, most of whom live on less than $1 a day. It is one of the most densely populated urban settlements in the world.

What follows are details of a planned community center, written primarily for those who have visited. The plan will no doubt go through many transformations as we begin to work on making it a reality.

...

The Go-Go Boys have a large plot of land behind their office that they have been given permission to build a "hall" on. Their local councilor is behind the project and has arranged for trucks working on improving the road to bring six trucks of fill to help level the area.




The idea is for this hall to be a workshop and cultural space that would support and facilitate programs by many groups and organizations throughout Kibera. Classes would be offered in martial arts and self-defense, HIV and AIDS awareness, creative arts such as painting, dance, theater, puppetry, music, and vocational skills such as wood carving, screen printing, sewing, dyeing etc.

The planning, building and operation of the center would be documented through a collaboration with Global Relations which run an editing studio and creative house right outside Kibera, in Adam's Arcade, teaching video classes and producing documentaries about the area.


Program Coordinator:
A Coordinator would be the ground person for the project, overseeing the scheduling of the center's activities, supervising its daily activities and facilitating on-going relationships with a large variety of groups, organizations, agencies and individuals. The Program Coordinator would organize the regular documenting of the programs taking place at the cultural center and welcome visitors who would visit the center to learn more, collaborate and contribute. This would be a salaried position that would report directly to the project's funders.

The Program Coordinator would have a small office built in the hall that could have a computer with internet access, printer, scanner and digital camera. These tools would aid in the planning, promoting, managing and documenting of the activities at the center. As with everything, there would have to be strict guidelines created and implemented for their use.


Construction of the Building:
It would be ideal to have a collaborative project happen out of the construction of the center itself. Both in the planning and engineering of the building (Messiah's engineering abroad program for example) and in the actual construction and decorating. Labor is not much of a factor, as the boys would supply most of that, but having the raising of the building being a collaborative affair would do much to set the tone for the future of the Center.

The building could be approximately 20' x 30' or even longer. With an office, bathrooms, etc. Depending on the decided upon scope there could be one large room with one or more smaller rooms.

Donors could receive their name somewhere on the building and a mural project could transform both the inside and outside into a vibrant, beautiful beacon of color and positivity for the area.

...

Medium and Long Term Plans

Cultural Exhibition Space:

The Kibera New Market boys group that Fauz and Anthony are a part of an upcoming meeting with their MP and the councilor who is supporting the group, to discuss being given a piece of that property to build an office and a storage pin. Their idea is to make an income through renting storage space for the for the market stalls to rent overnight space in.

This office could eventually be attached to a circle theater. This theater would provide the creative exhibition space for the performances that are rehearsed at the Kibera Cultural Project. It would also be available for any and other cultural activities coming out of Kibera to be exhibited and performed. One possibility would be for the theater to be a simple, flat concrete circle in the ground, with a removable tent over all or part of it for cover. The New Market boys group would provide the security and maintenance for the theater space, with grassroots cultural activities being lent the space for free and private events (weddings, church revivals, etc.) being able to rent the space for a reasonable fee.


The Products:

A "branding" of the fair trade products that are produced within the Kibera Cultural Projects' workshops and associated groups would result in uncovering new markets for these products to be sold, both supporting the groups and also telling their story to the wider world. Working together, many locally made products could be value-added with accomanying materials that tell about who made them, how they are organized and how the purchase of the product will benefit the individual or group. These include wooden toys, clothing, crafts, artwork, etc.


A Kibera Cultural Center market stall could go out to each of the area markets, selling the items that were made by the groups within Kibera and telling the story of their manufacture and collaboration through vibrant pictures and art on the stalls backdrop as well as tags on the individual pieces. The people operating the stall and all of the producers would get a fair price for what they made without going through a middle man, all proceeds could go into the micro-lending fund, and the widely told story about the slums would be challenged and a new narrative would be created around models of development and success.

Micro-Financing:

The Kibera Cultural Project could easily become the disbursement point for micro-financing. These small loans would be given to groups and individuals whose proposal was accepted with the understanding that they pay back the loan with a very small percent of interest that will help to fund other loans for other groups. The idea of "matching funds" that a group has already raised toward a concrete goal could be explored. There are many organizations that are working in this field. The Kibera Cultural Project could be a partner one or multiple of these organizations.

What follows is an idea that has been making its way into my waking dreams of late.  I'd love to get some feedback on the idea as I begin the long process of researching similar spaces that exist, the management structure needed to fund and run the space, and the collaborators out there who are meant to work with me on this.

-Jordan Walker
March 20th 2007   

The Cultural Collaborative

 

I have long envisioned a space modular enough to integrate aspects of business, art, learning and entertainment into one unified whole.  I have spent years researching the possibility of combining the aesthetic appeal of an art gallery with the comfort of a neighborhood coffee shop, the vibrancy of a night club and the health of a juice bar.  I have sought out the consistent experience of cinema with the unique interaction of live performance, the sophistication of a dinner theater with the intellectual seriousness of a lecture hall and the fun of a music venue.  The fellowship of a place of worship with the freedom of an arts center dedicated to next level creativity.

The Cultural Collaborative serves as a laboratory for emerging soul capacities and new social forms.

The Proposal:

To convert the historic Wellmont theater in Montclair, NJ into a collaboratively run arts center dedicated to new ideas and new ways of people gathering together.  The lobby of this "Cultural Collaborative" would be a juice bar/tea shop gallery.  The two first floor movie theaters would be a modular multipurpose performance space for film series, dinner theater, lectures, and live events.  One of the office spaces on the 2nd floor would become a room for massage/body work.  The original space with stage located behind the two newer theaters would remain a raw event space while grant money was located for a historic refurbishment.  This rear space would serve as a venue for theater and other arts productions, the site for an after-school arts program, market space for an arts fair, open space to rent for film shoots, display installation and large format art pieces and a variety of other functions serving a broad spectrum of non-profit and community arts organizations.

The Exterior

A metal sculpture would be commissioned for the top of the marquee.  It would be lit by lights at night and serve to instantly express the identity of the space.  Another idea would be to secure funding from local arts organization for a giant mural on the Seymour Street brick wall (and which might wrap around to the side facing the rear parking lot), bringing area artists together to portray a creative description of the Collaborative's mission statement.  This treatment of the exterior would not only provide a unique and easily remembered/recognized landmark but would also gain publicity and a strong beginning to the idea of a true arts partnerships that would be vital to the success of the space.

The Lobby

The lobby would feature a juice bar offering fresh juice/smoothies, organic and fair trade teas and coffees, baked goods delivered daily from a local bakery, organic popcorn with a variety of sauces/spices, a daily soup or two and shifting flavors of sorbet/ice cream.  The lobby would have free wireless internet access and a computer available for member use.  The space would serve as a lounge with Dj's, spoken word, jazz trios, etc. on weekend evenings.

   

The lobby would be a "gallery" with a definition of art wide enough that just about everything in the lobby is for sale (not in a price-tags-dangling sort of way, but in a way that ensures that the space is continually changing and that purchasers are participating in the continual transformation of the space).  The art and items for sale create the space, rather than the space existing to display the items for sale.

So for instance, a large vase positioned between the bathroom entrances would have exotic flowers and grasses both for sale and for decoration.  This runs counter to the conventional retail experience but would be communicated with consistency throughout the space.  The light fixtures and furniture would each be unique - either antique, sustainably produced with innovative materials from a company employing innovative practices, or ethnic pieces purchased along fair-trade guidelines.  All would be for sale with the price described in a "gallery-esque" wall card that also told of the history and/or creators of the piece or item.  Most items would be sold under conditions similar to a gallery or consignment shop while others would be purchased outright and sold retail.

The Lower Mezzanine

The Gallery would continue on the second floor mezzanine, featuring "traditional" art mediums: paintings, sculptures, prints, mixed media by a wide variety of artists, but also functional art such as pottery and textiles.  The chandelier hanging above the lobby would likely be replaced with large hanging sculptural lights.

  

The Theaters

A possible idea is to remove the wall separating the two theaters and create one wide space.  The seats would be removed and the concrete floor would be re-poured, creating three sloping ramps (one on each side and a wide middle aisle) and several deep, terraced levels.  There would be a wide flat area remaining in front of the screen(s).  Each terrace would have the ability to go from having couches and love seats with small coffee tables, dinner-theater style, to having the couches wheeled away, railings put into place, and the terraces available for standing/dancing.  This space would serve as the primary theater for film screenings, public lectures and classes, concerts and parties, as well as the display space for multi-media art pieces.

Rather than following the traditional first or second run movie theatre business model, the space would focus on film series (for instance, documentaries on Wednesday evenings and Sunday morning classics or Oscar Winners, midnight showings of cult classics, etc,).  Existing Film Festivals would be courted to utilize the Collaborative for a location or stop on their tours, and the Collaborative would take a leadership role in developing local and new festivals.  Film critics or professors would often take part in curating and introducing director retrospectives and series featuring multiple films from a certain country or region, or films exploring a specific theme or medium.  Q and A's with directors, and partnerships with specific publications (Time Out or The Onion's film critics host a screening of their all-time top ten films for example) would all create events around film screenings that break from what has become a stale exhibition model.

The space would also regularly host lectures and workshops.  There could be regular salons which took place book-club-style, with a moderator and a common theme.  Certain films could have time afterward for people to discuss what the film or piece that the just watched; Dinner Theater events would be catered and could entail everything from comedy to films or music.

The Massage Space

Located in one of the two office spaces on the second floor, there would be a small "healing room" in which private massage and body work practitioners would offer treatments.  The Collaborative would take a percentage of each treatment's cost and would offer session bookings through its website.

The Balcony

The Balcony would stay much the way it is currently, swapping out certain seats for others from the bottom theaters that are in better shape.  Perhaps adding two simple concession stand bars against either wall in the areas where seating has been removed.  These bars could be used for vending during large performances. The hung screen would remain for film screenings and would be removed to one side to reveal the stage for larger scale performances.  The historic nature of the Wellmont would be played up through directional lighting for people to see beyond the screen before and after a movie.

The Rear Stage

Restored for structural integrity to a level that would allow for events and productions to take place.  Grants and other funding would be sought to restore the original plaster work. 

A list of possible events:

-A medium-sized concert hall has the flexibility of selling out larger bands that are looking to play an independent venue or attempt new collaboration/material, but also host smaller, lower priced shows that feature up and coming artists.  Promoters would always feature artistic integrity over popularity and the kinds of acts booked would need to reflect the Collaborative's positive message and it's location in a family-friendly town center.

-A bohemian market where vendors would rent spaces.  I could imagine this being a mix of one of a-kind-crafts, hand made clothing, art, prints, pottery, gifts, etc.

-Gallery space for showings of large installation art works in conjunction with museums, galleries or well known artists.

-Film/Photography studio space for rent

-Hosting an after-school or "at-risk" youth program where adolescents work with local artists in creating their own variety show performance.  The students write the script, act, sing, dance, create the set, etc.

-Host stage groups which use the space to rehearse and exhibit theater, interactive and avant garde performances.  Ideally, this same group of artists would offer improv. classes and workshops in the space as well as run the programs for adolescents.

-Show new types of multi-media performances combining audio/visuals with live performance.

-Cultural organizations hosting ethnic and world music shows (holding a West African drumming workshop, before a performance of African dance and drumming).

-Private events wanting to hold their wedding/fundraiser/gala in a space that wears its mission on its sleeve and was open to supporting a unique or innovative idea.

Co-Op

The idea of an arts co-op, while innovative, is not new.  Health Food Cooperatives are thriving in this country and urban areas are seeing an influx of arts cooperatives, where organizations and individuals pay membership fees for collectively held studio space (see www.3rdwardbrooklyn.org).

Allowing for membership to the space would do multiple things:

-create a community of people who believe in the mission of the Collaborative.

-literally creates "buy-in" where members feel ownership for the space, and feel a part of the enterprise's success.

-draws a pool of creative and talented resources to the space who function not just as a network of promoters and supporters but also provide valuable feedback and ideas.

-Provide talents for the maintenance and renovations of the space.

-Allows for a significant savings in staffing costs.

Membership in the co-op would result in a 20% savings on everything at the space; items at the cafe, artwork, events, massages, screenings, etc.

The cooperative members would be subject to much the same guidelines as these from the Park Slope Food Co-Op (the oldest continuous running health food co-op on the east coast) in Park Slope, Brooklyn:

1) All members must attend an introductory session at the space that outlined the philosophy, the operation of the space and expectations from members.

2) There would be a $25 dollar registration fee (which would be waived during special recruitment times). 

3) Each member would pay $100 a year for membership, which could be paid on an installment plan over several months.

4) Each Member would agree to work at least 6, four hour work shifts a year.  These could be fulfilled by participating in work parties (held every month) or by completing an individual slot.

The work parties would serve as opportunities for members to get to know each other as well as a way for them to become more familiar with the facility and the operation of the Collaborative.  The work parties would have time built into the beginning and the end for visiting with each other and would serve as good ways of incorporating new members into a vibrant community.

Collaborators

The success of the project would rely on partnerships.  Not just with the costumers who would be encouraged to become members, but with other organizations that would see themselves aligned with the mission of the space and would help promote events there.  Obviously this type of organization would call for a different type of relationship between managers and the spaces owner.  There would have to be deeply developed partnerships with "resident" non-profit, community and arts group who would view the space as their "home" venue.  New collaborations would be constantly sought with theatre/ improv./ concert groups who would use the space(s) for rehearsal and performance. Yoga, Tai Chi, Dance, Circus, Spirituality and self-improvement lecturers and instructors looking to offer classes; body-workers who wanted to offer services in the massage space; film societies that would host festivals and film series; galleries and museums that would use the space to curate contemporary, installation and multi-media art pieces; promoters who would throw interactive art events and concerts; avant garde and classical music that was looking for an alternative space or an alternative crowd; a children's after school/summer program offering an experience with artistic expression (a theater production, live musical performance, etc.); book tours and lecture tours; workshops on everything from healthy child-raising to independent film-making. 

The idea is for an "Emerging Culture Collaborative" and not just an "Arts Center".  The importance of true collaboration and supporting organizations that promoted participation would be important to the continued success of the space. The promoters who used the rear stage, the film societies and festivals who used the theater and the artists who showed in the gallery space would all be also entering into collaboration with the Emerging Culture Collaborative.  The relationship would extend beyond economic transaction to include a real recognition of the mutual benefit and support for the success of both enterprises.

All Companies and items in the "gallery" and throughout the space would be chosen based on the companies/artists philosophy, quality and artistic integrity.  Everything from the coffee brewed, books displayed and the music played to the sound-system the music is played on, furniture, paintings on the walls and every revolving specialty and gift items would be hand picked and featured in partnership with the producers.  The companies not only get a retail outlet, but receive company/artist promotion both though the description attached to each item in the gallery, but also through the website.

For example, the lobby and theaters would be outfitted with sustainable furniture from places such as www.moderngreenliving.com and www.vivavi.com which would see the Collaborative as a showroom and retail outlet.  So, many of the expenses of outfitting the space are negated with complimentary floor samples and wholesale pieces. Additional furniture would be one-of-a-kind antiques and artists pieces sold on commission.  The spectrum of what are business expenses and what is possible profit become blurred as the disposable bowls from reclaimed bamboo aren't just used to serve ice cream in, but are sold in the lobby as well.  The pieces of the whole puzzle become more integrated with the various companies, artists, and the Collaborative partnering toward a common goal.  So, the sound system in the lobby is donated by JBL for a well-known street artist to create a piece with.  The piece is "displayed" in the gallery, Dj's spin their music through it and when it is sold, part of the proceeds goes toward the after-school arts program.

The Website

The Collaborative would feature a state-of-the-art website which would function as the primary marketing tool and also a very important organizational and administrative tool.  Cutting edge animation and design would create an eclectic but common design identity for the space.  Upcoming events and details would all be listed along with full pictures/audio/video from artists and events featured at the Collaborative.  Collaborators would be able to access password-protected calendars that would list room bookings and could reserve the spaces online. 

Tickets to all events would be sold online as well as the ability for members to monitor their accounts and status.  An online community would have the ability to form around features such as a blog for the space and an area for members to comment upon the events and items that they experienced/bought at the space and recommendations for products or events they would like to see.  This feedback tool would be a unique feature to the space that members and companies could utilize.

The Construction

The remodeling of the Wellmont would be carried out in as sustainable a manner as possible.  All natural paints, radiant floor heating put into the re-poured concrete floor, natural cleaning supplies, etc. This dedication to sustainability goes far beyond ideology; it should make a good impression on local community members and media, as well as being a noted point in the regional and national publicity that the renovation and innovative space use should be able to receive.

Our Mission

We are an inclusive community striving for an atmosphere where creative inspiration is respected and fostered, where art is an interactive activity and where participation is encouraged.

..................................

Why This Will Work

3rd Ward (http://www.3rdwardbrooklyn.org) and other collaborative artists' studios like them are increasingly serving a generation of artists who feel it is a compromise to have to enter a world of high-end galleries and collectors guided by money and prestige rather than the art itself.

The traditional idea of proprietary ownership and copyright has shifted as well.  Creative Commons (www.creativecommons.org) has created a legal framework which is promising to protect content producers while also allowing the free movement of materials that the internet age demands.  A form of copyright that guarantees economic compensation when displaying or performing work for profit while allowing for the free use and trading by individuals, I believe this signals a shift within the artist community toward more expansive exhibition and distribution outside of established channels.

The increased success of film festivals from Sundance and the more independent Slamdance (www.slamdance.com), to the local festivals which continue to sprout up every year - show there are no shortages of filmmakers and quality films that are looking to be exhibited outside of the studios and traditional theater circuit.  These film festivals are wildly popular and provide tremendous economic benefit to the communities they take place in.

An entire world of new media is being created: interactive sound and video pieces, multiple screen installations and films featuring live performers (www.realityengine.org).  These alternative pieces, and the desire to see them, are increasing far more rapidly than the few spaces available for their exhibition.

As Clear Channel buys up historically independent venues and artists with integrity decide to boycott them, it's increasingly common to hear about artists as popular as Bjork and Radiohead playing smaller venues than they would otherwise demand.  From Bonnoroo (www.bonnaroo.com) in Tennessee, to Coachella (www.coachella.com) in California, increasingly the highest grossing concert events in this country are independent festivals, defying the boundaries between musical genres and artistic mediums.

The popularity of New York City's Open Center (www.opencenter.org) and retreat centers such as the Omega Institute (www.eomega.org) signify a larger change in continuing education, with more and more U.S. adults regularly taking part in classes, workshops and lectures outside of tradition higher education.

A new more integral outlook has begun to appear that doesn't see the conflict between modernity and a spiritual outlook.  From magazines such as What Is Enlightenment? (www.wie.org) to online communities (www.zaadz.com) that are finding phenomenal success at gathering progressives together, there are many partners out there for spreading the word about the Collaborative and creating content, lecture series, traveling book tours, etc. 

Holistic education, such as Waldorf Education, with its emphasis on experiential, arts-based learning, is growing at an exponential rate (www.whywaldorfworks.org).  Likewise, arts based programs are receiving more grant money for working with failing students as No Child Left Behind demands that all public school children maintain national standards.

The media landscape has changed significantly in the last 10 years with people much more likely to turn to the internet or magazines when looking for current information.  Likewise, a progressive voice that seemed to be far a field has swelled in recent years and is hungry to report on stories of projects seeking to bring people together and to practice business in innovative ways (www.worldchanging.org).  The Collaborative would be an extremely media friendly organization, consistently generating press releases and achieving much of its advertising not through paid ad placements but from stories and articles that can offer more space to flesh out the philosophy behind the space.  

All this, not to mention the business world's acceptance of "green" and community-based entrepreneurs as socially responsible business illustrates that it can not only change traditional consumer culture but make record-setting profit in the process. (www.socialedge.org)