A 10 session discussion series: 

1. Imagination Station: Games and Play (Shame of imagination)

In this first session, we unlock our greatest tool; both for upcoming sessions and for life beyond them. At a young age we’re encouraged to put imagination away in order to grow up, in order to be responsible; and anything considered unreasonable or weak or indulgent is shoved into the realm of imagination, along with unicorns and dragons. There’s a lot of shame in still clinging to imagination as “grown ups” and this shame will be the first thing we need to dispel if we’re to give our imaginations the power that they used to have. The power to liberate.

2. Paper Beats Rock: Dangers of Outside

Imagination works through play; the rules don’t always make sense but they don’t have to. Why does paper, of all things, beat rock? Why does imagination, of all things, beat violence? Why do these two questions matter so much? This, as well as the nature of reality, is what we dig into in this session.

3. Found Family Fan Fiction: Isolation vs Community

What do you do, when you love a story very very much but wish the author had done a couple of things differently? If you’re a dude with a fetish for authorial authority, then perhaps you call it “bad” and leave. Or if you’re used to being a member of the marginalized, you turn to fan fiction – either reading or writing it. Fanfiction is a haven for people who simply cannot leave things as they are. Fanfiction is where one revels in the possibility of multiple universes existing simultaneously. Fanfiction is where family is chosen rather than fated. A little Fan fiction in your life can go a long way.

4. I know a Place: Public Space (Where??)

Our first most grounded session. South Africa has a fraught relationship with public space; specifically, it was simply not allowed in black communities because of its disruptive power. And two decades after apartheid we remain trapped in designated private spaces with no place to exist as a free collective. In this session we talk about what we want public space to be, and how to make it a reality in the here and now; we figure out where it already exists and where it probably should. (Discuss terms public and private, colloquially, politically, and historical)

5. Irresponsible Timing: Reproductive Labour

How long will it take you to get that task done? (Your manager asks) Perhaps three “good” days. Unless you’re a mother, then make that four. Unless you have endometriosis and are disabled for the next two days, make that five. Unless your parents and siblings rely on you to take care of their needs, and your manager expects you to organize the company brunch as well, make that six. (Your manager says it never takes Marcus that long, you’re using your time irresponsibly.) We don’t have the same 24 hours, and it’s time we stop insisting we all do.

6. Humans in a Monster World: Bleeding and Breastfeeding on main

Well over 50% of the world’s population is made of monsters; assuming that’s what we call biological anomalies that aren’t humans in the way humans should be. That’s why most medications aren’t tested on women, they are biological anomalies. BMI’s are harshest on women, since the original measures were Western men. And anyone outside the binaries of sex and gender might as well be invisible too. As the monsters of the world, trying to prove our humanity, we constantly have to hide our bleeding, our breastfeeding, our hormones and our hot flashes – all to protect human society from our monstrosity. Truth is, either we are all human, or we are all monsters; in this session we discuss what a more honest society looks like.

7. Hungry Ghosts: Inaccessibility and Ableism

The book by Dr Gabor Maté “In the realm of Hungry Ghosts” explores addiction in a way that is beyond the ability of most of the medical industry. His simple premise: Addiction is a cultural and societal ill. Inflicted by relentless trauma and violence; and then shrouded in shame. It has been pathologized, but so has everything else; feeling unconsolable about the state of the world (depression), not understanding the value of arbitrary social rules (autism), being unable to force yourself to focus on uninteresting things (ADHD), wanting freedom from expectation (PDA); there are infinite ways to fall below the bar of perfection. This is the session to think about it and feel about it and talk about it. And figure out what we want done about it.

8. My Life a Loan: Human Farms (Work x Jobs)

We can excuse almost anything, as long as it creates more jobs. As exploited communities, we campaign for more work, and opportunities for employment; when perhaps what we want is whatever it is that the income from those jobs provide. Very few get a job to find meaning, and those who do eventually find even the worthiest jobs losing their meaning. But much like the exponentially growing greenhouse gasses fueled by the dairy industry (for instance), we can no longer deny that people are working too much; the intensity of our labour is tipping the planet very rapidly past the point of no return. How did this become “the only rational reality” and what can we do to opt out now? How do we make our lives our own again?

9. Is this Allowed?: Law and Disorder

In a Country that has recently fought for the freedoms of the majority of its people, a lot of our freedoms feel more cosmetic than meaningful. Constraints about safety and access are one thing, but constraints from the law are perhaps the most insidious and annoying. Laws are not made to consider individuals and their circumstances, but to offer blunt force interventions that leave most citizens dumb and bleeding. It’s difficult to be imaginative or creative when you’re preoccupied with mind numbing legalities; and so we focus on working within the narrow constraints of the law rather than considering the multitudes of ways to do things beyond what has been codified. In this session we discuss; how protected are we by the law? And what are the three human freedoms the law does not address? What can we do with Direct Action?

10. Let’s plan for real (Where we create some plan to gather and celebrate)

It’s all good to talk and dream, but at some point we have to practice manifestation of the realities we want. Now that the world is gently reopening, we can approach our social gatherings with more intention and care. We can rearrange our priorities so that nobody feels left behind or pushed out. We can design the way we spend more and more of our time; leaning towards authenticity and away from expectation. Away from exhaustion and towards healing. Breakfast, Bookclub, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, or Music Fridays?