Notes from the Lab

Notes from the Lab is the title I just began this writing with. In the late 90's my friend Mo Ling currated a show that reflected the artistic lives of people in Vancouver's underground dance culture with them role playing themselves and what they love to do for a final show at Sonar club in Gastown. The late 90's was rife with such collaborations including a one off by the Beautiful Fucked Up People collection or BFUP. I would say this lives on with performing collectives I've seen like Dusty Flower Pot Caberet still active in the Vancouver area and through Burning Man and Earthdance Networks and of course Evolver Networks now spreading rapidly in all directions.

Why I bring this up is because these efforts which will resonate with many Evolvers I'm sure is the joy I've experienced sharing in such collaborations which involved professionals as well as people seeking to develop professions in art fields. The field of art is in some ways to me a prized field to be in where some of your freedom in life is given room for expression. That these collaborations were mostly freely given by all involved is something that represents the gift culture mentality, and a spirit in the midst of the people that is healthy.

When I think of how many people live in very shallow shores of the ocean of intimacy due to the dimensions of life being held only by work & school with diminished time and energy left for cultivating human relationships I see that any time spent together in conscious ways to be precious moments of being alive fully. This explains the strong magnetic pull of Burning Man and festival culture which is where these small collaborations have been mushrooming. Amidst it all are clever partnerships amongst guilds of artisans, entrepreneurs and music dj's, producers, and promoters.

Having recently visited a restored tribe called the Yawanawa in Brazil's Amazon I see that in order to preserve a village consciousness there demands great effort. It means going past many resistances to reach a shared goal that is important to all.
To keep a language takes a collective responsibility to speak it, to keep it alive in multiple realms of discipline and to sing it loudly both day and night together with all ages. I saw that the help of forest medicines to build the strength to do this was a majorly precious gift that they said was at the heart of their spirituality. It makes me envious sometimes. Even though there are ayahausca ceremonies being accessed worldwide now as it spreads in popularity, there are few tribal experiences of the ceremonies that involve existing community networks. This must change. At Burning Man 2011 Rites of Passage this must be done powerfully with deep reverence, humility and creativity like never before. The benefits of the random forms of ceremonies out there are very beneficial I would estimate but the waiting opportunity for a tribe of North Americans, Europeans connected with the indigenous cultures, the Asian cultures would eventually be a way of transforming the politics, the economics, the sacred practices of the world family.

As someone who often calls people together to gather I do so sparingly, as a single low turn out is a deep wound. It shows that the community force is not very unified and that the link to the higher intelligence agency will be diminished. Therefore individual rituals will also be weakened. I take this inspiration from the Dagara indigenous magic intelligence influenced by the work of Malidoma Some. I know that building community takes more time than I've seen many give it when it's managing to go deep. I see a lot of community sustained by sex appeal, attraction to elitist decadence, and agree to secret societies needs as means of protection from bad spirits. On the most accessible end of the spectrum is the Intention retreats which begin and end each year. I'll leave off with the invitation for this years retreat. Info at

http://www.tribalharmonix.org/events/intention12/

Intention Invitation

What began as a gathering for unity amidst the uncertainty of an impending Y2K global systems collapse has unfolded into a decade of yearly winter retreats to renew ourselves and our community spirit as we enter each new year. Intention is an opportunity to practice the universal spiritual art of community, deepen our ability to cooperate, clear our emotional debts, and harness the gifts we each bring for whatever challenges or opportunities we will encounter in the still-uncertain times ahead.
Intention is a five-day, four-night event where participants of all ages give and receive workshops, perform, dance, play together, share meals and have fun. We huddle together in the darkness of deep winter spinning stories into a warm glow of laughter. Intention is a time and space for being ourselves, healing, dynamic community-building, community ritual, and an awesome New Year's party to lovingly let go of the year past and embrace a new turn around the sun.
Intention is participant-driven - it allows maximum room for sharing our personal gifts or learning new skills. It is an opportunity to work together with old friends and new faces to create a safe container for a rich exploration of music, art, self-expression and creativity. Everyone is encouraged to find their own way to connect into the organizing flow and become involved in the production.

Also in this blog is a clip from the Evolver Vancouver Spore on the Rise of Visionary Culture with my friend and true Evolver Jen Maksymetz based in London currently. She shares her reflections on this topic as a previous producer of the Portal Stage at Shambhala Festival and producer of artistic and visionary events in Vancouver BC.