Collectivity is a form of shared responsibility and mutual support that allows you to experience varying forms of intelligence in others to realise an experience. I've initiated and joined several collectives and am continuously drawn to learn how to best approach methods of mutual aid and shared responsibility.
The XR Coven
Image by Clara Luzian
The XR Coven is a women, trans, and non-binary run collective of artists and engineers, which aims to use immersive technology as an exploration of the subconscious and intimate, to promote truth and dignity.
My involvement with the XR Coven was an initiator primarily handling our first project Corpus Misty by expanding our network to grow the collective to cover all skill sets and to pitch our project publicly to receive the support we required. Once we started receiving support I worked as a producer in handling financial and scheduling matters by grounding an LLC and acquiring funding from Oculus Medium, and Sundance. I've also worked as a spokesperson for the group on behalf of collaborations and funding opportunities with Arte, The MOMA, IDFA, SXSW, Kaleidoscope, Cannes, The UN Women's Fund, Google, Sundance Labs, Vice magazine, and the Brandenburger Film Fund. Much of my time in this collective was spent learning the inner workings of producing larger projects and keeping up presence in film, science, and immersive art related events and programs. I also learned the importance of collective decision making and listening which led me to work with the collective below to understand how best to actively listen.
Digi-Gxl
Digi-Gxl is a London-based now global collective built to create an open-source forum where members can curate information, tools and support.
My role in this collective is sharing and receiving support. I joined this collective to understand how to engage in a massive network and experience the complexities of collective ownership. This group was essentially an early DAO which requires mutual governance and expectations to function at scale. In this group I learned the importance of gaining clarity on a collective truth and how that could be modelled and modified collectively.
SoundCloud QueerClouders
The QueerClouders collective exists as a resource group within SoundCloud to create visibility and share resources internally, as well as to volunteer externally with LGBTQI and other intersectional initiatives.
My role in this collective was initiator along with my pal Clem Breslin. We initially started the project to share back resources we put together along with HR to help with general internal education, gay & trans health resources, and relocating partners. This collective met every month and we created a model of role distribution to share responsibilities. It also functioned as a mental, emotional, and physical health check. This wonderful group showed me how to lead collectively and challenged my initial call and response framework of how to build systems collectively.
The Hologram
The Hologram is a mythoreal viral distribution system for non-expert healthcare. The premise is simple: three people – the ‘Triangle’ – meet on a regular basis, digitally or in person, to focus on the physical, mental and social health of a fourth – the ‘Hologram’. The Hologram, in turn, teaches these listeners how to give and also receive care. - Cassie Thornton
Due to the nature of the work as a viral collective here in Berlin during the pandemic I initiated a hologram of four people to explore the workings of the model. I later attended collective meetings and workshops held by the creator Cassie Thornton to better understand the thinking behind the modules. I chose to work with the Hologram to remove myself from the more active production and financial aspects of collectivity to practice the more intentional listening role. The Hologram's use of varying forms of listening has been extremely useful in how I've come to understand facilitation models and my comfort levels with asking questions from an objective space.
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