Time Zone Research Lab FAQ

What is the Time Zone Research Lab?

It’s a community research lab that uses art-based practices to investigate the nature of Time and Temporality. It will take place in-person in Montreal and online anywhere in the universe.



When does it start?

Nov 27, 2019 - for 100 Wednesdays, from sunrise to sunset. You can come and go as you like.



What is the purpose of this project?

1. To befriend Time as a being in its own right, to understand its entrapment in late capitalism. To imagine and practice the liberation of Time. To find and enjoy new ways of relating to Time.

2. To study together and generate knowledge in an environment of creativity and kindness that brings us all abundance and a sense of hope.

3. To generate 100 arts-based activities that investigate various aspects of the nature of Time and Temporality.



How do I sign up?

Just click here and fill in the form. Everyone is welcome! If you have trouble with the form, email timezoneresearchlab@gmail.com.



How much does this cost and how do I pay?

$0.23 CAD per session to be paid in a lump sum for 100 online sessions, a total of $23 CAD. Additional $1 per in-person session.

WHAT?? THAT SEEMS VERY LOW
Yes. Well, there’s more. AFTER each session you decide how much it was worth to you. If it was worth more than you paid, then you must either a) send the difference in cash to the Time Zone Research Lab or b) PAY FORWARD the difference in your community before your return for another session.

For example, if you paid $0.23 for a session, but you received $10 in value you must find a way to make a $9.77 contribution to your “home” community. That can be anything you want (you could volunteer somewhere, help someone in need, share a poem with a friend, make someone dinner, chat with a stranger, knit someone a scarf, really ANYTHING that you feel has that value). You DO NOT tell us what you did, only report that it is done. Or, you send the difference in cash to the Lab. All money received will be deposited in THE OCTOPUS and not seen or counted until the end of the 100 sessions. At the end we will smash the octopus (!) and the experiment will be over. (Nadia will keep that money in return for hosting the Lab and paying for its various costs.)

WHAT’S THIS ABOUT? I’VE NEVER DONE ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE
Imagine that inside the dark womb of the octopus is the vibrating soup of possibility in which we are co-creating! Really though. Or, imagine that by destablizing the HOW MUCH something is worth, and focussing on aligning with the FLOW or MOVEMENT of its worth we might create a different kind of exchange. One that is alive and abundant.

FINE, BUT HOW DO I PAY?
Paypal, etransfer, personal cheque, or cash. I’ll send you the details when you sign up.

WHAT IF I CAN’T PAY THE BASE FEE?
If you cannot pay you can pay in kind by interviewing a drummer in your community about the nature of time, timing and rhythm. You can submit a 500-1000 word report or an audio recording of the interview. You can do this as often as you like.

IS THE OCTOPUS REAL?
As real as anything else.



What will I get if I participate?

1) lots of new ideas and insights about the nature of Time and Temporality 2) 100 newly designed arts activities in all different genres and art forms 3) a community of amazing people to practice the activities, to learn about time, to share food and conversation 4) an experience of a fresh way to do higher education 5) insight into how to design activities for community research and fun 6) a weekly reading, an audio recording of the reading, a short podcast, access to the entire collection of 100 research activities and the archive of results from around the world 7) a weekly session full of art, laughter and learning 8) the possiblity of limitless abundance and joy



What topics will we cover?

These are our topics to begin. They will appear and reappear and overlap and tangle up in the readings and the art that we make together. Other topics are likely to emerge:

-duration

-metabolism

-chronotype, telomeres, morning larks and night owls

-topology

-apparatus

-morphic resonance/ memory/ history/ archive

-birth and death

-relativity/now

-quantum/ simultaneity/ particle-wave/ possibility

-reversal/ the arrow of time/ entropy

-time travel

-epigenetics/ plasticity

-incarceration/ capitalism/ oppression

-futurity/ utopias

-escalation/ insight/ intuition/ conflict/ momentum

-regeneration/ cyclicality

-rhythm



Is there anything else I might like to know?

IS THIS PROJECT FUNDED?
No. If, however, you would like to make a contribution or write a grant on behalf of the Time Zone that would be wonderful. That money would also go directly into the Octopus.
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE KNOWLEDGE WE PRODUCE?
It will be held under a creative commons license. When I have more details I’ll post them here.
WHAT BACKGROUND DO I NEED?
None. You do not need any kind of academic or artistic background to participate. All educations, genders, ages, races, ethnicities, languages, abilities, etc., are welcome. We will have guidelines and practices to work towards balancing voice and power.
WHAT LEVEL OF COMMITTMENT IS REQUIRED?
You are free to come and go as you like any time. You can attend one session or all the sessions.
WHO IS THE TEACHER?
I will be the host and facilitator. The main teachers are a 100 year old sourdough bacterial culture that will be passed to us by the poet Deann Nardo, and Epok the Usher (our octopus)
WHO DID THIS FABULOUS GRAPHIC DESIGN?
Yarijey. He is amazing to work with.
WHERE DID THE OCTOPUS COME FROM?
The Octopus is a commission for the Time Zone Research Lab by the incredible ceramicist and sculptor Wai Yant Li.



What happens during a session?

WHAT HAPPENS DURING THE IN-PERSON SESSIONS?
The schedule for the in person sessions is below. You can come and go at any time. The timings are usually on Montreal time. You will be notified if we change location.

Sunrise: begin rising the sourdough bread

Sunrise to 9am: meditation and movement practice based on a quote, song or poem

9am-noon: read and discuss a short text about Time and Temporality

Noon-3pm design an arts based activity to uncover, investigate and digest the text

3-sunset play the activity!

Sunset: eat the bread and the stew we’ve been slow-cooking all day and discuss our findings, as well as the value we felt we received from the day. After Dark Jelly Session: make music about the session!

WHAT HAPPENS DURING THE ONLINE SESSIONS?
On Monday you will receive a short(ish) text and an audio recording of that text for the week ahead as well as a twenty minute podcast that discusses the findings and questions from the week before. These podcasts are designed to keep everyone up to date since we assume very few people will be at all 100 sessions!

On Wednesday you are welcome to join us (on zoom) to read and discuss that text at 9:00am Montreal time (unless otherwise indicated), then to co-design the arts activity with us from noon until 3pm. At 3pm the activity instructions will be sent out to all online participants. You will then have from Wednesday to Sunday to try the activity and send back your results. At sunset on Wednesday Montreal time you are welcome to tune in for the dinner and closing discussion.

I’m hoping that satellite groups will form in different locations that can play the activities and read together in person. If there are, I’m happy to coach and debrief those facilitators whenever they need.



What if I feel overwhelmed or don't have Time for all of this?

You can enter the project any way that you like. There is NO minimum participation. We LOVE witness mode. We love it when you come and go. The podcast will keep you up to date. You do NOT need to understand what you read in order to participate. You do not need to read to make the art. You can come to the readings and leave before the art. If you find the readings or the strcture too complex just let it wash over you. This is an EXPERIMENT, not a class or a course. If you want to talk about feeling overwhelmed or like your'e falling behind, reach out. We'll listen and tell you that you are perfect exactly as you are. Just let yourself off the hook and enjoy the ride!