The plan so far: Chapter Seventeen
STAGE DOOR [Click]
You're in a lift shaft. It's dark. Pitch black. But there's a voice —
"Sorry, I'm sweeping around you. It's a derelict building. I'm the Keyholder. The Architect knows more. He's elusive but he leaves his door open."
You can look at the plans in the office. >>
— And from there venture up to the roof garden where thinking happens. >>
<< But you should come back afterwards.
At the bottom of the lift shaft is a panel.
Four buttons.
You choose one and end up in what feels like an airport departure lounge. (It's unfinished. The Keyholder's mop and bucket is still there.)
This will be a place from which Chapter Seventeen virtual caminos set off.
This is a concept developed previously. Journaling for adventure. Communal experience in the everyday. Courses and experiences designed for deepening engagement with life, listening and paying attention, valuing every day.
You choose two and find yourself in a busy coffee house. You can wander through or follow the prompts:
— the waiter serves you coffee and pastries, and points you to the specials board, where you read the latest rumours of what's coming up.
— the bookshelves provide reading matter (from blog feeds organised in themes)
— the notice board offers membership, shortcut links, and information about upcoming workshops and events.
There's a table for one, as well as a bench seat. There will be an area where people can click for a chat, or turn up for a prearranged meeting with MIF (My Intuitive Friend - six text/email-based one-to-one creative conversations with The Author about a project or other topic; along the lines of coaching or spiritual direction, but without such claims or promises.)
The Coffee House becomes an information and administrative hub and meeting place. A socially narrated filing cabinet for membership, events and thinking, as well as a communal place for a one to one private conversation to be linked from, as arranged.
You choose three. The cellar bar is lit with neon signs in a comfortable dark evening venue. Immediately you see live conversation.
The chat is members only, but publicly viewable. They're talking about what's happening at Chapter Seventeen. What they've experienced. What they're looking forward to. What it gets them thinking about.
These are interesting people, and anyone can be part of this.
But that's only the tip of the iceberg…
There's a sign to the left, pointing to the << Theatre
<< THEATRE
You go left and enter the theatre foyer.
It's plush. Dark red velvet and gold fittings. There's seating, Candles. A monitor with a looping slideshow of different rooms related to the theatre, and above it a 'LIVE:' bar shows an electronic alert to the current experiences or performances. A full menu of current events is shown below the seating area.
A black sign with gold lettering is at the foot of the stairs to << 'The Empty Theatre'
You arrive outside the theatre first, and then follow down from the ceiling through the lighting and the empty spotlit atmosphere all the way down through specs of dust and gold to the dark wood boards of the stage.
Nothing.
Sometimes events happen here. Not yet.
<< THE GREEN ROOM
You arrive in a rehearsal room with soft green walls, a sprung floor, a big mirror, a tree in a pot, lights on the walls, and plenty of space.
Workshops and discussions happen here. Preparation for the stage, imagination playing out, without fear of mistakes. Taking notes, and giving notes.
There is an activity in progress. And a chat forum below to discuss it.
This will be a place where more dramaturgical workshops and conversations happen.
<< THE STORYTELLING ROOM
You arrive in a plush and welcoming space with a juke box and tables — clearly somewhere people can meet and listen and enjoy the atmosphere.
And in a corner, below, a roaring fire, with rugs and cushions on the floor and audio clips from stories in progress.
A place where other people's stories and excerpts can be shared and heard. Quiet. Focussed. Warm. A way of listening that engages life beyond our own.
<< THE LISTENING ROOM
You arrive in a sound-proofed room with individual chairs designed for comfortable listening. A screen loops relaxing visuals, and there's a choice of music tracks.
A place where other people's music can be shared and heard. Comfortable but serious listening, and letting the sound have its effect on the listener.
Back in the CELLAR BAR.
There are signs to the right, saying Cinema >> and Studios >>
CINEMA >>
You arrive in a cinema foyer. It's tastefully dark blue with a stand to the left to < SCREEN ONE and one to the right for SCREEN TWO >
A menu below tells what's coming up or currently playing in those screens. And within those rooms, we take our seat towards the back, as the lights go down, and then view the film.
A place for watching short films, experimental pieces, and past and current adverts of coming attractions within Chapter Seventeen.
There is a prominent spiral staircase in the centre going up toward the ↑ Courtyard and the Studios.
↑ COURTYARD
You arrive in a spacious paved place with a sign pointing to the Studios.
Visual breathing space, and an atmospheric sense of moving to another more detached part of the building complex.
<< STUDIOS
You find yourself in an artistic courtyard with three doors — on the ground floor are STUDIO ONE and STUDIO TWO and then upstairs is STUDIO THREE.
There is also a bench outside.
Artists and practitioners undertake residencies in Chapter Seventeen, based here. During the course of a 4 or 8 week residency, they contribute by giving their attention to one or more parts of the whole world, providing some art or expertise to the ongoing life; perhaps a short film, a visual, developing a workshop in collaboration with The Author. In addition, they may take a guest role in any active conference or workshop that may be happening, and/or have an encounter (conversation or respond to a question or offer a prompt) for residents staying at the Treehouse or Forest Lodge.
Exit
You choose to exit the building via the fourth button, and you arrive on the side street.
Immediately, there's a building called << THE BROKEN SHOP
<< THE BROKEN SHOP
Arriving inside, you see shelves of antiquities and an old counter with a vintage cash register. There is also a link to the < DISPLAY.
The display shows shelves of objects, each having a story behind them. Real objects that have played a role in real people's lives. Perhaps broken. Perhaps found. Think - Bagpuss (Oliver Postgate). Objects that were discarded or mislaid or carried suffering, gathered into a place of listening and sharing and attention that brings about transformation. They end up in the shop window.
*** EXPERIENCE: a regular Broken Shop event will take place.
*** BEYOND THE SCREEN: satellite real world events will take place, perhaps in libraries, book shops, homes, churches.
Back on the side street there's a signpost pointing to >> Keep walking. or >>> FOREST.
(>> Keep walking currently leads to a mysterious find, of an object that someone in Chapter Seventeen is looking for.)
THE FOREST
You arrive in a forest clearing. To the right is a WINDING STREAM >> that you can follow, or you can go << THROUGH THE GATE
WINDING STREAM >>
This takes you
first to a Campfire >>
*** EXPERIENCE: Seasonal Zooms for members to meet.
*** BEYOND THE SCREEN: Occasional Campfires in real world locations.
And then
to a Village Fayre of stalls >>
You see stalls on a village green, with bunting and trees in tubs and benches. The stalls each have a name and an image that links the Chapter Seventeen visitor to a Chapter Seventeen page in an affiliate's website that links back to the Village Fayre, so that visitors can wander through an extended experience of friends' and collaborators' sites.
*** BEYOND THE SCREEN: There will be real world twinned locations represented — coffee shops and other venues that Chapter Seventeen members might visit and find other members, familiar faces, and relevant themes.
Back in the FOREST CLEARING.
You go through the <<GATE.
You can visit << The Treehouse or continue the Forest Path >>
You discover the cosy interior of the treehouse, and learn whether it is currently | VACANT or |OCCUPIED.
You learn that you may book a two week stay as a solo resident, which allows engagement with The Author, and with any resident artists/practitioners, and possibly with any overlapping Forest Lodge residents.
Following the path you arrive at << The Forest Lodge or continue the path >>
<< The Forest Lodge
You arrive outside a spacious and contemporary lodge where you learn that up to 7 people can experience a shared residency. They may arrive individually, or with friends, and share the space with any already there, for stays of one month.
During their stay they may engage with certain activities and opportunities on the site, get to know their other forest lodge residents, and together they may choose to reach out or respond to any Treehouse Resident who might like company.
They have their own chat, not accessible to the public, as well as a post box to the author for private comments and notes. They may also engage with any resident artist or practitioner who may offer prompts for thought, engage with questions, or offer encounter or engagement in other ways, such as trialling a workshop idea.
Following the path again, you arrive at the << Author's Quarters
<< The Author's Quarters
You find a desk in the forest with a wooden chair. A typewriter has a piece of paper in it. There's also an armchair to the side with a comfortable throw.
Below you see the latest typewritten posts 'From the desk' of the author's notes about Chapter Seventeen.
Following the path again, you arrive at << The Conference & Retreat
This centre in the woods provides space for around 36 delegates to spend asynchronous time in conversation and collaboration, as well as creativity. Some live sessions are zoom. There are six < breakout rooms, and one main < social area, as well as < workshop spaces where dedicated groups or public workshops can take place.
Interdisciplinary conferences will take place — philosophy, arts, theology, psychology, language, technology, cultural etc — where everyday people without specific areas of expertise will also be drawn in. 'Expert humans' (!).
From these conferences further development of Chapter Seventeen areas can be discussed, with collaborative events, festivals and workshops organised.
The Author will continue to host, although other team members will be sought.
Roles:
Visitor→ explores the public world
Member→ Coffee House / Cellar Bar / member conversations / seasonal Campfires / bookings and other roles and experiences
Resident→ Treehouse or Forest Lodge→ deeper access→ resident-only conversations→ benches / encounters→ resident artists
Conference participant→ Conference & Retreat→ breakout rooms→ social area→ workshops→ collaborative encounters
Artist/practitioner→ Studios→ contributes something to the world→ encounters residents / conference participants
Real-world collaborator→ Broken Shop / Forest / Village Fayre / twinned location→ something that crosses the screen into an actual place
Ps.
ha, sorry I was miles away, thinking aloud there…
Let me turn to you instead.
If you're new around here, you might like to fall down this gentle rabbit hole >>> WHOOSH...!
And if you're not, and you're up for more thinking aloud,
compare notes with me here >>> LET ME HAVE A LOOK…?
