How can New/Alternative Narratives Transform Reality? AGORA

Narratopias’ “Agora” is the place for discussing, confronting, connecting, and continuing transformative narratives, testing new forms of collective dialog or projection.

The initial “Agora” cycle will take the form of four meetings between May and July, 2021. Its goal is to explore the reasons why new or alternative narratives are felt to be necessary, and the conditions under which they can actually make meaningful change more possible.

Why do we need to talk about new narratives?

Each session will discuss narratives under the multiple and complexe ways to look at one. Two participants are in charge of kickstarting the discussion and a written synthesis will be produced after each meeting, to serve as a foundation for future actions and projects.

______

When people call for “new/alternative narratives”, there is an assumption that these narratives have the power to make meaningful change more possible. Yet narratives can also be viewed as a way to escape reality, to avoid concrete action, or even to “spin” current reality in order to make it more palatable. Also, narratives seldom provide a clear, unambiguous path towards concrete action. So, what do alternative narratives have to do with action? Are there conditions under which narratives can make change easier, or harder?

Initiators :

- Nonhuman Nonsense is a research-driven design and art studio creating near-future fabulations and experiments somewhere between utopia and dystopia. They seek to transmute our relationship to the non-human, by embracing the contradictory and the paradoxical – telling stories that open the public imaginary to futures that currently seem impossible. Nonhuman Nonsense work in the embryonic stages of system transformation, in the realm of social dreaming and world-making processes, aiming to redirect focus to the underlying ethical and political issues. Founded by Leo Fidjeland and Linnea Våglund, it is based between Berlin and Stockholm.

- Nadia E.N, Cofounder Edgeryders & the Scifi Economics lab, an Engineer and designer with roots in Africa, Asia and Europe. She specialises in building platforms for citizen engagement and distributed collaboration. Nadia is leading development of the Science Fiction Economics Lab which nurtures and supports new, radical ways to think about the economy and economic policy.

Don't hesitate to note the event in your agenda - See you soon!