regen·era is a fictional world created by the Design Science Studio to bring forward the memes and ideas of the Regenaissance in a playful, visual and interactive way, to amplify the chances of these ideas to spread out and become part of the popular culture.
We are launching regen·era as a virtual world, but it might take other forms throughout the decade, since it’s more an idea than it is a physical or virtual space.
What we love about the idea of the floating city is that it really can fit anything. A discussion that occurs between a regenerative philosopher and a designer about new governance systems could happen in one of the cafes of regen·era. The blueprints and operating manuals to create permaculture settlements could live inside regen·era’s library. It’s a place for ideas, dialogues, intentional design, collaboration, ideation. It exists because of each one of its parts and will exist for as long as there are contributions to it.
That’s why your role is so important.
Understanding
what
regen·era is
The simple fact that you are here, counts. But, oh dear, in so many other ways too!
regen·era is home to the over 300 multidisciplinary artists members of the Design Science Studio; an educational incubator for artists designing a regenerative future that works for all of LIFE.
Most of the art and projects that you will find in regen·era have been created by (r)Evolutionaries of the Design Science Studio, but the city of regen·era is an open home to all. Anyone can create a project that lives within the story-universe of the city and connects to its meta-narrative.
If you have a project, idea, or art work that you think fits within the city, write to us! And even if you don’t, you can do something incredibly powerful and simple: become a citizen of regen·era!
My role?
How can I
participate?
Futurecasting is the process of making predictions of the future based on past and present data and most commonly by analysis of trends.
Backcasting is a planning method that starts with defining a desirable future and then works backwards to identify policies and programs that will connect that specified future to the present.
While forecasting involves predicting the future based on current trend analysis, backcasting approaches the challenge of discussing the future from the opposite direction; it is a method in which the future desired conditions are envisioned and steps are then defined to attain those conditions, rather than taking steps that are merely a continuation of present methods extrapolated into the future.
We believe in designing futures that we aspire to, to then backcast from them the necessary steps to achieve them.
Introducing some of these concepts in your reality today through the use of fictional frameworks allows us to “incept” ideas in a way that seem doable. Then we use history-telling to frame your reality or your near term future, telling the story from the future, like it had already happened.
We ask you to live the present told from your future, asking you to put one step in front of the other in small steps, and then to turn around only to realize that you are deep in the circle.
At some point, the backcasted future and the projected present collide and merge. That’s where the magic happens.
Futurecasting,
backcasting
and
history-telling
Our Councils form across many alliances, interdependencies, shared interests, curiosities, and weave the citizens of regenera together in a vast web of interbeing. Here are a few of our Councils to gather a sense of place.
The Council of Story
a space for storytellers, futurists, artists, shamans and poets; the guardians of imagination, possibility, and wonder.
The BEAMers
The Backcasting Evolutionary Alliance Mediums are the council of confluence where the past, present and future merge in the eternal now. BEAM(ing) regenera nurtures the storyseeds of a multitude of heARTfelt perspectives conjured by the (r)Evolutionaries of the Design Science Studio channeling the Regenaissance and our shared #senseof being sphere.
Natura Mystics
A space for healers, shamans, nurturers, poets, and empaths to explore our shared connection to Nature, honoring the wellness we receive from our direct connection to our natural ecosystems.
Agoraphiles
This is a space for the (r)Evolutionary noosphere. A place for deep conversations about art, philosophy, anticipatory design science, synergetics and other things. This is a space that remembers and honors the work that schools like the Bauhaus did, and the tremendous impact they had in society at all levels.
Bucky’s Lab
The incubator and maker’s space of regen·era. Here you’ll find all kinds of incredible projects aligned with Buckminster Fuller's ideas and principles, as well as the most varied group of system thinkers, synergists and all around smart nerds. Please don’t look, touch. Ask questions. This is a lab for imagining the future.
The Regenaissance Cabaret
A place for magic and entertainment. All kinds of performers have gone through its doors and performed in one of its thousand rooms. The Cabaret is like a labyrinth, full of secret corners and passageways. One never enters and comes out from the same door. It’s a journey to discover the immersive art of the Regenaissance. Life is a Cabaret.
The Vision Train
All aboard! The Vision Train cruises through the Art District and is home to the artists, artisans, makers, musicians, and creatives of regen·era.
The Builders Collective
A gathering of people who are investing their collective time, energy, and resources in the challenge of reimagining our social architecture; “we are exploring how we imagine, design, and build the future together.”
How
regen·era works
COuncils
What is
regen·era
rising?
regen·era Rising is global confluence for creators of regenerative futures, celebrated every Spring to commemorate the arrival of regen·era to Earth to show us what was possible.
The arrival of the city is celebrated with a week-long virtual summit full of immersive experiences, celebrations, talks, workshops, art and surprises - each showcasing the important, powerful and collaborative ways design, science, and story collide within the shared environments of Zoom, New Art City and Topia.
Join the (r)Evolution in a cultural exploration at the intersection of art and science, harnessing the potential to shift and propel the next hundred years of our evolutionary process.
“The clutch is in, will we shift up or down?
It's Utopia or Oblivion.”
- R. Buckminster Fuller
From weaponry to livingry.
From extraction to regeneration.
From me to we.
You can attend the festival MAY 10-16
VIRTUAL SUMMIT: MAY 10-16
IN-PERSON: MAY 14-16
SAN FRANCISCO | Gray Area Grand Theater
TICKETS: bit.ly/regenerarising
And what happens after?
regen·era will be online throughout the entire decade, although it might take different forms. It will always be an online platform of some sorts, although it might move from Topia and the web to more advanced ways to interact with it in the future. It might also expand to physical locations, video games, movies, etc.
Every year, we will celebrate the annual celebration of the day regen·era appeared from the clouds. It’ll be a global celebration in which we will have talks, art exhibitions, performances and in which the projects of each of the 144 (r)Evolutionaries of that year’s cohort will also launch their projects into the world. Eventually, these celebrations will move to the physical world in the shape of giant art fairs, like the world expos but with a focus on the regeneration of the planet.
regen·era is home to all kinds of projects that are changing the planet and imagining what is possible in a world that works for 100% of life.
In its lively streets you will find all kinds of art forms and narratives to express and share this moment of transformation.
144 artists go through our cohort every year learning themes like Traditional Ecological Knowledge, World Building and geoscope, regenerative practices, backcasting, design science, systems thinking and a long etcetera. Every year we select the best of the best in regenerative projects and narratives and we give them tools and platforms to be expressed in its broadest shape.
For a complete list of projects that you can group by year, theme and other categories, go to the Design Science Studio website.
If you prefer to explore them virtually in a more immersive environment, then join the topia world and explore away :)
What kind
of projects
can I find in
regen·era?
The Design Science Studio is a project of Creative studio habRitual, in partnership with the Buckminster Fuller Institute. Together they launched a 10-year (r)Evolutionary proposal to create a cultural shift and move society towards planetary regeneration.
A developmental incubator for ART inspiring a regenerative future that works for 100% of life, the Studio supports art that empowers global creators to imagine a regenerative future.
About habRitual
HabRitual is an experiential production, interdisciplinary design and immersive art studio based in Emeryville, CA working globally at the intersection of art, technology and nature to catalyze social and systemic change. The studio is committed to integrating nature’s regenerative system design to inform and inspire holistic collaboration and design for all life to thrive, not just humans. At its core, the studio aims to support and playfully spark collective creative potential to design platforms, programs and experiences that reach, educate and inspire diverse groups of people.
About Buckminster Fuller Institute
BFI has been a leader in catalyzing design science for over 38 years. BFI has a rich history of producing a number of leading-edge educational experiences across the media spectrum. For 30 years, BFI has served the international network of Fuller-inspired innovators through the maintenance of a comprehensive Information Clearinghouse on R.B Fuller, including a detailed inventory of the practices and principles informing Fuller's approach to design innovation; articles featuring contemporary applications of Fuller's approach published in BFI's website, monthly email newsletter, and on-line books; audio and video archives; and Dymaxion Artifacts, BFI's online store featuring educational tools.
Who is behind
the Design
Science
Studio?
Most def! =)
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HabRitual and the Buckminster Fuller Institute decided to launch an INCUBATOR to mentor, scaffold and fund artists to help create a cultural shift towards a world that works for 100% of life.
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As part of their strategy, they created a story-universe that aims to encapsulate many of the recurring and emerging themes around the current zeitgeist, more planet conscious and connected.
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That story-universe has its representation in regen·era, a virtual world that summarizes the ethos of the cultural movement so called The Regenaissance.
In order to celebrate the launch of this movement and of the 144 projects incubated by the Design Science Studio, a festival has been created, which will feature dozens of talks and experiences. The name of the festival is regen·era rising and it will happen from May 10-16.
Can you
repeat
everything
you said?
Become a
Citizen of
regen·era?!
Don't worry, our citizenship process is fun and all it takes is your imagination.
You can use this training guide to get your regen·era citizenship process started! After you become a citizen, your imagination is the only limit. We encourage you to create your character: think about how you dress, talk and what gifts do you bring to the city. Are you the steward of the famous futurists cafe where all (r)Evolutionaries meet, or maybe you are the organic pastry chef of the little bakery? Get creative, we need all polymaths, makers and regenerators on board :)
But first, let’s start with the basics....
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You can Volunteer
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You can Apply to the next cohort
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You can attend the festival and Buy tickets
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And you can Donate to support our operations and the existence of the Studio or visit our Store
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Oh! Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram to get updates and pARTicipate in our experiences
How can I help
build this
vision?
Now that you’ve completed the
training guide, take this badge
with you. You earned it!
And go to the LaunchPad to get into the city or explore the different projects and the schedule for the festival.
How
regen·era
Works
Here in the city of regen·era, our society functions more closely to what you may know as an ecosystem. Each citizen of regen·era plays a unique role and interdependently contributes to the vitality, regeneration, and well being of our thriving living system.
We call these roles ‘Archetypes’ and the groups of like-hearted individuals, ‘Councils.’ Many of our citizens fluidly move between several archetypes and share joint membership in several Councils. Here’s a brief tour through the Archetypes and Councils of regen·era.
Archetypes
The Eleprocon
Eleprocon kin archetypes are sciencemythic spiritual beings. They know the secret lies within the rainbow… that it’s not about a pot of gold at the end of it, but natures genius in encouraging our ability to refract and reflect.
The Poet
The archetype of the poet is embodied by those who can read the rhythm of nature. It’s the gentle touch of the skin. The patterns of leaves. The roar of the wave. Poets have enhanced sensitivity and they are possessed by words.
The Explorer
The archetype of the explorer is that of endless curiosity and hunger for exploring the roads less traveled. For living new experiences. For discovering new worlds.
The Doer
The doer is the engineer. The builder. The one who finds the biggest joy in making things happen, against all odds. It’s a very pragmatic archetype.
The Guardian
Those who protect the sacred, the silent, the quiet, the soft, the gentle, the vulnerable, the tender
The Scientist
An extremely logical archetype. The embodiment of it is the rational mind. The mathematically driven perception. It’s the humble submission to nature.
The Shaman
The shaman is not merely a sick man, or a madman; he is a sick man who has healed himself. The connection between the spiritual world and the physical world.
The Philosopher
The archetype of the philosopher is that of balance and meaningful thoughts. Philosophers are those who see beyond and can put in words the human experience, or at least part of it.
The Futurist
The future is always first an idea. Embodying the Futurist archetype means transforming oneself into a forecaster. Into a seer and creator of possible futures.
The heARTist
The archetype of the heartist is one who has understood that nature’s nature is that of creation. That everything is in a constant state of evolution and disruption, of contraction and expansion, of life and death, and that art is the cohesive glue that keeps us together.
The Trickster
The trickster crosses and often breaks both physical and societal rules. Tricksters "...violate principles of social and natural order, playfully disrupting normal life and then re-establishing it on a new basis
The Storyteller
“The world is made out of words. If you know the words the world is made out of, you can make of it whatever you wish…” (TC). This archetype is the most extensively embodied since we are made of stars and stories. It is, at its core, what defines us as human beings.
The Nurturer
Disregarded for so long, in the new era of the Regenaissance, the nurturer is one of the most valued archetypes. It’s the embodiment of service, of being devoted to others and their wellbeing.
The Artisan
Similar to The Doer, the artisan is less moved by selfish motives, since what they create is done exclusively for others and their enjoyment. Scrupulous in their ways, they share a lot of characteristics with the artists.
The Empath
In a world where feelings are not something to hide or run away from, the role of the empath becomes very important. Hypersensitive beings capable of feeling every emotion of the other, this archetype helps others figure out their fears, their tribulations, the range of emotions they are feeling at a precise moment.
The Weaver
Those who steer and promote Communitas, one of the most fundamental values in regenera. The cross pollinators, the weavers, the connectors. The guardians of everything that is sacred about community.
The Teacher
Here in regenera, we are born to learn, but also to share that knowledge. Everyone is a teacher and a student.
The Healer
This is the role of the doctor, but also of the psychologist, of the masseuse, of the singer. The healer is one who heals, regardless of its tools.
The Outcast
All of those individuals who didn’t want to adapt, who refused the new codes, who didn’t abide by the new ideas, were named outcasts. They lived outside of society, out of community, usually attached to the rules of the old world. Their choice was respected and whenever they wanted to become part of society, they were accepted with honors and celebrations, with a powerful initiation ceremony.
It’s simple! You just need to answer a few questions in our CITIZENSHIP FORM.
If you have completed the form, now it’s time to pick up your certificate of citizenship and your training badge. Go ahead, you earned it.
What’s next?
It’s time to explore!
regen·era is, for now, a virtual world built in Topia and New Art City, immersive spatial web platforms that can be accessed from your web browser. It’s better experienced than explained, so if you are impatient, you can go directly to the launchpad and explore it.
Once you get there, you’ll find yourself in a world that you can walk around. There, Ava and Gloria will show you how to operate within the world. From the hexagonal deck you’ll have access to the 5 worlds/spaces that compose regen·era for now. As the city expands, more neighborhoods and spaces will be created in it.
What you need
to become a
citizen of regen·era