In 2010 I went to an amazing live theatre production in the Co-operative department store in Brighton, a now empty and disused building built in 1931. You walked into the back entrance to the building where the lorry deliveries would be made, where you were asked to sit down with the rest of the slightly nervous ticket holders for the show. No one new what to expect, and we just sat awkwardly for what seemed like and age before we were allowed to enter the performance.
The very first room we went into was almost pitch black and very unnerving, then an old man appeared holding a lantern talking in a Russian accent, standing right in front of me, what was I supposed to do I looked around to see how other people were reacting but could barely make any body out? We were entering a surreal world inspired by Anton Checkov’s The Cherry Orchard (yep I’d never heard of it either), with lots of weird and wacky characters playing their roles in different rooms around the building surrounding.
My senses were completely alive with the brilliant sets and oddly behaved actors, sometimes directly enaging you and other times carrying on like you did not exist. Each time I approached a room I was buzzing with anticipation, looking forward to the visual and sound feast that was about to greet me. It was immersive and exciting. dreamthinkspeak are the production company that put together this experience.
I was thinking about the event weeks and weeks afterwards, and suddenly remembered it when I was looking for ways to introduce the theme of what I want I think the cooperative would be all about. Why can’t we have a learning cooperative made up of brilliant educators and creatives that build learning environments that quench our thirst for knowledge at the most basic and natural level.
Just imagine, together we build learning environments online and in the street that blow peoples minds with excitement, that ignite an interest in a particular subject, one that could possibly change their life forever. I know I’m getting a little bit excited now, but if we can tap into the child like curiosity we used to engage at will then who knows where it might lead people in their lives. Random exploration of places full of exciting content, rooms, doors and windows with real images and sounds, not virtual reality and not second life, just creative and interesting spaces to explore.
We should be the architects and builders for informal learning environments of the future.