The goal of this startup phase is to establish a framework that allows us the time to collectively share our experiences and computational approaches, break down silos, organize the communal pooling of our knowledge, and identify challenges to be addressed both within our organizations and in their cultural outreach to audiences and society at large. The ultimate aim is to sketch the outlines of future research and work methodologies, define our desired outcomes and engage partners in a role playing game as in “what role do you play in our choice of technology?”.

Initially, we will form a Discord community utilizing Fabbula's technical infrastructure and assign roles to each participant. We will also hold several online meetings to discuss, debate, and exchange ideas on the various facets of permacomputation and its application in the arts and culture sector. These meetings will strengthen the bonds among project stakeholders and foster a group dynamic conducive to collaboration and innovation, besides aiding in identifying initial problem areas. Subsequently, we will create an initial repository of thoughts through micro-publications on an open website and a library of reference materials and useful resources.

Following the initial exchanges, we will organize a two-day design fiction workshop in Paris imbued with Live Action Role Play principles to help participants envision the future of their relationship with technology. The workshop will be co-run and designed by Fabbula, the members of the Permacomputing Wiki and a game designer yet to be recruited depending on the first conversations.

After this stage we will litteraly share a common ground, research axis, methodologies and ambitions on the shape of our outcomes, wether it is for exemple a publication, a collective artwork commission, a symposium, a traveling exhibition, or an educational program.

In any case, we have two principles :

• The research must include diverse (age, ethnicities, neurodiverse, …) non-institutional participants in the process
• Part of the outcomes will be expressed through a playful real-time media art piece which will be playtested by non-institutional participants.

What does the follow-up phase look like in broad terms?

Fabbula will distill the essence of our workshop into a coherent research agenda. We will be tweaking our IT setup to mesh seamlessly with the innovative methodologies our participants dream up, all while scouting for grants and partnerships to fuel the next step of our adventure.

We will the launch an open call to enlist real-time media artists working with video game media to join our research initiative. The goal is to transform a segment of our findings into an interactive piece that communicates our outcomes engagingly and playfully. As for bringing these visions to life, we're in it every step of the way, ensuring that from production to publication, our outcomes resonate far and wide, striking a chord with audiences who are ready for something new.

How does the project contribute to diversity and inclusion within the field?

The selection of organizations with which we collaborate is determined by their own work ethic regarding diversity and inclusion policies, which we recognize as central to their practices.

Permacomputing is an approach drawn from activist, queer, feminist, and anti-racist circles, aligning with the entirety of Fabbula's curatorial activities. However, we are aware that technological subjects are dominated by white male communities despite the ideals they may espouse. Therefore, mirroring practices like those of the permacomputing wiki community in its editor selection, we engage in positive discrimination among our partners to ensure a diversity of perspectives. This approach serves as a vital source of varied insights for our research.