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VALUE COLLECTIVE

Value Collective is a proposed institution for non-financial value creation currently in its prototyping stage. It aims to support people whose desired work is valuable, but not profitable. To facilitate these efforts, Value Collective proposes rent-free living and workspace for a rotating cohort of self-organized residents. Further support would be provided through documentation, organizational infrastructure, and networking opportunities. The broader goal of the initiative is to act as a living lab for alternative economic practices.

• Read the original 2020 article proposing the concept here.
  
• Learn more about the design process in this Office Hours recording (30:55 – 37:37) here.
  
• Discover how to get involved by scrolling down!!

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• Our entrance is on the corner of Pins and Parc. You should see an arch next to a parking lot. We suggest entering through the arch, because it’s fun to do ;)
  
• If you arrive by car, please do not park in the parking lot as we do not have permission to use it.
  
• The entrance is in the middle, beneath a stained glass window featuring the image of a nun.
• Ring the doorbell and allow some time for an answer.
• Sign in at the security desk and continue down the hall. Signs will be there to guide you to our room.

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An Economic Experiment

Prototyping new ways of living and working for the 21st century

It has been said that “It is easier to imagine the end of the world than the end of capitalism.” Could this be because we have forgotten how to value work that isn’t profitable? After all, many activities that promote joy, wellbeing and purpose don’t generate a penny. In a time when care and reciprocity are recognized as key components of social and environmental resilience, we must find ways to untangle valuable work from financial constraints and motivations.
    What is often forgotten in everyday conversations about the economy is that it does not necessarily have anything to do with money. Economies are systems of coordination, devised to meet our individual and collective needs and desires. Reducing our reliance on money has the potential to alleviate the pressures of continuously chasing income, at the expense of what makes us truly happy.

A Field of Possibilities

Making possible that which cannot be brought forth by current economic conditions

The unquestioned dominance of financial value in the modern economy has displaced all other forms of value and value-creation. We can think of it like a monoculture in what might otherwise be a diverse garden of meaning, desires, and ways of achieving them. The result is the continuous stifling of initiatives and projects that don’t generate profit, and the impoverishment of value in all its other forms: social value, cultural value, aesthetic value, personal value, emotional value, spiritual value, ecological value, and so on.
    Like replacing a concrete parking lot with a field of fertile soil, Value Collective aims to peel back the conditions that impose artificial constraints on what is considered “possible”, and rewild the public imagination by making space for people to work on what matters to them, regardless of what the market says.

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HAPPENING NOW!


Value Collective is organizing a week-long series of workshops and informal open house discussions at la Cité-des-Hospitalières, the former monastery located at the foot of Mount Royal. The intention is to invite a wider audience into the project, and kick off a new phase of iterative and collaborative development with friends and interested community members from around the city.

Agenda

Mon, Aug 30
Session 1: The things we do that money can’t buy

Unpacking value-driven activities: Away from the influence of money, what are people doing and why?

In this workshop, we ask the community to come in and share their answers to the following question: “What are some personal projects, unsalaried work or voluntary positions you’ve undertaken?”

Outcome: Map of value-driven activities

+++ Follow this link to register! +++

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Tues, Aug 31
Open House: All-Day Delicious Free Tea & Coffee! (1-7 pm)

An unstructured event for slower-paced, spontaneous interaction and contemplation. No registration is required!

Open mapping session: Speculative design for value-driven activities

Sponsored by Pourquoi Pas Espresso Bar.

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Weds, Sept 1
Session 2: Alter-economy, non-market work and cathedral thinking (5:30 - 7:30)

Unpacking alternative economy: What do we mean by alternative economic practice?

In this workshop, we will be constructing a collective understanding of alter-economic initiatives and practices.

Outcome: Map of Montreal’s alter-economy

+++ Follow this link to register! +++

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Thurs, Sept 2
Open House: All-Day Delicious Free Tea & Coffee! (1-7 pm)

Open mapping session: Speculative design for alter-economy

Sponsored by Pourquoi Pas Espresso Bar.

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Fri, Sept 3
Session 3: What comes next? An exercise in social dreaming (4:30 - 6:30)

Ideating on future possibilities: What might the future hold?

Closing off the week by collectively reflecting, exploring possible futures, and identifying next steps.

Outcome: New directions for Value Collective friends and collaborators

+++ Follow this link to register! +++

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For all inquiries, please contact:
Madelyn Capozzi
maddy dot capozzi at hotmail dot com