The Oracy Lab An experimental space for exploring the power and possibilities of conversations

Powerful conversations in the age of the Metaverse

For many centuries, conversation has been an important instrument for societal innovation.

English Coffeehouses, Paris Salons, and Viennese Circles brought people to congenial physical spaces to think together about how the world works, and why, and how it could work better. Diverse useful ideas and the seeds of innovation were sown there.

There was a drawback, of course. Participants had to be physically present in London, Paris, or Vienna.

In our digital age, conversations take place regularly online, with participants from all over the world.

But not every conversation is the same. Not every online encounter generates positive energy, feeds poetic imagination, and supports deep, reflective, and powerful thinking.

The ORACY LAB is an exploration of how we can re-frame the work done by English Coffeehouses, Paris Salons, and Viennese Circles, so people can continue these kinds of generative co-creative conversations in the age of the Metaverse.

Tools for Navigating the Future

We believe that new competencies and new mindsets are needed. Some of these can be found in the ideas behind oracy. From our perspective, it also involves (to use a few somewhat over-used labels) new protocols, different disciplines, other ways of perceiving and interacting, and the kinds of tools and technologies that support this.

Oracy is to speaking and listening, and numeracy is to mathematics or literacy to reading and writing. It is being used in diverse programs through primary education in the UK. The George Lucas Educational Foundation EDUTOPIA calls Oracy “the literacy of the spoken word.”

We believe it is more. We see it as an essential tool for navigating the future. Relevant to people of all ages and all cultures.

How can people learn to navigate the future in our current era, one increasingly characterized by:

• Orality – the importance of the spoken word
• Visuality – the importance of the image that catches our attention
• Experientiality – where many people feel that only ‘what we experience is real’

When some societies are suffering from a kind of ‘collective ADHD’ brought on by screens, and organizations like Meta (formerly Facebook), Microsoft, Google, and Shopify have begun colonizing the Metaverse, other navigation tools are needed.

And environments where thoughtful, reflective, and generative conversations are common.

We propose exploring this through practical action learning at Oracy Labs.

The Oracy Lab as Experimental Space

The Oracy Lab is an experimental space for exploring the power and possibilities of conversations and spoken communication for conveying meaning and co-creating a deeper understanding of the complexity and dynamics of the world.

We see Oracy Labs as places to think, feel, and reason together, as a prototype generative innovation commons, a way for exploring and understanding how the world works.

We began prototyping Oracy Labs last month. On the 29th of April, an initial prototype with 5 participants met for 90 minutes to explore some ideas behind the future of fighting: How can people rethink ideas about conflict, struggle, diplomacy, getting ahead, feeling ourselves to be better than others, winning/losing and infinite games for the decade ahead?

Perhaps eventually even discover how can we repackage the processes of democracies in a decade full of disagreement, distorted truths, and renewed armed struggle we seem to be headed for.

In May, June, and the summer, we will continue. Our intention is to explore Processes, Mindset, and Protocols, as well as different thematic propositions and issues not normally addressed in multigenerational discourse and across political/religious divides.

Perhaps others in this network are interested in joining us. Both for exploring the thematics as well as for exploring relevant technology platforms and tools, other competencies, and things important to you.

Originally published in Around The Plex, 4 May 2022