The Lab is a not-for-profit place where people can experiment and be experimented on in service of enlivening human beings. It is a safe haven for creative expression and failing happy. Born in 2015, it has evolved through a number of forms and, a bit like the legend of the phoenix, each time a format begins to get stale and repetitive, it dies and is reborn.
The current format has a very minimal structure – People (whoever attends) + Place (a space) + Purpose (Lab Manifesto). The content is discovered live between those who attend. Whoever shows up is whoever was meant to show up. You can come along to try something out or come along to take part in the experiments. You can come along and bring an experiment you have already thought of or you might discover an experiment ‘live’
There are three simple rules for Lab experiments: 1) I have never tried it before, 2) I have no idea if it is going to work or not, 3) It is in service of enlivening human beings.
The Lab was founded in 2015 by Steve Chapman who curated Labs 1 – 17 up until March 2020 when he handed the reigns over to Neil Baker who now leads proceedings.
Read about what has happened at every Lab since 2015 in “Lab Notes” below.
Lab Notes is the official newsletter of the Lab and contains photos and write-ups of every experiment that has taken place. It also sends out the latest dates for future Labs.
Lab #18 write up: December 2020
Lab 17 – The first virtual Lab had no Lab notes for some reason: March 2020
Lab #16 write up: November 2019
Lab #15 write up: July 2019
Lab #14 write up: May 2019
Lab #13 write up: February 2019
Lab #12 write up: October 2018
Lab #11 write up: June 2018
Lab #10 write up: February 2018
Lab #9: write up: October 2017
Lab #8 write up: May 2017
Lab #7 write up: September 2016
Lab #6 write up: August 2016
Lab #5 writeup: May 2016
Lab #4 write up: March 2016
Lab #3 write up: January 2016
Lab #2 write up: November 2015
Lab #1 Write-up: September 2015
