Residential Report | The Epicentre of Communal Care
2023 - 2043
Liquid Dependencies is a Live Action Role-Playing game that explores the possible shapes of a decentralised caring society. Over the course of 4 to 5 hours, the players spend 20 to 30 years of life together and cope with a series of personal and social events. The game is designed based on the ReUnion Network system, and becomes a collective experience of life simulation and social experiment. The game has been played in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Helsinki, Leipzig, Amsterdam and Zurich, and attracted more than 300 players. Each session produces a unique society, exposing the possibilities, the challenges and the humanity in a society that forefronts the value of care. To document and reflect on these highs and lows in every possible future, we write a residential report for each session.
Below is the session that took place at Framer Framed Amsterdam on June 5th, 2022.
Written by Sylvie Vanwijk, @slvi.e
Edited by Yin Aiwen and Anouk Asselineau
Over the last 20 years the working class society of Re:union society 'Epicentre of communal care’, has established a stable, harmonious and progressive community. In the face of initial shaky foundations; fragile economic and environmental conditions, the community has anchored itself through regenerative forms of socio-economic organisation, giving rise to an intricate and open network of care that is outside the bounds of many normative societies.
The un-tipped scales : balanced needs
Where in some societies the labour conditions prevented an active caring community from coming into existence, in the Epicentre of Care, it was the opposite. The majority of the society's members share the same position when it comes to socio-economic class, stage of life and needs. Yu and Faye, as high earners, form the only real exception to the otherwise young working class society with little available time and money. The relative balance in needs has contributed to facilitating collective action. Polarisation often forms one of the biggest hurdles in successfully establishing community based approaches, drastically increasing the required efforts spent on decision making processes and creating a common frame of reference. While this society is struggling, many community members share the same struggles.
One of the community’s most effective joint actions has been the peaceful labour uprising in the early 20s, in which the majority of overburdened and underpaid workers resigned from their job. This opened up time and an increased instability. This instability can however not solely be attributed to a decrease in financial means. Environmental degradation, most clearly exemplified in the repeated occurrence of earthquakes and consequently, the government’s decision to temporarily close down recreational zones, followed by an economic recession, certainly contributed to this. These highlight social and temporal instability, as these earthquakes are a clear marker of climate change. It is for this reason that the correlation between the instability and resignation should be scrutinised. The financial instability has in large been balanced out by mutual care : trading liquid cash for fluid care.
Origins and propositions : replacing financial charity with the currency of care
There seems to have been a disparity between the ideology of the government and its citizens. The government’s emphasis on money based solutions in contrast to the community’s, regenerative non-economic approaches, can be perceived as a product of an outdated conception of world-building. A relic of a previous generation.
This outdated view is for one reflected in an institutional resistance to economic redistribution. The only way in which acts of monetary re-distribution seem to be facilitated is through donation based - charity. Faye, employed in a multinational tech-company and far richer financially than any member of the Epicentre of Communal Care tried to give away money to friends but doing so was made difficult. While the institutional pathways exist, the execution seems to have been stalled by the government. Charity in itself, while useful, still signifies an asymmetry in power.
For this reason it has been a positive development that over the last 20 years, the community of Re:union society has progressively stirred away further and further from relying on financial means. The community market has become a place for solely spending mutual coins, enabling the community to get through an economic recession without losing any of its members, regardless of little financial means. Under economic pressure, Antonia and Gregory moved in with one another for example.
Additionally, the more conservative governmental outset of the Reunion society is further reflected and echoed in the causes of the earthquakes in the early 30s. The earthquakes were triggered by the extraction of natural resources in which the government itself has been a key player.
From environmental degradation to economic regulation
A territory’s socio-economic, political configuration and environmental conditions are in dialogue with one another. Through policies, resource scarcity is contested, created, and maintained. The earthquakes, clearly signifying further disruption to come if not adequately responded to, formed a turning point in this society.
On the individual level for example Antonia started living a low-carbon life and extensively gardening, growing their own food with Gregory. This was later followed up by the government in the early 40s, through implementing legislation that connects agricultural subsidies to animal welfare and environmental requirements. It seems like the preceding economic recession showed the government that its economic model based on extraction is outdated and unsustainable. The perhaps seemingly small monetary and legal reconfiguration signifies a larger ideological change ; a step towards moving away from the neoliberal tides of unbridled economic deregulation and a step closer to representing the citizen’s anarchical, community based approaches.
2023 - 2043
Neighbourhood residents
Antonia [she/her], 48 - 46 year old, home cleaner that resigned from her job and became a freelance dancer : ‘Invest in the community’
Antony [he/him - they/them], 20 - 40 year old, food delivery worker who resigned from his job, studied sociology and went on to do a PhD but quit in order to become a music manager and later a parent : ‘To generate stability, It would be helpful to have more infrastructure and collective efforts’.
Gregory [he/him - she/her], 45 - 65 years old, warehouse worker that quit his job and found their desirable job to be with the municipality involved in the processing of waste / composting : ‘Even if I am 65 years old, I like thinking about the future’
Nebula [she/her - they/them], 29 - 49 years old, a star in the field of maintenance work, and an enthusiastic dancer that ended up completing a PhD and becoming a parent: ‘Take the different opportunities that come your way’
Lisa [she/her], 43 - 63 years old, cheese factory worker who quit her job and became a dancer : ‘You need passion aside from your work … the collective is much more beneficial than I anticipated’.
Spider [she/her - they/them], 23 - 43 years old, care worker, who quit their job and became a parent : ‘Have as many relationships as you can. They provide safety’
Faye [she/her], 45 - 65 years old, skilled investor, employed in a multi-national high tech company, received promotion : ‘I don’t really need to make relationships. I have so much money, I can buy anything. But in this system it is difficult to share this money with friends.’
Yu [she/her], 43 - 63 years old, healthcare worker who received a promotion.
Fern [they/them], 19 - 39 years old, harbour worker that quit their job and became a parent and star in the music industry : ‘cherish your relationships’
ReUnion Community Well-being Report
Care for Careworkers
It is important in a society revolving around care as a currency, that everyone is taken care of - both by themselves and by their surroundings. A necessary duality.
Yu, employed as a healthcare worker in the hospital, from her beginning in the ReUnion society suffers under pressure from her job. The hours are long and little time remains for her to relax - causing her to partially outsource the care for her son to Gregory. Yu gradually develops a stomach condition as the result of tension from the time spent tending to others. It is a paradox of the healthcare worker that becomes unhealthy, in need of medical care. This is also interesting with regards to care being a work occupation but it renders outside of work time care more complicated and under pressure. This forms a contrast to many of the other residents of this society that have more time on their hands, less financial security but more possibilities to emotionally take care.
Economy of Freedom : relationship anarchy
What can be observed in the Epicentre of Communal Care since its conception, is the clear desire and realisation of alternative relationship structures ; polyamory, non-monogamy, and queer love. The community is open-minded and experimental. The Epicentre of Communal Care seems successful in developing and sustaining itself outside of a matrix of patriarchal expectations and structures.
While open relationships are not exempt from cheating or unhealthy relationship dynamics, in the case of this Re:Union society it does seem to be the case. Additionally, with regards to the established relationships in the community, the responsibility between the different parties involved in the anarchical relationship configurations, does not seem to be unequally distributed. Nor does there seem to be a power imbalance; e.g. one person halfheartedly agreeing to a relationship structure they might at heart not be satisfied with. The one relationship that seems to challenge this a bit, is the relationship between Yu and their husband.
The alternative relationships that have been built, the one between Fern and Anthony for example, seem mature and ethical in communication and consent. When Fern fell in love with someone other than their partner Anthony, with whom they had just had a kid, they sought consent and clearly communicated.
Future planning depends on a belief in the existence of a future
As more time passed since the first occurrence of the earthquakes and the personal and governmental interventions in response to them, a shift in the residents’ attitude to procreation seems to have taken place. Spider & Nebula and Anthony & Fern had children. While it is the outcome of relationships that have developed over time, this in itself also expresses a certain level of confidence about the future. The fact that there might be one in the first place. This could be linked to the economic re-configuration which has taken a greener direction.
Community Well-being Assessment
Public Infrastructure Development (with emphasis on care support) (30%)
This ReUnion society has managed to accomplish multiple community projects. Most notably among them is the establishment of the bread fund. This fund, providing backup insurance for freelance workers in case of illness or other unforeseen circumstances, has contributed to the stability of the society at large and has been implemented without lengthy discussions. The consensus on what was best for the collective was achieved quickly. Other projects benefiting smaller care constellations are a local support group, disability insurance and a fitness centre.
The level of public infrastructural development has been rated 80.
Relationship Maturity (30%).
This Epicentre of Communal Care has known some transformative relationships and a high level of maturity. Aside from the many formally recognised, registered relationships, there were many relationships that had a more informal character. In this sense it could be said that the care of this community was centralised within the community itself. A big social cohesion. Many of the relationships reached a second stage. These relationships develop to be complex, nuanced and most definitely to be organised in ways that operate outside (corporate) benefit or conventional family and partnership structures. Therefore, the maturity of this city’s relationships is rated at 79.
The feeling of player participation in the game (40%).
The feeling of the player’s participation in the game is rated at 85. Most of the residents reported very positive feelings about the game as well as a constructive engagement and analysis of the last 20 years spent in each other's presence. There was a feeling of lightness and achievement. A sense of actually built relationships and connections travelling over into the out of character setting.