the TEMENOS art fellowship is a live/work creation-lab for artists with active practices (emergent or established) in any contemporary art form, dedicated to integrative inquiry ¹.
5 coordinators + 5 fellows. 5 days a week of deep, rigorous care of our own & one another’s vision/practice. Temenos fellows live in an intensive, immersive, collective engagement of radical creative practice within a participatory frame ².
There are no program fees (only room & board, and a small administrative fee).
1 - 3 sessions of 11 weeks (fall, spring & summer), each culminating in an exhibition/ conference, followed by a publication at the end of each year.
Fellows completing 3 sessions will be awarded a Post-Graduate Practice-Led Research Diploma in Radical Creative Practice
¹ In addition to creative practices, we ask fellows to arrive with integrative practices. This might include contemplative, meditative, centering, embodiment, or spiritual practices of any kind.
² TEMENOS is hosted within the participatory frame of La SOURCE Center for Research & Creation. Thus, fellows are also asked to participate equitably in the care of the collective spaces and to volunteer 4 hours each week to support the care of the garden, grounds, & animals. This collective care is treated as a vital component of the project's ethos to foster a cultural shift away from passive consumption towards active co-creation.
SUMMARY :
“Living life as an artist is a practice. You’re either engaging in the practice or you’re not. It makes no sense to say you’re not good at it. It’s like saying, “I’m not good at being a monk.” You’re either living as a monk, or you’re not. We tend to think of the artist’s work as the output. The real work of the artist is a way of being in the world."
- Rick Rubin, from The Creative Act : A Way of Being
TIME
Though each creative practice belongs to each individual in the group, we all exist together to support, encourage and secure the commitment we’ve made to the process.
Sharing the same rhythm (as with monks, for example) can synchronize individual movements and provide a container for growing intensity of engagement. This structure is vital, as it ensures there is no place to hide from the creative practice. Artists of all kinds know too well the various forms of resistance, procrastination, avoidance, distraction, and deferral that can prevent us from facing the proverbial ‘white page’. This structure of time is here to encourage us all to show up fully into the practice. Each day we cycle together through these four phases :
Just after waking, each of us has an invitation to invent the world anew. Choosing the state of the heart is the first phase of creating. This is done in two movements. Firstly, emptying all that the heart carries which does not belong to it - accumulations of feelings and inherited stories that do not serve. Once these layers are observed and released, with newly secured emptiness and spaciousness and to whatever depth is available, you can name a “point of reverence” that you will care for as your day unfolds. Heart-centered practice includes all meditative, contemplative, and embodiment practices (i.e. - yoga, tai chi, breathwork, or even a forest walk).
Think of this like a preparation of the grounds. You first clear anything growing on the surface, digging past the layers of accumulation. You loosen the topsoil, and maybe even amend it with essential nutrients, creating exactly the right conditions for growth, until you have thoroughly prepared the grounds for planting. And then, from that state of openness and receptivity, you choose the seed you will plant and lay it gently in the fertile soil of your core.
HEART-practice
phase 1 :
phase 2 :
Now is the moment for meaning-making. Human beings are story-making-creatures. We thrive on vision. Learning, the quest for understanding, reflection, absorbing inspiration from all directions and sources, discussion, reading, writing or drawing practice, profound dialogue, musical improvisation… The head-practice gets the mind reengaged in the envisioning of the new world you are fostering. The mind is a connection-generator. It is fueled by curiosity and discovery - the ideal state through which to encounter ‘the other.’ Any other.
Here, the seed germinates. Its coding begins to activate and come alive. It sprouts. It reaches out its roots. It strives toward the sun - knowing, somehow miraculously, in which direction to extend even if it is still buried in darkness. It follows the subtle inner-knowing.
HEAD-practice
phase 3 :
Once the new vision, a new story has crystalized - it’s time to make it real. Time to live it. Working with the hands is about materializing that which lives until now only in the mind, the imagination, or perhaps raw and unshaped upon the page. It is also about care. Moving from words to action. Entering into the concrete, shared reality means listening to voices of various needs. This listening process might be called “response-ability.” The ability to respond. Often this is a period of tending to either the concretization of the idea-seed, or the honoring of commitments. These commitments are not outside of the creative process. They are a part of it. They are your laboratory in which to experiment how your heart and mind influence your way of doing and your impact on the environment around you. This is also a practice. We take a bit more time for this phase because the body (physical world) moves at a slower speed than the other aspects.
At the moment the seed-sprout pierces the surface of the soil, a new work begins. Now it is the time to protect and care for the plant as it grows. That might mean watering or feeding, fencing off or sheltering the young plant, eventually trimming or pruning. If, for example, you have planted an apple seed - it will take years of devotion to the health and wellness of the tree until it eventually gives fruit. This phase is the labor of love.
HAND-practice
By uniting your heart, head, and hands into one whole - it is possible to leave the soulless cycle of transaction and enter into a disposition of offering. This phase is about transmission. Here, your inner and outer work merges into a state that is ready to be communicated and circulated. And this is the work - the vulnerability of making your gift available to others, and the faith that your heart-seed has given fruit that will provide the quality of true nourishment.
The fruit has ripened. Now is the time for harvest and distribution. Where will you take your fruit? Who will you give it to? Where will it travel? What will it become as it leaves your care? This fruit is not destined for the marketplace. In the market, there are buyers and sellers. Separation. Somehow through the act of offering, it is easiest to recognize the way in which all is connected, and all is shared.
WHOLE-practice
The surest sign of a life guided by love
is a vibrant devotion to something beyond one’s own experience.
phase 4 :
the 4-phase day :
A simple way to make space for all that is most fundamental.
the HEART
6:00 - 8:00 am
core-centering
releasing & clarifying
practices
(meditation, breathwork, tai chi, yoga, prayer, forest walk, etc.)
the HEAD
8:30 - 11:30 am
conception
intellectual & artistic practices
(envisioning, inspiration, discussions, reading, writing, drawing, playing, etc.)
the HANDS
12:30 - 4:30 pm
crafting & cultivation
materializing
practices
(response-ability, work/labor, action, fabrication, production, etc.)
the WHOLE
4:30 - 6:00 pm
circulation
transmission
practices
(exercises to move the learning & creation process into the world as offering.)
Together, we follow this program Monday through Friday. Weekends are unprogrammed. This is the basic frame. There are exceptions to this schedule on Mondays and Fridays. For details, reference the precise schedule.
With the exception of the "Whole-Practice" workshops at the close of the day, all other periods are self-determined: whether individual, in pairs, or in group/s - depending on the preferences and needs of each individual.
“One who works with their hands is a laborer.
One who works with their hands and their head is a craftsman.
One who works with their hands and their head and their heart is an artist.”
- St. Francis of Assisi
[...One who works with all this and their spirit is a true creator. True creation is the nearest humanity can grow towards fulfilling the highest call of our species’ potential.]
… our small and humble addition.
Temenos fellows, in addition to their own lodging here on campus, have continuous access to a number of inviting spaces and areas for collective use. These collective spaces indicate some fundamental beliefs about the environmental conditions that might best support the creative cycle.
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The Library (includes the “library of love” collection of books donated to assist love-studies; a projector and cinema screen; a fireplace, lounging area and large tables for conferences and workshops)
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The Greenhouse Dôme (a space for individual or collective alignment practices and performance practice)
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The Stables (a collective atelier/studio for creative practices - especially material processes in the visual arts)
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The Hearth Kitchen (a wood-fired outdoor kitchen, sheltered, with a view of the valley - also an inviting space for exploratory culinary art, traditional craft-work, or eco-creative practices
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The Wellness Area (a space to see how care of the body can impact the state of the mind and heart. Includes a pool, wood-fired sauna, nordic bath, and sun/rain/moon-bathing deck).
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The Valley (a protected natural habitat for wildlife, enveloped by forest and tree-line, with a stream and a bridge for crossing to visit our wise, old oak-elder. This is also a space available for land art and site-specific installation.)
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The Forest (the neighboring forest, with its several rivers and bouldery hillsides, is accessible from the property and includes well maintained paths for easy and safe walks day or night (as well as plenty of wilder corners). This forest will lead you on a walking loop of about 90 minutes to and from “The Forgotten Village” - a 400 year old settlement of stone ruins in the center of the wood.)
And lastly, Our Animal-Family and their various habitats:
Living with animals can invite a powerful reminder to return to the most essential aspects of connection. Observing, bonding with, and caring for animals can increase inner-conditions for creative ‘fertility.’ Presently La SOURCE has on property a family of 12 goats, 3 sheep, a goose, a duck, chickens, and a dog; our neighbors also often pasture their horses on our grounds.
SPACE
What we give space to outside determines what we give space to inside... Take that. Reverse it... Still true.
On-site resources and structures for cultivating extraordinary states.
Leaving the frame of typical daily life to explore other ways of being can provide very fertile grounds in which to plant. Therefore, we encourage and facilitate experimentation.
(Please note that none of these practices are expected, merely available for those curious and interested.)
Presently, this includes:
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Periods without technology
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Periods in silence
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Periods of fasting
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Periods in meditative isolation
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Periods in creative isolation
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Periods in darkness (otherwise known as ‘darkness retreats’)
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… (and soon to come: periods in natural immersion)
Again, all of these processes are optional. We’re happy to provide more details on exactly how these practices can happen. We are also utterly open to the proposition of additional forms and will do all we can to safely support them.
SUPPORT
A poet, a scientist, a farmer, and a monk
are sitting together around a table.
An unlikely gathering.
What do they speak about?
Imagine that they must build the world anew together.
They have millions of decisions to make. How will they deliberate?
Imagine, for a moment, a disagreement
regarding the prevention of poverty.
The scientist says
to the poet studying a fallen nest, “You’re wasting time.”
to the farmer tilling the field, “You must consider the big picture.”
to the monk praying for the world, “This is irrational; you will accomplish nothing.”
The poet says
to the farmer, “Your responsibility is heavy; your work is hard and long. You forget to live.”
to the monk, “You cannot reach the ears of god without a passion burning in you.”
to the scientist, “You are strategic and cold. Without beauty, the world is a meaningless mechanism.”
The farmer says
to the monk, “You can’t eat prayer.”
to the scientist, “All talk, no action.”
to the poet, “Child.”
The monk says
to the scientist, “Your facts do not yield true clarity.”
to the poet, “Your fascination does not reveal true beauty.”
to the farmer, “Your grains do not provide true nourishment.”
And they go around like this…name-calling…because they have not yet recognized the gifts each of them offers in the process. They have not fully invited the others into the co-creation.
METHOD
The poet offers passion and hope.
The scientist offers discernment and vision.
The farmer offers discipline and care.
The monk offers perspective and devotion.
Why would any of these gifts be unwelcome?
There are structures in the world which support the heart, the mind, the body or the spirit. But typically these institutions feed one aspect to the exclusion of the others.
The love letter, the dissertation, the cookbook, and the prayer seem like incompatible universes. Here you will find ground dedicated to their encounter and, ultimately, their partnership.
integrative inquiry
Thresholds.
This project is particularly well suited for creatives who find themselves standing at a threshold between worlds or between phases of life; or those with an urge to initiate a profound shift or deepening into their practice. These “threshold states” are varied, and might resemble one or more of the following:
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Life Crisis : ‘a turning point,’ often immediate, fierce, unexpected/unconsented and frightening
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Transition : an unplanned yet gradual passage into a new form of becoming
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Horizon-striving : an actively sought experience of expansion found in reaching for the unknown
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Initiation : an actively engaged (and often guided) process of transformation to unlock innate potential
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Limen-dwelling : the ongoing occupation of in-between spaces; purposeful continuous existence ‘outside of the normative frame’
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The path of the 'Psychopomp' : the accompaniment of others through threshold spaces with full fluency in the dynamics of the ‘in-between’
WHO? a PORTRAIT
Notice what you notice.
Ask questions.
Experiment.
Observe:
Every fear is a guide.
All resistances, teachers.
Each experience, a gift.
Time, a continuous invitation.
Space, an inexhaustible resource.
Creation, a perpetual calling.
Love, an inevitability.
PRACTICALITIES
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Am I compensated for the work that I do at La Source? How? Is there a work contract?There is no financial compensation for working and living at La Source. You live free of charge on campus in your own room and donate (as a contracted volunteer) 20 hours a week in your area of coordination. There is a 1-year renewable contract.
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Is there a food budget?There is a basic food and provisioning budget provided by La Source. It covers all essentials. It does not cover animal products, alcohol, or specialty items.
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Do I have to work specific hours or schedule?Coordinators are expected to work 20 hours a week in their area of coordination. The time of day and rhythm is for you to decide, in relation to your personal preference and the tasks at hand. If your area of coordination doesn't require 20 hours per week of attention (which will very often be the case), you are required to offer your unused hours in assistance to another coordinator who has greater need at that time. In this case, you may be asked to weave your hours/schedule with theirs.
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What is the duration of my commitment to La Source?All coordinators have 1-year renewable contracts. Our wish is to find a team that will stay on campus, working and living together, long into the future. We also understand that sometimes due to family, partnership, personal ambitions, or just the winds of change, that some coordinators will want to move on after their contract comes to a close; we fully accept and celebrate the freedom to do so. In this case, you will be asked to participate in finding a replacement and training them before your departure. For this reason, you'll need to give 3 months notice if you have plans to depart. We also anticipate that some people might not be 'a good fit' for the project and community - for any number of possible reasons. It is possible for the team to collectively choose not to renew a contract for a specific coordinator. We will have year reviews for each team member, during which all other team members give constructive feedback, express appreciation, request certain adjustments, and reflect on the future together. No one can be asked to leave without a unanimous team vote.
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Is it possible to be "evicted" or "fired"?"In the case of personal emergency, criminal activity, endangerment, unresolvable conflict, acts of violence or ongoing aggression, or the continuous inability or unwillingness to perform the required tasks (whether in their area of coordination or in collective responsibilities) - coordinators may be asked to depart before their yearly contract has been completed. We reserve this only for extreme situations, as it is sincerely our aim to work together and find creative solutions.
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What if after a short period I realize that it’s not a good fit for me? What do I do? What happens?If you are not feeling comfortable in your coordination position or in shared/collective daily life - we understand. No worries. We require you to give 3 months notice, and to assist with finding and training a replacement.
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Does it cost anything to join? Do I own any part of the project? Do I take anything with me if I go?La Source is unlike most collective/communal/co-habitation or intentional communities. It is a live/work community based around a shared purpose and public project - in other words, we live on campus specifically to support the functioning of the project and its values. As a nonprofit association, our funding comes from donation, and from lucrative activities on the property intended specifically to support the functioning of La Source (for example - summer tourism, educational retreats, paid workshops, etc.). All communal investments, tools and resources will remain property of the nonprofit, regardless of coordinators coming and going. We do what we do to keep the project going so that we can "spread the love" well into the future. Having said that, things that coordinators have brought with them or purchased with their own money will always belong to them, of course.
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Is there a test or trial period?In preparation of our first season and opening - we will use the summer of 2021 as a general transition period. The research center will open its first semester of research residencies and events in September of 2021 - so the summer will give us the opportunity to work together to develop and prepare the property and the team, time to get to know one another, bond and create cohesion.
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Do we have vacation time? What if we want to take time off?We will have 4 weeks of vacation scheduled into the yearly calendar - generally in alignment with the school calendar: 2 weeks Winter/Holiday break & 2 weeks Spring break. During this time, the center will be closed. In addition to this vacation time, you also have the option of organizing a sabbatical. If you wish to leave the property for more than a week (for travel, projects, etc.), you may do so in coordination with the team, by providing adequate notice in advance and with the expectation that you will propose and train a replacement/substitute during your absence. This is why the coordinator manuals are so important - so that anyone can, when needed, step in and fill the shoes of any position. These manuals ensure the continuity of the project and the general freedom of all coordinators.
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Is there a way to earn money through the project?We ask for 20 hours/week of volunteer time from Coordinators so that everyone living permanently on property can reserve 15+ hours a week for their own independent and lucrative activities. These positions are ideal for people working in artisanal or freelance activities (artists, musicians, therapists, coaches, graphic/web designers, e-commerce merchants, etc.). You may use the property for your activities as long as it does not interfere with project functioning. For example, using our dome to teach meditation or yoga, using our treatment room to give massages or conduct coaching sessions, using the art ateliers to create salable objects, using the grounds to teach gardening or foraging workshops, etc. During the summer season, the rooms reserved during the year for researchers, creators and seekers, will be rented to tourists. You are welcome to provide offerings or sell objects to them in our boutique. You keep 100% of what you make. We also envision, during summer months, to host retreats and paid workshops. If you would like to organize/facilitate a paid retreat, let us know and we'll work together to create this opportunity.
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I see that the project calendar is divided into "Learning Season" and "Earning Season" - what are the lucrative aspects of the project and what happens to the money?"During the summer season (May 15 - September 15), the rooms reserved during the year for researchers, creators and seekers, will be rented to tourists. During this time, we earn the money that we will use to support the project and our lives during the rest of the year. During this "earning season", lucrative activities include: - Chambres d'Hôtes (Bed and Breakfast) - Gîte (Vacation Rental) - Paid retreats & workshops (facilitated by community members) - Venue rental (for retreats and workshops facilitated by noncommunity members) - Events (weddings, ceremonies, team building retreats, etc.) As coordinators, you are free to offer your services and goods to this "public." The money from these activities goes to: taxes, insurance, utility bills, provisioning (of food, supplies, tools, etc.), property care, and project development. No one, not even the director, receives a salary from this project. All is done in the spirit of benevolence and support of the project vision.
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Is the project's functioning budget transparent and public?Yes. It will be published yearly.
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How will we handle conflict or disagreement as a team? Is there a strategy for conflict resolution?All coordinators will be required to do basic training in Nonviolent Communication and Ho'oponopono. We are convinced that these tools will greatly assist in sustaining harmony both between all coordinators, but also with conflict that may arise with researchers, seekers, volunteers and even visitors. We anticipate that the topic of love and the context of a collective co-creative space will naturally generate circumstances of vulnerability and inner exploration. It's important that all coordinators are 'on the same page' and speaking the same language to ensure a supportive, harmonious environment.
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What is the decision making model in this project?Part of the reason for having areas of coordination is to make clear the "jurisidiction of responsibility" for each team member. We function with the general belief that the more clarity and transparency we have, the greater ease we share working and living together. For all domestic decisions (re: living together) - the process is democratic (meaning, whoever the coordinators are at any given time all have equal voice in decisions). For all project decisions (re: the functioning, sustainability and development of the La Source) - the process is based on the Advisory Board Model, in which all Coordinators are treated as experts in their area of coordination, and thus advise the director in the decision-making process. It is ulimately the responsibility of the director to balance the input of all stake-holders in the project: the advisory board (coordinators), the direct network (present and former researchers, seekers, and volunteers), the general public, and the major sponsors or donors; the director makes decisions specifically to ensure the viability and integrity of the project.
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How often do we meet as a group?2x/week - Talking Circle(optional and open community meeting) 1x/week - Coordinator Team Meeting (day-to-day functioning and task allocation; required for on-campus Coordinators) 1x/week - Community Confluence (optional but strongly encouraged for everyone staying on campus for more than 7 days; everyone is encouraged to take a brief moment to update the community on their research process/progress; also a time to make announcements and requests) 1x/month - Coordinator Monthly Meeting (updates on areas of coordination, including needs and wishes for the coming month; required for on-campus Coordinators) 1x/year - Yearly Governance & Development Meeting (optional, but open to the entire community network to review the year, discuss the year to come, and give input on major project decisions; for all members of the association, including present and former coordinators, researchers, seekers, volunteers, visitors and major donors)
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Is there a shared system of belief?No. We are a community open to all religions, paths, traditions, and belief systems. We aim for inclusivity and diversity. Having said that, there are some foundational values - inclusion, for example, being one of them. Together, we create and protect a space free of prejudice or intolerance based on sex, gender-identity, race, religion or spiritual practice, ethnicity, nationality, age, ability, level of education, socioeconomic status (and any intersectional combination). We invite curiosity as a response to difference.
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Can my partner come and live with me? Can I bring my children?Presently, we only have enough space for permanent residents to welcome Coordinators. We hope with future development that this can evolve. This means that your partner is welcome if they also would like to apply for a coordinator position. Or if you are willing to share one room and they wish to propose a not-yet-existent coordinator role. Once we are able to expand, we hope to include circumstances that will allow for children, but as we are just at the beginning of our process, it is not yet the time to welcome little ones as permanent residents. If you feel fully passionate and committed to participating at this level, please write to us to let us know your specific wishes, needs, and family situation. We are not closed to discussion.
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Can I be a Coordinator without living on the property?Yes. Absolutely. If this project 'sings to you' but you're not sure about a collective lifestyle, just let us know and we'll talk through alternatives together.
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Can I invite partners, family or friends to visit me? How long can they stay?"Partners, friends and family can also stay in your own room. Additionally, we have one room permanently reserved for the guests of Coordinators, with a shared schedule. Together as a group we will decide on the guidelines for the scheduling and duration of stay. Please note that everyone staying on campus will be asked to participate in some way. We want to diffuse the culture of passive consumption - so whether it's cooking, dishes, weeding the garden, taking out the recycle, etc - everyone staying on campus is asked to contribute, including guests and visitors. This contribution should be in alignment with the wishes and abilities of each person.
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FOOD, meal and cooking guidelines:"Cohabitation always includes discussion around the most basic of shared needs: nourishment. We are not interested in having rigid guidelines or expectations around food and cooking. It should be based on the needs, wishes, and limits of the coordinators. Therefore, all guidelines concerning food will be discussed as a team. This includes questions of cooking together, cooking rotations, eating together or separately, food choices and purchasing, food budgeting, etc. There is one exception to this: La Source has a basic food budget. This means that Coordinators will not have to buy food with their own money. However, these 'basics' are intended to be just that: basic. Rice, lentils, oils and vinegars, vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds, etc. It will be as often as possible grown on property, or purchased locally, seasonally, and ethically. La Source will not provide a budget for animal-products or alcohol. So if you'd like butter, cheese, meat, beer, cider, wine, etc. (as is the custom in France, bien sûr) it will need to be purchased individually and then sharing is your choice. The exception to the exception: we will have eggs provided by our chickens and geese. The same general attitude applies to meal times: this is up for the team to decide together what feels right for everyone involved.
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How are daily chores or domestic tasks allocated and managed?We will have a rotation chore-board with a list of all that needs to be done. The rotation will take place during the weekly coordinator meetings. How or when you complete these chores will be largely up to you. We're not interested in 'policing' one another or creating an environment of pressure. Everyone will fulfill these chores differently, as we all have different levels of vigilance around domestic tasks. It will be up to each member of the group to express their wishes, needs and limits. The point is to be as transparent as possible about all expectations and responsibilities, as well as all challenges or obstacles, so that we can find solutions together as a group and avoid possible conflicts or resentment. There will be, additionally, a board of ongoing and simple chores/tasks that will be allocated to researchers, seekers, visitors, volunteers and guests; this board will be accompanied by precise instructions on how to satisfy these tasks. (examples: sweeping collective spaces, emptying the kitchen compost, raking leaves, etc.) It will be up to the Coordinators to decide together which tasks to put on this board and to create the instructions for them. We do have a Coordinator of Cooperation. Ultimately, it will be up to them to oversee the harmony of this system and to propose changes as necessary.
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Are there any general policies about drugs, alcohol and smoking?"There will be two designated areas for smoking, both outside. Because we are attempting to live in harmony with the natural world as much as possible, we will have a no-tolerance policy regarding the littering of cigarette butts or smoking outside of these areas. Alcohol is surely permitted on property, within the general guidelines of consideration for others - respect of cleanliness, health, safety and sound. There will be no tolerance for belligerent intoxication. Illegal drugs are not permitted on property. Plant medicine is respected within the guidelines of ceremony.
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Are there any policies on eco-sustainability, energy consumption or waste-management?"We will consume as little as possible, reuse as much as possible, recycle as much as possible and compost everything that is possible. What does that mean "as much as possible"? This is a moving target. We face, as a species, some serious confrontations with the consequences of our level of consumption. We move toward consciousness and responsibility, as a community. Everyone staying on campus will be asked to follow certain practices regarding our eco-sustainability as a project. This includes orientation of the proper use of compost toilets, the proper waste-sorting and composting practices, the conscious limitation of energy and water, etc. We are not here to create pressure or guilt in ourselves or others, but rather to educate and support a growing consciousness of balance and awareness of our impact on the world around us. We will also have a DIY atelier, for collecting and transforming reusable materials into art, craft, functional obejct or some imaginative combination.
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Is the property open to the general public?No. For liability reasons, and also to ensure harmony of those living permanent or temporarily at La Source - all visitors and guests will be required to become members of the association (except the private guests of Coordinators, and the tourists arriving during "Earning Season"). This means that during "Learning Season," everyone on campus will have read and agreed to campus guidelines around responsibility, respect, privacy and consideration of others. La Source will facilitate events and workshops for the general public, but will do so in coordination with other local public institutions and venues.
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What are the guidelines of the freedom of expression and creation on property? Which kinds of creative interventions are allowed and who decides?Expression should not create panic, danger, threat, or disruption (whether visual, verbal, or auditive). Creative interventions are very welcome, as long as they do not impede the functioning of the center or the surrounding ecosystem. These interventions are not protected (meaning, they could be dissembled at any moment) unless they are explicity invited and approved. For example, an improvised/unapproved earth-sculpture on the grounds could be dismantled at any time by anyone. Invited or approved interventions will be incorporated into the campus map and marked with an official plate (in order to ensure their protection). Creative interventions that imply lasting changes (such as the painting of a mural) should be approved in writing in advance by the director. The use of this property (in permanence) has been gifted to the association/nonprofit, but it does not belong to the association/nonprofit. Therefore, all interventions and changes that permanently alter or could devalue or damage the property grounds or buildings must be approved in writing by the director and the property board.
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What about animals? Are there animals on campus? Can I bring my dog, cat or donkey?"Potentially - within specific guidelines. Inside animals must be hypoallergenic, and also able to live harmoniously with other animals and humans. In terms of outside animals, we can house donkeys and horses with great ease, and welcome their arrival. Outside cats are welcome as well. The property shelters, at present: 5 chickens, 12 goats and 2 geese. Additionally, the director has a small, hypoallergenic dog - Luna (an affectionate, clownish, fluffy cloud of love).
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What is the Family & Friends Summer Festival?Each summer, for one week, all Coordinators are encouraged to invite up to 4 people they love to come and stay for a week all together free of charge (with the exception of a collective food budget). This is important. It feeds the campus with love, and allows us all to integrate our universes, connect deeply with one another, enjoy ourselves and celebrate our shared-vision with those closest to us.
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Do I need to have experience or expertise of some kind?Coordinators do not need to be experts in their area of coordination when they arrive. We can learn and grow together, as a group. Having said that, a certain familiarity with the skills that will practically allow you to satisfy the tasks of your area will make you a better-suited candidate. You do not need to be a love-researcher, an academic, an artist, a former intentional community member (etc) to join the team. On the applications, we look for 'the full picture' of the person. An autodidact with little experience, but a great will to learn and a passionate generosity will be very welcome, indeed.
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Are you searching for a specific “kind of person” outside of the readiness to engage in specific tasks?No, not exactly. However, certain qualities will be very helpful for living and working together: Self-awareness, resilience, clear communitication of wishes-needs-limits, emotional groudedness, a generally helpful nature, and problem-solving skills are all especially welcome. As we want to keep team 'management' to a minimum, and to treat all coordinators with trust that they can and will fulfill their duties without oversight, being an independently motivated and self-organizing person will help tremendously.
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How do I know if I am the right person for this project?Talk to us. Think about why you feel drawn to the project and what you wish to contribute, then write us a line and we'll organize a call. Simple as that. We're all people, after all.
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What's the timeline? When do I need to be ready to come? When will I know if I’m selected?We will start reviewing applications for coordinators on February 1, and continue on a rolling basis until the positions are filled. Ideally, Coordinators would arrive on campus June 1, 2021 for a transition and team-building period. September 1, 2021 will be the official start date for all Coordinators to be together on campus. We cannot give a strict decision date, as applications will be reviewed until we find a "good fit" for each position. Notifications will begin April 1, 2021.
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Is there an interview process?Yes. The first round of interviews will be conducted by the director - beginning March 1, 2021. This interview will be conducted via zoom. The second round of interviews will be conducted by all team members able to attend; this is a good moment to meet the team and ask us all of your questions. This second interview can be done via zoom or live in person, depending on your availability. Once you have been offered the position, you'll have 2 weeks to accept the invitation. During this time, you can of course choose to come and visit the property to see how you feel before deciding.
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Will I get to meet the other participants before deciding if I'll join?Yes. The first interview is with the Director, alone; however the second interview for each applicant will be conducted by all team members (coordinators) able to attend, after which accepted applicants will be given the direct contact information of present coordinators and encouraged to connect directly.
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Do I need to speak both French and English?No. You'll need to be completely fluent in one of these languages. It will be helpful to have basic knowledge of the other, but it is not required. We are a bilingual project and will adapt communication and translation to the needs of the team. We enter all of this together with the spirit of supporting one another, and with the understanding that we will all learn from each other.
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Do you welcome differently-abled people? As coordinators? As researchers, creators, seekers and volunteers?"For the coordinator positions: as long as people are able to complete their responsibilities within their area of coordination and to contribute equally within the group (in alignment with their abilities), all are welcome to be considered for the position. Please note that coordinator bedrooms are not wheelchair accessible. As researchers, creators, seekers - Yes, as long as they are able to care for their basic needs. We have two wheelchair accessible living spaces available, as well as the library/living room, research ateliers, kitchen and dining areas. As volunteers - Yes, as long as they are able to care for their basic needs. Summer volunteer housing is wheelchair accessible, as well as the library/living room, kitchen and dining areas.
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How long can I stay and work if I am a non-EU resident? Do you assist with residency/visa procedures?We are happy to provide support documentation of your position at La Source, and confirmation of your address of residency. To our knowledge, tourism visas from most countries are 3 months long, with a maximum of 6 months/year. It is, however, possible to get a visitor visa that will allow for 12 months of residency without access to gainful employment. As your contract with La Source is not salaried, this is not a problem. You can absolultely live and work at La Source under a visitor visa. Beyond this, it's really up to you to find out what is possible to obtain a residency visa, and to be aware of the exact policies with your country of residence.