About the Laboratory
The Barracks is Europe‘s first and only organisation to provide exclusively a radically authentic space for the contemplation and consideration of climate catastrophe.
This year, for three weeks, we will be running the Collapse Laboratory.
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The purpose of the Collapse Laboratory is to
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assume collapse is imminent
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believe that we will spend some time in a state which we can call "collapse"
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create a document from this side of collapse which we hope will Be Useful on the other side of collapse.
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You can share in this a unique opportunity to come together and work collaboratively with others, or on your own project - be it based in art, literature, research or Gedankenexperiment - and leave something behind for future generations who will need help.
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Spend one to three weeks here over August, in the company of other creative, thoughtful people, exchanging ideas and contributing to a less awful future.
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The Outcome
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Together, we will create a publication - a book, perhaps - which looks further than the present, further than the future, into the unknown, and attempt to answer the questions which are better contemplated on this side of society‘s inevitable deconstruction
Whilst the rest of the world is debating climate change, the possibility of collapse, what it looks like and how to make it "fair", whatever that means, we will be looking considerably more radically over that horizon.
For this reason, I think that what we create at the end of it may turn out to be the natural successor to Limits to Growth.
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Your Role
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You have exchanged modern living for The Barracks. This in itself can be inspirational and even healing.
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You have chosen to join a makeshift community of like-minded journeyfolks who can see with clarity that collapse is coming - soon - and who have accepted it.
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We have separately been through the mental struggles that acceptance requires and in the decision to come and join in the collapse laboratory, we want to join with others to find ways to help with the rebuilding of society before we forget what the best of society can mean.
Through your own individual research, through collaborative projects, by means of presentations and sharing (for those who wish to), we will write this document for a future generation.
We don‘t know what it will look like, but we are motivated to find out.
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If you have a project or a thought that you specifically wish to develop, you can tell us about it on the ticket form.
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Activites
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All activities are optional, but some of the things we do here include:
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early morning yoga every day
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breakfast round table
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shinrin-yoku - guided forest bathing
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an opportunity to help in the productive gardens
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woodworking, bricklaying, making things
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evening meal prepared using exclusively food from the gardens; naturally organic, zero food miles
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Facilities
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This is an old army barracks. It is not a 5 star hotel!
Everyone who comes is surprised that it‘s actually very pleasant staying here, but facilities are basic and sometimes they break. After nearly 5 years, we finally have working toilets and cold showers! We also have a cinema, table tennis, beautiful forest ...
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fruit from the orchard
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evening yoga Wednesday and Saturday
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karma yoga
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use of the cinema and extensive DVD collection (well over 500 titles) or streaming
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use of the library and office / workspaces
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creative atelier space available (please state your requirements using the form)
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bedding is provided, bring your own towel
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What we have here might be the closer to a post-collapse world than you are used to.
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Single / Shared Rooms
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All prices are for single room occupancy. There are a small number of double or twin rooms available. Please use the form below with your requirements, and we will get right back to you!
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We are in a forest in Saxony. You will get the exact address, and guidelines for the best way to get here shortly after completing your ticket purchase.
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Programmes
Complete Programme
August 4th - 26th
€990 + booking fee
Spend the full three weeks of the programme here
For the complete programme participants, you may arrive earlier on the first day, and leave later on the last.
We finish with a grand dinner on the 26th and you can be involved in all the steps anthologising all that happened here for the creation of the rebuilding document.
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Tickets available now
Half Programme
August 4th - 16th
August 16th - 26th
€560 + booking fee
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With the half programme, you will meet and be able to collaborate with many more people than on the one week programme, spanning two intakes of the weekly participants, and all of the complete programme members.
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Tickets go on sale from the 2nd June
One Week
August 4th - 11th
August 11th - 18th
August 18th - 26th
€420 + booking fee
Form a close bond with your other one-weekers.
Time does strange things at the barracks. After the initial 24 hours, it‘s hard to say exactly how long you have been here. The quiet, the seclusion, the shared experience have a magical efffect on all who come here.
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Tickets go on sale from the 2nd June

Questions?
Answers and Requirements​
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If you have any questions about or special requirements for you booking, please let us know and we will do what we can to answer and accommodate.
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