The Scheme in a Can project begins with a proposition: What if cultural agents from the same local electronic music scene, instead of overly relying on multinational beer monopolies to fund their activities, decided to build a beer cooperative to do the same?
The first outcome of the project is a web-based illustrated and animated story available at squema.xyz. This narrative follows the Agents, six peers within the same music scene grappling with the challenges and adventures of embracing the suggested proposal.
The subsequent development of the project, and of the story itself, is “The Manual”. It is a fictional document drafted by the Agents, which delves into the economic model of the cooperative they decide to establish. Designed as an interactive spreadsheet, “The Manual” lets readers interact with the data from this fictional business plan to simulate the endeavour in their own context.
There are multiple ways to define Scheme in a Can. It can be perceived as a speculative art piece, a strategic blueprint, an online comic book, a simulator for imagined economic models, a commentary on branding in dance music, or even an introduction to cooperatives. However, the main intention behind the project is for it to be used as a pedagogical tool. One that broadens perspectives on scene economy and inspires new scenarios and approaches to seek autonomy through interdependence.
With this purpose in mind, a third development takes the form of a seminar. This session deep dives into the real issues depicted in the story and offers a detailed examination of “the Manual’s” concepts and calculations. After the presentation, the session turns into a dialogue space, where participants collectively explore creative solutions to common challenges.
This dialogue further evolves with a LARP experience where participants assume the roles of the characters in the story. They navigate conflicts, opportunities, needs, and interests, bridging the fictional narrative with real-life insights. A prototype of this seminar and LARP session happened in Rio de Janeiro, in early 2023.
You can access the project website here: https://www.squema.xyz
The Scheme in a Can project begins with a proposition: What if cultural agents from the same local electronic music scene, instead of overly relying on multinational beer monopolies to fund their activities, decided to build a beer cooperative to do the same?
The first outcome of the project is a web-based illustrated and animated story available at squema.xyz. This narrative follows the Agents, six peers within the same music scene grappling with the challenges and adventures of embracing the suggested proposal.
The subsequent development of the project, and of the story itself, is “The Manual”. It is a fictional document drafted by the Agents, which delves into the economic model of the cooperative they decide to establish. Designed as an interactive spreadsheet, “The Manual” lets readers interact with the data from this fictional business plan to simulate the endeavour in their own context.
There are multiple ways to define Scheme in a Can. It can be perceived as a speculative art piece, a strategic blueprint, an online comic book, a simulator for imagined economic models, a commentary on branding in dance music, or even an introduction to cooperatives. However, the main intention behind the project is for it to be used as a pedagogical tool. One that broadens perspectives on scene economy and inspires new scenarios and approaches to seek autonomy through interdependence.
With this purpose in mind, a third development takes the form of a seminar. This session deep dives into the real issues depicted in the story and offers a detailed examination of “the Manual’s” concepts and calculations. After the presentation, the session turns into a dialogue space, where participants collectively explore creative solutions to common challenges.
This dialogue further evolves with a LARP experience where participants assume the roles of the characters in the story. They navigate conflicts, opportunities, needs, and interests, bridging the fictional narrative with real-life insights. A prototype of this seminar and LARP session happened in Rio de Janeiro, in early 2023.
You can access the project website here: https://www.squema.xyz