SEPTEMBER 13, 2023, LOS ANGELES, CA — Syllble recently marked a significant milestone by hosting its first in-person gathering in Los Angeles. It has been since 2021 that last took place at PEN America’s Washington DC Office and was aptly named at the time “Night Of Syllables.” The hiatus in physical meetups was, of course, due to the ongoing global pandemic.
Founder Fabrice Guerrier’s relocation to Los Angeles, California in the summer of 2021 set the stage for this remarkable event “Imagining The Future You Want“, which occurred two years later in the welcoming confines of the Wilshire Public Library in East Hollywood. This engaging workshop brought together three distinct individuals: Fabrice Guerrier, Bair Warburton-Brown, and Spencer Shaw.
The task at hand was to envision a world set precisely 30 years into the future, pinpointed to Saturday, August 26th, 2056. A future of Los Angeles and California. Participants began by projecting themselves into this distant future, delving into the core themes extracted from a thought-provoking questionnaire. These themes were instrumental in crafting a new reality in which they foresaw the state of California successfully seceding from the Union.
The discussion centered around several key themes, including an artistic and cultural renaissance, the threshold at which Artificial Intelligence achieves sentience, particularly as it intersects with the realm of Hollywood and citizenship, and the quest to define the highest form of humanity.
“I can’t believe we were able to create a tentative story bible in only a few hours. The opportunity to publish this work has brightened all of our futures. Fabrice’s brilliant mind, collaborative partnerships, and global experiences have culminated into this one-of-a-kind equitable and empowering process.
Primary schools, educational institutions, and universities will be fighting to schedule Syllble programs in their classrooms soon. ” says Bair Warburton-Brown, a member of the Blacktopia Collective.
Moreover, the imagination exercise contemplated the profound implications of climate change in Los Angeles. The rising sea levels in downtown LA, reminiscent of Venice with canoes navigating through submerged streets, and the flooding of Santa Monica were integrated into the evolving narrative.
“The workshop was an invigorating experience that helped cultivate originality and new connections in a small amount of time. The conversations we had reminded me why I became a writer, and why it takes several voices to bring a world to life. Look forward to coming back and doing it all again.” says writer Spencer Shaw.
The world that emerged from this creative endeavor was christened “The Chrome Seed,” an intricately woven tapestry of ideas and possibilities, which you can explore here.
“I felt a genuine thrill delving into the future of Los Angeles and envisioning ‘The Chrome Seed,’ a brave new world, alongside Bair and Spencer during this experimental gathering surrounded by books at the Wilshire Public Library. Our mission is clear in these small gatherings: to unite creative minds from diverse backgrounds in these meetups and collectively craft and imagine new fresh fictional realms spanning various genres each time.” say Founder Fabrice Guerrier
These Los Angeles meetups represents just the beginning, as they seek to establish a series of small gatherings with local creatives, experts and creators, aiming to envision new possible worlds and share them with a wider audience through the Syllble world pages.