WHY DO WE DO THIS WORK? - Festival of Work at the Aurora

But why does everyone always have to work?

Most of humanity's problems stem from our inability to sit back and twiddle our thumbs all day long. We have to work, we live off money, but as the meme goes: we do two things all day, sleep and work, yet we are always tired and have no money.

Work is the organising principle of our private lives, societies, ideologies, economic policies, identities, mental and physical well-being. Is that okay? Is it really embarrassing or is laziness a sin? Is it not a brave break with meaningless social expectations? Is it the rich who can no longer spend their money, or the one who works little?

ChatGPT writes bad poetry, but is slowly qualifying for a degree. Why should we fear AI taking away work, why should everyone just work? On the contrary! Go to a coach so we can work more? Why should paid and unpaid jobs that create real value compete in the job market? Why does anyone work for less money for the same or more?

Conscious career building? Motivation? A four-day working week? Freelance gig work? Corporate identity! Burnout! Self-exploitation or a sense of vocation? Strike! How much longer do we have to do this? Is there a way out?

Work on yourself!

The plan is to figure it all out at the labour festival. We'll talk it over with the experts, sing it with the choir, kick it around with the fifes, draw it in a zine, and then finally shame ourselves after the company party.

.. and relax, because then the following week it all starts again on Monday.

The detailed programme breakdown will be here in a moment!