‘Hear My Story: On Laziness and Productivity’

On 22 April, Project Lazy will host a community engagement workshop in collaboration with writer Nicola Sayers funded by the Arts, Health and Ethics Collective.

Our society is deeply divided about what we owe to those who meet or fail to meet productivity expectations, manifesting in polarised debates about who deserves benefits, educational support, and career progression. This polarisation is driven by implicit judgments about laziness and productivity, compounded by the fact that those across the productivity spectrum rarely engage in meaningful dialogue.

By combining ethical inquiry with creative expression, this project will help individuals explore their implicit assumptions, understand how personal experiences shape views, and discover common ground. Ten participants with diverse experiences—from those consistently exceeding productivity standards to those labelled 'lazy'—will participate in a collaborative workshop. Through guided writing exercises developing personal stories into short pieces, participants will practice active listening and respectful dialogue while revealing complexities behind commonly held beliefs.

Selected writings will be disseminated through multiple channels, creating lasting resources for communities affected by productivity-related polarisation and demonstrating how creative approaches foster constructive engagement with contested moral concepts.