People

When you think of a cow, you probably envision an animal grazing, eating grass, and perhaps producing methane at her other end. However, cows cannot do this. Their bovine genome does not encode proteins with the enzymatic activity needed to digest cellulose. What the cow does is chews the grass and maintains a symbiotic community of microorganisms in her gut. It is this population of gut symbionts that digest the grass and makes the cow possible.
The cow is an obvious example of what is called a holobiont, an organism plus its persistent communities of symbionts. (73).
Scott F. Gilbert. Holobiont by Birth.
In Arts of Living on a Damaged Planet, Tsing et al. (eds)

Gilbert makes the case that in a critical and theoretical space still heavily marked by an emphasis on the idea of ‘the individual,’ realizing we (humans) are all holobionts is a useful way of thinking through ways on connecting with everything that constitutes us, and everything beyond that.

Only about half the cells in our bodies contain a ‘human genome.’ The other cells include about 160 bacterial genomes. […] Human bodies are and contain a plurality of ecosystems. (75)
Gilbert, ibid.

In short, ‘we are always already community’ is the invitation Gilbert and other thinkers make, be they scientists, philosophers, energy workers, physicists, healers, and so forth.

What then stops us (humans) from imagining everything else we engage with as persons, as friends and collaborators?

Posthumanism decenters the human as the autonomous axis around which every other organism revolves, instead emphasizing interconnection, co-evolution with other life forms, enmeshment with cultures and technologies.

Contemporary posthumanist thought counts many genealogies, including sources as wide ranging as critical humanism and many archives of Indigenous thought.

How can performance create a space for people not restricted to human people?

(7. Posthuman I: some people, here, soon)

C—One time I went with some friends to the woods. Just woods in the park, so I guess just lots of trees not really woods woods or forest woods. Anyways, it was full of addicts and people in tents or asleep in carboard boxes. I actually don’t think I like the woods and camping. We had this idea that if we went there, we might feel something. I’m not sure what but maybe something different. I’m sorry to say it wasn’t a success. My friend started giggling at this bum who was just completely tweaking on something. I mean, the hell? No fun: didn’t feel anything. Once was enough.