Large-scale community project
Jon Harvey
jon at jonharveyassociates.co.uk
Wed Jul 21 09:37:18 PDT 2010
Liz
Thanks for posting this – sounds wonderful!
Lisa has responded with much wisdom to many of your points (what time is it
with you Lisa?!) already. I would add a couple of ideas:
I am with Lisa on concerns about using a theatre – but if that is all you
have – that is all you have. I once ran an open space in a large marquee –
is there a circus tent that you could borrow? Do check out the stuff that
Phelim has posted here recently regarding his use of a theatre to create a
(sort of) flat circle in a tiered place!
As you will know – they have these wonderful cardboard wall structures in
Germany that we used at the WOSONOS a few weeks ago. I am currently
exploring whether I can put the German company who manufactures these in
touch with a mate of mine whose business is cardboard packaging. (I will get
back to you soon Jo!) Perhaps there might be scope in setting up the company
links in time for your event. I have tried contacting the company direct –
but to no avail. Maybe with your EU contacts it might be possible to import
them anyway? As Lisa suggests there are other fixes – including just getting
some panels from a DIY shop – such as the polystyrene they use in house
insulation – though not very eco friendly! Metaplan boards are good – and I
know the distributor in this country – if you need me to – I can put you in
touch.
Signing – again I am with Lisa – I have to say that I have never bothered
with this – heresy! I use balloons (big letters floating 2m off the ground)
so that people can take their group wherever they wish to go – the space
moves around flexibly if a large number show up....
I had an option of a large projector screen in the last series of OS I ran –
in the end – we did not bother. It felt just a bit too ‘techy’ and the
dynamism of an agenda wall flows much better. I now don’t bother with grids.
So long as you have the time slot spaces mapped out clearly and distinctly –
there is no need. The post it notes identify where the session is happening.
For the sake of clarity I have different colours for the different times...
The action planning stage of the WOSONOS in Berlin was new to some people
(including me) – but I thought it worked well and allowed for some
‘convergence’. Our BOSCOP colleagues may have some views about this too of
course! Indeed so might others. But to pick up on what Lisa says –
convergence for what? What are the outcomes that are expected / hoped for /
anticipated? Who will be invited? How long will the events be? How will you
be organising the training? There are plenty of people who could help out if
you need it. How are you linking all this stuff with the Prime Minister’s
‘big society’?
If you would like to meet up face to face – do give me a call. We could meet
half way somewhere (I am Buckingham based) – I am happy to share whatever I
can to assist.
Very best wishes
Jon
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From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Lisa Heft
Sent: 21 July 2010 16:38
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: Large-scale community project
Hi, Liz - how exciting!
I am one of those who has done quite a few OSs for 1500 and 2000 and more.
One of my recommendations is to keep in mind that while the form of OS stays
the same (and scales up to those overall group sizes) your pre-work shall
probably include lots of thought about what makes the site intuitively easy
to navigate / find a session they are interested in way across the site
without folks getting lost, ability to hear and to see and access Agenda
Wall, facilitator, session convenors announcing their sessions, other access
issue such as wheelchair/crutch/weaker legs issues and so on. All true of
smaller events too - but in my experience, crucial in the larger ones. Also
watching traffic pattens not just for ease of navigating but for safety
issues as well (should there be a fire or other emergency, where are the
clear routes of access and exit).
So as a 'Devils Advocate' question - the theatre is the only big space you
can use? rather than an auditorium or conference hall with completely clear
(for discussion area set-up) floor space?
I'm guessing you went through all that investigation and the theatre space
is what you have.
Wall space: I have used and heard of sticky walls (parachute-like material
with spray-adhesive where the topic signs just stick - but of course you
have to affix that fabric and its weight of signage onto the wall as well),
exhibit walls such as in trade shows (often cost a lot to rent), fold-out
cardboard walls such as Neuland products offer (perhaps a bit expensive as
well), 'Canadian tables' (tables leaned upright so their faces become the
'wall' surface), sides of busses, clotheslines with clothes pins (again,
plan for sag and weight of signs), curtains and straight pins...
...I am curious why you need walls when it is a theatre...perhaps you can
explain the space more - thanks.
Signing up: Many of my dear colleagues who I respect deeply feel the signing
up on the topic signs is essential for setting intention and furthering the
self-organization. I experimented with dropping that as 'one less thing' and
I found it improved upon the situation. The 'situation' I refer to is not
just about traffic jams at the wall (which was my initial reason for trying
this one less thing) but also I noted that some session convenors saw nobody
signing up for their sessions so assumed nobody would come and removed their
signs (when in actuality through the course of the day folks are drawn to
more or different sessions than they signed their names on to / thought they
might be interested in at the beginning of the day) - others said 'oh my -
this is a big group coming - I must go find a big room ' and when it
actually happened maybe 10 people came - because again - their interests and
energies changed throughout the day. So to me, the not signing names on
topic signs (except of course for the convenor placing her/his name on their
own sign) seems to be an improvement. However I do invite my great
colleagues - especially those who have done larger events who do still
include the signing-up element - to share what works, why they retain it and
so on - many diverse experiences lead to several options and styles.
Video screen: I have had several large events where this has been part of
the design - and in each one found that the client worked hard on this (such
as transcribing what is going up on the wall immediately so they can throw
it on a screen / multiple screens) but the participants have ignored the
screen and instead go up to the wall with the papers on it - whether that
Agenda Wall is in the main room where most sessions are convening (with some
breakout spaces down the hall) or whether the Agenda Wall is moved to the
hallway or something specific to that site. What are other folks'
experiences, especially in these larger group sizes / events?
Convergence: For that I would have to ask you what is your objective for
that convergence. If you mean Closing Circle comments and reflections as
your convergence, I just use multiple microphone locations and invite folks
to come up to share their reflections, discoveries, breakthrough
conversations, exciting stories and rich learnings of the day. And I have
those scribed to include in the Book of Proceedings. Not going around in a
circle but offering time for folks to come up to the mic. Is that what you
mean?
And: are you doing documentation / having participants take their notes to
co-create a Book of Proceedings? I've done that as well for these large
events and I am sure my colleagues who do larger OS events have done this as
well - ask away.
I look forward to hearing my colleagues similar and different experiences
for these larger groups,
Lisa
Lisa Heft
Consultant, Facilitator, Educator
Opening Space
lisaheft at openingspace.net
www.openingspace.net
Ask me about the The Power of Pre-Work workshop for facilitators -August
18-20, 2010 - San Francisco
and the Open Space Learning Workshops - October 15-18, 2010 - Medellin,
Colombia and December 15-17, 2010 - San Francisco
On Jul 21, 2010, at 8:00 AM, Liz Martins wrote:
Dear all
I’m involved in a large-scale community project in Bristol, UK, based on OS.
As well as local OS events across the city, it culminates in large (1500
people) OS event in February. I’ll put information about the project below,
if you’re interested.
No doubt I’ll be coming to the list quite a few times over the next months,
but just now I’d really appreciate some help about
· Whether anyone has a large event coming up (in the UK or Europe)
that might be possible for some of our project team to attend
· Whether anyone has done something like our project and is willing
to share any learning
And, starting to think about the process detail for the big event (which is
in a big theatre with additional breakout space in a large modern extension
so has limitations on flexibility)
· We know we’re going to need masses of additional wall space and
wondering how best to achieve this - we’ve seen/heard of people using
portable stands, cardboard walls etc – what’s out there?
· What about people signing up or not signing up – what’s lost if they
don’t do this and just go to the conversations? The ‘traffic’ is going to be
a challenge, and this would be one less thing to do.
· Our plan is to have separate sections of wall for the different
session times – but within this, any thoughts about whether, given the large
numbers of people, it’s best to use a grid or free-form posting using
post-its?
· Experience of using large video screen(s) so people can see what’s
going on the wall?
· Thoughts about convergence in very large events?
· Anything else that you think of that might be helpful
.!
With many thanks in anticipation of help
Liz
Liz Martins
<mailto:lizmartins2 at gmail.com> lizmartins2 at gmail.com
+44 (0)7977 932066
Bristol Open Space Project - Part of EY2010: European Year for Combating
Poverty and Social Exclusion.
A Better Bristol For All
The Open Space project is part of a larger European project (EY2010). Key
aims are to give voice to those experiencing poverty and social exclusion
and also to raise awareness of how we need to work together as a society
towards equality and inclusion. Bristol’s response to EY2010 is a series of
events and projects around the whole city under the heading of “Working
Together for Positive Change”.
The Open Space project, A Better Bristol For All, aims to support better
contact and flow of creativity between local grassroots social and community
action groups within the context of the whole of Bristol. Each
neighbourhood is being invited to put on an Open Space event to look at
local connections and creativity and then culminate in coming together in
February 2011 in one mass open space event. This will bring together the
ideas, creativity and inspiration that has been sparked locally, so that
Bristol comes together, to be more in contact, more creative, and move to a
Better Bristol for All.
The project starts with forming a project team of about 16 people keen to
learn about facilitating OS meetings and using it in their future work in
communities. The aim is to grow ‘OS’ facilitation as a resource for the
city. Most of these people are already signed up. There’s a one-day training
in OS for them in September with more during the project.
The flow of the project is to start with a central focus involving key
people, then out to local communities, and then back to the major event in
February. In October there’s an OS day with about 100 people from the
council and Bristol city neighbourhood partnerships, grassroots community
groups, service users etc. This event will provide the impetus for taking
the project out to the local areas. In Nov/Dec/Jan there will be 12 local
neighbourhood OS events across the city, funded by the project and
facilitated by people from the project team, working with local organisers.
Then, in February there will be the final big OS event bringing together
people from across the city who have been involved in the neighbourhood
events, and others, including from European cities twinned with Bristol.
The key themes that come out of the project will be taken forward and
presented to local and national government.
I’m holding responsibility for the OS process, with my colleague Vivian
Broughton who had the vision for the project initially. We will be training
and supporting the project team and facilitating events ourselves or
supporting project team members to do so. The logistics, budget, PR etc and
everything else are being held elsewhere, though we will be involved where
it impacts on the OS process. Vivian and I both have experience of
facilitating OS, and Vivian was at the big 2000+ event in Germany
facilitated by HO and Michael P, but we haven’t done it like this before, at
such scale. We expect to be very surprised!
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