Facilitating open space for a diversity of ages

Thu Jun 17 05:50:50 PDT 2010

Dear Sarah-Jane and the List,

I got to know Open Space as a pupile in school.
I didn't have very high expectation when I came to the event, because I 
never really experienced school to be very creative. But the weekend was 
fantastic! The best thing was, that MMP and Irmie, his assistent, didn't 
do much apart from preparing the space and giving the start signal: Then 
the space was to us.
I remember how we got involved imidiatly and happyly. We even danced and 
sung, too.

But it wasn't only the OS which was great. The big change followed 
afterwards: from then on we got organized in OS-manner when we continued 
our selforganized work in school.

Some of us got hooked and started to facilitated OSs themselfs after 
leaving school - untill today...

I wish you all the best for the event - knowing that most of the 
increadible change will not be visible there but in the life and hearts 
and heads of the people beeing involved.

There is one technical thought, I would like to add:
You said there are going to be computers for the report. Why skipp them 
and provide paper forms for the documantation sheets in the breakout 
spaces? Sheets can be written or drawn, etc. *together and during the 
sessions* - to me this handmade style is always a lovlely memory of the 
diversity of the group and it's spitit.
Instead of spending quite a while alone infront of a computer to put 
together an offical-looking-paper, everybody can work on things that 
really matter: taking a break, singing, dancing, eating, laughing.

Enjoy the event!!!

Greetings from Berlin,
Anna Caroline

Am 17.06.10 11:44, schrieb Sarah-Jane Rawlings:
> Harrison
>
> That is fantastic - I would so love it if that did happen and I think 
> if we ask them to bring anything to contribute like you have 
> suggested, anything could happen.
>
> Thank you Thank you
>
> Sarah-Jane
> ---
> /
> Sarah-Jane Rawlings
> General Manager
> Improbable
> 4th Floor
> 43 The Aldwych
> London
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>
> 020 7240 4556
> sarahjane at improbable.co.uk <mailto:sarahjane at improbable.co.uk>
> www.improbable.co.uk <http://www.improbable.co.uk>
>
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> On 15 Jun 2010, at 21:13, Harrison Owen wrote:
>
>> More thoughts… Some years ago a large group of American Community 
>> Arts Councils did an OS on their work – just like you all. But it was 
>> an Open Space unlike any other I have ever seen. The participants 
>> were a talented crew, to say the least, with an inventive passion 
>> that seemed to know no bounds. Right from the start when they 
>> announced their sessions it was a new and different ballgame. Session 
>> announcements were danced, mimed, sung, drummed and just about every 
>> other artistic medium you can think of. And it went from there all 
>> through the two days. When they got to the end, I guess you could 
>> call it a “closing circle” but improve dance would be more accurate. 
>> Anyhow I would presume that you will be hosting a similarly talented 
>> group, and my suggestion would to invite them to brings anything that 
>> they feel might contribute to the party. Instruments for sure, but 
>> that might be just the beginning. Who am I to tell you and Phelim how 
>> to “do improv” – but I think you will have a lot more fun if you 
>> think of the gathering not (just) as an Open Space but also as a 
>> wonderful improvisation with 150 participants. And for sure the 3 
>> year olds will be the stars!
>> Harrison
>> Harrison Owen
>> 7808 River Falls Dr.
>> Potomac, MD 20854
>> USA
>> Phone 301-365-2093
>> www.openspaceworld.com <http://www.openspaceworld.com>
>> www.ho-image.com <http://www.ho-image.com> (Personal Website)
>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of 
>> oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu <mailto:oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu>:
>> http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
>> *From:* OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] *On Behalf Of 
>> *Sarah-Jane Rawlings
>> *Sent:* Monday, June 14, 2010 11:06 AM
>> *To:* OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU 
>> <mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
>> *Subject:* Facilitating open space for a diversity of ages
>> I work with Phelim at Improbable and in July we are facilitating an 
>> open space for 150 teachers and their pupils and artists who have all 
>> been working together over the last five years in a government 
>> supported programme around artists in schools. The aim of the open 
>> space is to give all of the participants an opportunity to feed back 
>> on the experience but also to begin to think about how they could be 
>> taking it all forward and the question is: *Knowing what we know now, 
>> what should we really be doing at school?*
>> The participants will include children as young as 3 to 16 and their 
>> teachers and the artists who have been working with them and I just 
>> wondered if anyone had experience of facilitating open space with 
>> this diversity of age range. We have thought about enlarging the news 
>> room to include a kind of craft / making area to enable the very 
>> young ones (and anyone else of course) to report in ways other than 
>> using computers but would welcome any other tips at all.
>> Thank you very much.
>> Sarah-Jane
>>
>>
>> ---
>> Sarah-Jane Rawlings
>> General Manager
>> Improbable
>> 020 7240 4556
>> _sarahjane at improbable.co.uk <mailto:sarahjane at improbable.co.uk>_
>> www.improbable.co.uk <http://www.improbable.co.uk>
>> Join our social network: _http://devotedanddisgruntled.ning.com_
>> Follow us on Twitter @ improbable1 or @ DandDUK
>> You can also visit us on: www.facebook.com <http://www.facebook.com>
>> / /
>>

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