[OSList] Jordan open space on the Creative Sector Post Arab Spring

[Phelim McDermott]

Dear Open Space friends,

We got back from our three day open space in Jordan last week pretty worn out but strangely exhilarated. 

First of all a big thankyou to all of you who helped us with the translations of the principles that you provided. They might be worth checking in our photos as our Joradian helpers did tweak at least one of the signs.

The event was about the future of the Cultural Sector in The Middle East and North Africa post the Arab Spring. About 180 people. 

There were issues with the whole event we knew would come up as challenges because of extraneous organisational things we knew about but we thought it was worth putting up with those because the positives outweighed the drawbacks. 

I guess one of the the learnings is how specifically the main event is undermined by the mixed messages that not just doing OS sends out. An open space with programmed timetabled events even on its periphery can be very frustrating. Not just because of going from self organisation to "facilitation" but because it seems to send a subliminal message of "not quite trusting that OST will deal with everything that needs to be done."

Our first day was tough as we arrived to find that they had doubled booked a Royal Wedding into the space when we were supposed to be setting up. Our team of three including Seth and Sarah as well as myself proved essential. 

Next day the OS didn't start until the afternoon and not before the morning's opening speeches had grown from five speakers to nine and their length had grown from five to fifteen minutes each, as I assured out host they would. The TV cameras that swarmed through the rows of lined up chairs to accompany the minister of culture's arrival set the tone for the morning. 

Once this was done we had just about an hour to turn round all the signs we had hidden and move the 200 chairs into a big circle. We had decided the best way to support our OS was to surprise people by how different the room would be when they came back.

I have to say my most useful meditative pre OS practice is to move chairs and create a true circle. Usually this involves breaking the straight lines the people who lay out the "circle" are drawn to create. Anyway doing this and feeling how it might be to sit in is my most centring activity. 

By the time I came to open the space I was just "another person talking at them" and was certainly holding them back from getting on with the work at hand.

The tight time-slot meant we had enough space for just one session before evening news. Which had the energy not of an evening reflection but the chaos of the space having only just been opened on the pressure cooker the morning had created. I noticed that there were sessions trying to happen in the news and the dissonance of different topics starting up which some were interested in some were not. 

This is an interesting dynamic in OS the navigation between the smaller groups and the big group seems to be an indicator of how the group is growing into its ability to communicate with itself and deal with its own diversity of concerns. There was a lot of chaos energy around and I think gave some people an edge and resistance to meeting in a big group again something to think about if you start with a shorter first day.  

During the next three days there was some great energy and lots of great feedback on the whole event. Great sessions such as "setting up a dance space on Jordan." "Social media." and "Sexual liberation for women" We managed to get a full document of their sessions printed out overnight.

A particular hotspot for the whole event was translation as it was trilingual. We had simultaneous translation for the opening and then had to negotiate between us once the Marketplace was opened. 

I spent a lot of time dealing with people who wanted to make speeches to the whole group. I encouraged them to call sessions and see who came. 

There were "closed' groups that happened outside the OS in the evening (an attempt to keep control of the chaos?) and lots of interest in taking the process into other areas. I hope some of the people we may meet again at WOSonOs. 

I will be sending details to a lot of people there about OS Egypt and you guys may receive some communications from participants. 

Lots of love 


Phelim.   
x

There are some great photos here which Seth Honnor took. 

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/3io65bh85n842hn/wxqiBz-M5g

Of particular interest are the last two which are a before and after of the rows of chairs to the big circle... quite a difference! Oh and my pink suit.  


________________________________

I generally pick up emails only at the beginning and end of the working day. I am currently aiming to respond the following day. If it is urgent please call me on 07956 187298. 
_____________________________________

@openspacer
www.wosonos2012.com
www.devotedanddisgruntled.com
www.improbable.co.uk

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.openspacetech.org/pipermail/oslist-openspacetech.org/attachments/20120529/6b37af99/attachment-0007.htm>