<p dir="ltr">Whilst I agree and resonate with the sentiment of "if only you had longer than two hours", I don't agree that shorter open spaces "short change" participants. And I am someone whose most wonderful OS experience was at an Open Space that ran for four days!</p>
<p dir="ltr">So, here's an alternative perspective - one that distinguishes Open Space Technology from Opening Space. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Opening Space can take one second and be vital and wonderful. When our eyes meet a stranger and we smile - that can be opening space, especially if we self-organise, taking or giving ourselves permission to break with the "rule" of never smiling at strangers or the structure of "always walking on by.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Open Space Technology takes a bit of time to set up, and therefore longer is often suggested as better (though even Open Space Technology can bet set up in a few minutes, rather than the 45 mins it is often strung out to). Also quite a few open space fans see open space is so good for the world, that any minutes not doing are a kind of terrible shame. That distaste for structure is plain silly and a bit vain.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Opening Space lies beyond time, though it manifests for us on timelines and in space. We can open space during five minutes for a life-changing conversation. We can open space for two hours, or two days, or two decades.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Often less can be so much more - and this applies to number of minutes too.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Opening Space needs only permission to self-organise and the principles of OST are great to enable that self-organisation.</p>
<p dir="ltr">So, for me, two hours is what it is, and it is potentially as powerful as a lifetime. Two hours is not "not longer" - it is 120 gloriously potential minutes.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Open Space for it and trust the community to make use of it. Out of it might come some restlessness to open more space. Or not.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I believe it is a fallacy to equate open space as being always better if longer. I'm not sure we have really begun to see how OST can embrace an hour, though I've heard some inspiring stories. Moments of wow happen in moments, and not always because they took place in hours of not wow. They emerge. And they can emerge across a crowded room between two strangers in a second, and change the whole universe, just as much as they can emerge at an open space conference over 8 hours.</p>
<p dir="ltr">You have two hours and that is what you have! Open Space for two hours and trust to what opening space can do with anything, anywhere, anytime.</p>
<p dir="ltr">warm wishes</p>
<p dir="ltr">Paul </p>
<div class="gmail_quote">On 12 Apr 2013 17:02, "Jeff Aitken" <<a href="mailto:r.jeff.aitken@gmail.com">r.jeff.aitken@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br type="attribution"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
Hi Chris,<br>
<br>
Last year at the height of the Occupy gatherings, we brought 130<br>
people together for a two hour evening. I did a 30 minute opening, we<br>
had two 30 minute sessions for 24 topics, and used the final 30<br>
minutes for report-backs from the convenors of the topics, focused on<br>
what ideas or plans they are taking 'out of the room'. It was a very<br>
high energy gathering. Of course we wish we devoted a day or more.<br>
<br>
Because of the size of the church hall and the fact that some<br>
breakouts were in another building, I felt ok about designing for two<br>
sessions instead of trying three. For example I noticed elders taking<br>
their time moving from place to place. However, if there were well<br>
over 30 topics I can see that would have been a spatial challenge to<br>
work with.<br>
<br>
Jeff<br>
<br>
On 4/12/13, chris grady <<a href="mailto:chris@chrisgrady.org">chris@chrisgrady.org</a>> wrote:<br>
> Dear Chris<br>
><br>
> I recently did 200 doctors and patients in 3 hrs, and I'm about to do a<br>
> follow up with 300 in the same time !!<br>
> We offered stenographers roaving around the room to help with notetaking,<br>
> and whilst we had the Newsroom for effect we didn't push participants to<br>
> have to do their own writing up. The challenge was to move them from the<br>
> circle to get started. I underplayed the time for merging sessions and<br>
> marketplace so we kept it moving. The individual agenda sessions were set<br>
> at 2 timeslots of 45 minutes each with no break. This was not ideal, and I<br>
> don't know how it will work with an extra 100 people in the room. Time<br>
> will tell.<br>
><br>
> I am hoping the medics will like Open Space so much that they will realise<br>
> allowing it to breathe more will help<br>
> I didn't stint on the time for the opening circle - because I needed to<br>
> calm them after an hour of key note speeches which the medics insisted was<br>
> also needed. They are reducing that front-end speaching this time round<br>
> having seen the effect of Open Space.<br>
><br>
> Good luck<br>
> Cheers<br>
><br>
> Chris<br>
><br>
> Chris Grady<br>
> Chris Grady.Org<br>
><br>
> Gothic House, High Road, Great Finborough, Suffolk IP14 3AQ<br>
> Tel: <a href="tel:%2B44%201449%20771007" value="+441449771007">+44 1449 771007</a>, Mob: <a href="tel:%2B44%207713%20643971" value="+447713643971">+44 7713 643971</a><br>
> <a href="mailto:chris@chrisgrady.org">chris@chrisgrady.org</a><br>
><br>
> <a href="http://www.chrisgrady.org" target="_blank">www.chrisgrady.org</a><br>
> Associates: Kath Burlinson <<a href="http://www.kathburlinson.co.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.kathburlinson.co.uk/</a>>, Tom<br>
> Atkins<<a href="http://www.tomatkins.co.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.tomatkins.co.uk/</a>><br>
> , Rajni Shah <<a href="http://www.rajnishah.com/" target="_blank">http://www.rajnishah.com/</a>> and Kate Reed (New York)<br>
> *CGO - Making Connections*<br>
><br>
> *Current Projects/Contracts*:<br>
> Course Leader – MA Arts Management Anglia Ruskin University<br>
> International Licensing Consultant – Stage Entertainment NL<br>
> Industry Liaison (shared post) – Mountview Academy of Theatre<br>
> Associate - Wonderbird Ltd / Consultancy<br>
> In development - StoryMusic2020<br>
><br>
> For more information on CGO Surgeries for theatremakers and emerging<br>
> artists<br>
> And for work using Open Space Technology go to <a href="http://www.chrisgrady.org" target="_blank">www.chrisgrady.org</a><br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> On Fri, Apr 12, 2013 at 9:23 AM, Chris Altmikus @ iDeA-Link <<br>
> <a href="mailto:chris.altmikus@idea-link.eu">chris.altmikus@idea-link.eu</a>> wrote:<br>
><br>
>> Hello dear Open Space friends,<br>
>><br>
>> I am preparing for a very short OS Session, 120 minutes ... with some<br>
>> 100+<br>
>> participants, french- and/or german-speaking.<br>
>><br>
>> Any experience and guidance you may be willing to share on how to open &<br>
>> structure such a ... short ... space ? How crisp can I make the opening,<br>
>> which I will be doing in both German & French... What is the additional<br>
>> thing I can drop or leave doing ... ?<br>
>><br>
>> Gratefully yours + Chris<br>
>><br>
>> *Chris Altmikus*<br>
>><br>
>> *Human Systems @ iDeA-Link*****<br>
>><br>
>> *La Bovarde 37*****<br>
>><br>
>> *1091 Grandvaux*****<br>
>><br>
>> *Suisse*****<br>
>><br>
>> ** **<br>
>><br>
>> *<a href="tel:%2B41%2033%20533%2031%2034" value="+41335333134">+41 33 533 31 34</a>*****<br>
>><br>
>> *<a href="tel:%2B41%2078%20935%2031%2034" value="+41789353134">+41 78 935 31 34</a>*****<br>
>><br>
>> *Chris.Altmikus@iDeA-Link.eu* <Chris.Altmikus@iDeA-Link.eu><br>
>><br>
>><br>
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