Shannon Clark on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:20:41 +0100 (CET) |
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Re: <nettime> Winter Camp 09: How Would You Organize Your Network? |
Geert, The schedule and format you have outlined for WinterCamp is very much in the spirit of an Open Space (though with some modifications) and in some other ways similar to the ongoing (and very successful & widespread) BarCamp movement - I suspect from the name you chose this is not a coincidence. I've organized, facilitated and otherwise helped out with now dozens of such events - a few suggestions & observations from one event organizer to another. (I'm sending this to nettime as I hope it may help other event organizers as well) 1. More than any other single factor the absolute most important part of any event held in Open Space (or similar formats) is the invitation. Who you invite - either directly or indirectly via a more open/public invitation - and even more so the frame which you set for the event - who will be there, what will be expected at the event, what goals if any are expected after the event etc. As Nina notes, there is some inherent tension in an event focused on networks and openness which is itself somewhat private & closed. This isn't necessarily a bad thing - and indeed it can be a useful tension - but it should be recognized. 2. I describe all events I facilitate as having an "ebb & flow" - the goal with any event where people are breaking up into small group discussions is to as the organizer create an overall structure and schedule such that people return from those small groups and intermingle, flow back together as a group and have the shared experiences which bind a group together (meals are excellent for this - but likewise shared group activities and experiences). 3. I would caution you about being too rigid with the workshop breakouts - there are many roles which people play at an Open Space or BarCamp style event. One is around the formal sessions - some people run sessions and mostly participate in others. But that is not the only or even most important role. An equally important role is that of "Butterflies" who "flit" between group, perhaps spending a few minutes in one session, then shifting to another, perhaps spending many sessions in ad hoc conversations in the hallways. These people play a vital role in weaving together the group - in cross pollinating ideas, in helping connect with people who find themselves in the hallways instead of in a session. Whenever possible I prefer to hold these types of events in a single, large, open space. (If the weather permits I love holding entire conferences outside and at least in part in motion). The key aspect of being all together in a single, large space (ideally with minimal furniture - and what furniture there is pushed out to the edges) is that it greatly facilitates people overhearing other discussions, people migrating between discourses and at a minimum having a generalized sense of what else is happening - which conversations are striking a deep chord with the group (and which are not) - and helping each individual find others at the event with shared passions. The mistake I see countless events (including most BarCamps) make is to have lots of small rooms, scattered throughout a venue, and to have very few shared group experiences so once the event starts everyone ends up with a personalized experience - moving between rooms - but has little overall sense of what the group as a whole is experiencing of thinking about. I would also highly recommend taking time on the first day to give everyone present a very visceral sense of who else is there - what brought them to the space, what backgrounds or perspectives they are bringing to the event. I generally do this with a group, physical exercise - plus if the group is small enough some basic introductions. One favorite is to pick THREE (no more and no less) broad themes related to the event. For WinterCamp this might be "Networks. Art. Politics" (pick better/more focused ones - but ideally terms which are in tension with each other) Then you ask the whole group to form a TRIANGLE where each person places themselves along an edge which represents what their specific interests are (i.e. if mostly Art then at that point, if equally Art & Politics then midway between those two points). The point of the exercise being threefold. 1. It forces people to choose since you don't allow them to break the edges - so they can't be equally interested in all three. 2. It gets people physically milling and moving about - which as a start to an Open Space/BarCamp style event is vital - it breaks people of the habit of just being passive listeners as they are all to often at most more typical conferences or events. 3. Once formed it gives people a broad perspective on the interests of the crowd PLUS an immediate chance to find fellow travelers who share specific interests (i.e the people immediately around you in the triangle have just identified themselves as sharing your exact interests). I generally start an event with an overview of the logistics (welcoming people, pointing out where facilities are, going over the broad schedule for the day). Then I give a short background about the format, the event (sponsors/organizers etc). Then the group exercise(s). And following that the first day's breakout sessions. I typically have a grid with eh available spaces for breakouts - and then ask people to come to the center of the group and identify themselves and the session they would like to see happen. (and then select a time for that session - typically only scheduling the first day - leaving the later days to be filled in later) What usually happens is that other people in the group share similar or related interests - and rather than each convening a separate session usually folks agree to work together on the same session. And the schedule often shifts are people ask for the bigger spaces (or spaces with facilities they need for a session such as a projector) and to balance out the schedule etc. This process may take some time- but it also serves as a means to introduce a large portion of the group to each other. Then we go into the breakout sessions. I would usually also recommend keeping any formal presentations or talks to the EDGES of the schedule - in the mornings BEFORE working sessions or in the late afternoon/evening post-dinner. This allows people to e stay in a "working session" mode for a concentrated period of time. It is, however, good to have a shared group lunch - just don't also have a speaker at or during lunch - instead people will naturally be continuing conversations started in the workshops and in the hallways. It is also usually a really good practice to end the day back together as a group - and to at the end of each day get a brief report to the group as a whole about the discussions & progress made in the various sessions during that day (usually to do this means asking each session to have at least someone taking some notes - on paper & perhaps on a wiki) to report back later. Starting each day as a group and building that day's sessions and then ending the formal part of the day with reports back to the group usually dramatically accelerates the progress of the group as a whole. I think your schedule of evening group experiences and events is a really good contrast to the working sessions during the days - shared meals & experiences really help bind people together. Hope this is helpful and that you have a great and highly productive event! Shannon Founder, Nearness Function - brand advertising & sponsorships Twitter - rycaut Blogs: Slow Brand - http://slowbrand.com Searching for the Moon - http://shannonclark.wordpress.com Publisher - tbnl Magazine - great, timeless stories (fiction & non) # distributed via <nettime>: no commercial use without permission # <nettime> is a moderated mailing list for net criticism, # collaborative text filtering and cultural politics of the nets # more info: http://mail.kein.org/mailman/listinfo/nettime-l # archive: http://www.nettime.org contact: nettime@kein.org