Notes from 27/11/07

Open Up! 27/11/07

What are we doing/what’s the aim of the group?

We need to collate all our findings. Although a report is a bit formal it would probably be useful to some people if we present our findings in this way as well as other more imaginative ways (I didn’t write that second bit but I think that is an idea we had or maybe just me…thinking along lines of something on a wall for people who don’t want to read a report type thing (possibly most people).

We want to change things in a tangible way. It is all very well figuring out what needs to change, but how can it be implemented? A lot of it is about behavioural changes.

Roles are fenced off.
Occasions when a select group of people are emailed about an issue to do with tcp
Maybe we need to formalise collectives, but with a clear and easy way of getting involved in each. Make sure they’re easily accessible.

There are entrenched patterns and status quo that need breaking down. These need to be highlighted to people and then acted upon.
Problem that even if trying to communicate a neutral observation to someone they can take it as a criticism and become defensive. Everyone needs to be involved in exposing the patterns- needs to be open and honest.

Discussion about health check – see Catherine’s notes

More from end: we frame lots of things as negative, need to take a step back and take stock of the positive things about tcp as well as the negatives!

Notes from 2nd meeting - 21/10/07

We didn't talk much about how this group would work at the first meeting (see notes below). So we discussed what the group is about and came up with a simple plan

1. Feedback about CP
2. Compare and contrast - look at other social centres, autonomous spaces etc, see how they have dealt with similiar problems and do things differently - go on trips if possible.
3. Action - make postive changes where we can.

Roles and responsibilities within The Common Place:

It can be unclear who does what, how work is shared out and what the collectives and user groups are. There is an informal structure but this needs exlaining to people.

Volunteering

There needs to be a more structured way in to volunteering, but not too structured.

People in collectives, user groups and other groups are to be contacted and invited to come together and discuss how this could work.

Ideas so far: show volunteer calendar and introduce to event coordinator or collective member by email or face to face, find a specific contact for this purpose in each group who is happy with the role, make a volunteer pack, ask groups to think about how they work and how they could communicate this to volunteers

Looking at how other collectives work

We're going to research this.

Physical problems with the building

A day/night will be organised to sort out the lighting in a creative way which makes the place more welcoming and pleasant.

Feedback gathering

1) Questionnaire to be devised and sent out far and wide to get lots of peoples thoughts on The Common Place.

2) Comments book to be made and put near the door.

3) Use information being gathered already for the social centres article/booklet

All of this will be distributed and displayed.

October 24, 2007 5:30 AM

Notes from 24/09/07

Following on from the general meeting on 6/9/07, 4 of us got together to start thinking about the barriers to people becoming (more) involved with the common place. We wanted to consider how inclusive our social centre is and try to identify some problems we might be able to address together. From the outset we wanted this process to be a model of how things could be done inclusively, to the best of our ability. For that reason, we decided not to try to come up with all the answers ourselves but rather to start off a process where everyone could see what was happening from the outset, and comment or get involved as much as possible. With this is mind, we're putting our ideas here on this blog. We started by brainstorming around the problems that we've seen ourselves or been told about. You might be able to think of other examples, or you might think our examples are misconceived. Please comment freely on this or anything else you think is relevant.

Examples of problems

• Being looked up and down when coming into an event because of how you look.
• Being shouted at across the room for being a man and not knowing it was a women-only event.
• The risk that there could be a perceived hierarchy of:
  1) elders (people involved from start, having strong investments in status quo - can act like they own the place)
  2) meeting goers
  3) users.
• All potential obstacles to new people getting involved.
• Difficulty opening up discussions about identity.
• Difficult to be involved creatively because this is somehow “sewn up”. Complaints that all interesting decisions seem to have been made.
  
• Using jargon can exclude people from discussions unless they've been 'initiated'.
• Being talked over in meetings
• Closed off roles, structures in organisation limiting involvement, closed groups.
• Behaviour of people that limits involvement e.g. rudeness, active discouragement.
• Quality of building
  
• DIY/Collective working are new concepts to many people and not always explained, also need to acknowledge these concepts can take time to get used to.
• Confusion over responsibilities, distribution of legally required roles vs cp non-hierarchical practices

Info gathering process

• Questionnaire
• Focus groups
• Minutes of above e.g. on blog to comment on
• “Guest book”

Interventions

• ‘New members’ night
• Skill share
• Role play e.g. being welcoming on the door, increase appreciation of how your behaviour effects other people.
• Produce report, recommendations
  
• Review, re-invent and relaunch cp