I have created and licenced an Open Toolkit for Artistic Learning. I’d like to organise a public event within which to present and run this Open Toolkit that will attract like-minded peers. I’ve heard that “unconferences” are ways of organising such participatory events, but I’m not sure what unconferences are, or how to find out about them. It all seems so daunting. Where should I start?
the unconference is a good way of bringing people together to find connections or learn new skills, whilst also sharing information and knowledge. this is about openness and freedom to exchange skills in all different ways like presentations, workshops and group discussions. identifying an area of your practice or something that is currently interesting to you is a good place to start and once this is identified ensure you have enough information on the topic to establish a workshop that will fit into the unconference event eg. timing, materials, groups. from reading Mob Rule Learning chapter 5: Unconference Case Studies, i have learnt about many ways of hosting unconferences that give a platform to various ideas and themes. a successful way to create this event would be to establish who is taking part and what the common thread is between practices eg. making something physical, quick presentations about topics, showcase of works and ideas. this then makes it easier to market the event to people who will enjoy it and benefit from the learning, participants are needed to make the event work and for its ideas to spread to others. it is a must to think about other ways people can join in too, online or perhaps can find the material created in the event in their own time. when hosts and topics are established, the organising of the events activities can be approached fairly freely, with each host’s needs of space and time taken into consideration. the unconference is a great way of getting to know people through a range of activities and finding more about other practices that are linked to your own. it is important for everyone to participate and to take peoples presentations or workshops seriously for the unconference to work for everyone. some events that i have researched have combined learning with chances to try out other activities outside of the event to create connections and allow for some time to unwind from the busy event that is taking place. this allows for a more laid-back atmosphere to the event without too many rules and talk-heavy formats in place. it is good to get feedback about individual workshops and the unconference as a whole to learn from things that went well or not so well, so if carried out again could be better and more informative. everyone, if they are organising or participating, should be supportive of each toolkit, as an unconference can be quite unsettled, and consider each seriously but also light-heartedly.
