Open Space
Information for our participants…
Our aim for this Si² workshop is to advance the conversation and action around social innovation and social institutions. But what this looks like is up to you!
We have tried to work on creating conditions that will be conducive to both conversation and action. We see Thursday night as a way to create connections, and most of Friday as a chance to explore share practical and theoretical insights in large and small groups. But on Friday evening things change.
We have carved out a block of time – some “open space” – for you to work with other participants on advancing the conversation and action around social innovation in ways that matter to you. We don’t know what you will decide to do but we know why we invited you!
We will outline the process of connecting with people on Friday evening and we’ve attached a neat summary of Open Space (source: The Bank of I.D.E.A.S – www.bankofideas.com.au)
But we don’t want you to wait until Friday evening to think about how you might use this time. We would like you to record your questions, ideas, thoughts as we go through the day. We will set up a newspaper roll at one end of the room and give you a stack of large post-its for easy contribution. There are no right or wrong answers – only illegible handwriting will be punished 
Carving out such space is risky – but it is a risk we want to take. The diversity of experience and knowledge of the participants in this workshop is incredible offering the potential for highly generative conversations and purposeful action. We hope you find it to be both fulfilling and productive.
Tom & Graham
INFORMATION ON “OPEN SPACE”
(Taken from The Bank of I.D.E.A.S – www.bankofideas.com.au)
Background
Open Space Technology was created in the mid 1980’s as a learning experience by Harrison Owens when he discovered that people attending conferences / workshops preferred coffee breaks and lunchtimes more than formal presentation and planning sessions! He discovered that in coffee break and lunchtime, participants chose who they wanted to be with, and shared topics that were of interest to them.
Process
Open Space events or sessions have no keynote speaker, no pre arranged schedule of workshops and no panel discussions. Instead, participants learn initially about a process to create their own learning experience. They go about creating and participating in discussion of their own forces. The steps are simple –
Step One: Processes and key principles are explained.
Step Two: Anyone wanting to initiate a discussion or activity summarises it in a few words or a sentence on a large sheet of paper and then stands up and has less than a minute to announce his/her interest topic to the group. After selecting one of the pre-established times and places, they ‘post’ their proposed discussions / workshop on a wall.
Step Three: When everyone who wants to initiate / post a topic is done, it is time for what Owen refers to as the Village Marketplace’ – participant’s mill around the wall of options, putting together their personal schedules for the duration of the event.
Step Four: The first discussion / workshops begin immediately.
Open Space Principles
- Whoever comes is the right people.
- Whatever happens is the only thing that could have.
- Whenever it starts is the right time. (we won’t be able to do this)
- When it is over, it is over. (or this, really)
- ‘The Law of Two Feet’ – if you find yourself in a group where you are not learning, contributing or enjoying, go somewhere else.
