[ELECTRON] open day forums

[Simon Yuill]

Hi,

Dan mentioned in his outline schedule about there being 'forums' for the
Open Day, I have already discussed a bit with the FabLabs people
directly, but will outline it here too.

There's normally a good bit of discussion at the presentation talks
we've had in the Open Days, so the idea is to build on this and
encourage more cross-overs with other groups and projects. We've booked
the big upstairs meeting room for this so we can fit more people in and
have also set each 'forum' to an hour long slot, the idea being that
more than one person can make a presentation plus we can have more of a
round table discussion to go with it.

As you can see in Dan's schedule there are 3 forums listed:

1.) FabLabs and GreenMap - the theme for this would broadly be
'socially-engaged technologies' looking at different projects that have
made use of technology in a way that is socially beneficial. This could
be projects like the Green Map but could also include more
arts-orientated things or simpler workshoppy things. There would be a
practical aim to the discussion which would be to introduce the FabLabs
Glasgow project and encourage links between different groups and people
interested in this kind of work.

2.) community media - there are rumours that Bob's Bridge project, a
social networking site for community media, will be ready for the next
open day so partly this session would introduce that. As with the FabLab
forum this would also bring in other groups and focus around a
discussion of how to help create links and knowledge for community-based
groups and campaigns to make use of web-based media and 'citizen
journalism'.

3.) direct action and social justice - this will be more of a practical
workshop mostly given from an environmental perspective but applicable
to others. Dan's organising that one so can say more.

Broadly they connect up in exploring different ways of 'empowering'
individuals and communities in a practical form but each of them has a
clear focus and can be treated and participated in as a self-contained
event.

We'll be approaching different groups and inviting them along, so if
anyone has any suggestions or knows of people who might be interested
let me know. I imagine the FabLabs forum to be of interest to
science-based and design-based people, the community media to community
groups and the direct action one to campaigners, but there's no reason
someone can't be all of these things combined.

The discussions will be facilitated to help keep a focus to them and
work towards some kind of practical outcome - this may be just people
exchanging contacts, it may be to help create small groups to take
specific projects forward.


In terms of other help on the day - we will need a few people just to
help setup in the workshop space and to help with setting up chairs and
stuff in the other rooms. I am having a tech meeting with CCA this
afternoon to go over that side of things with them.

Baking - last year Ben Dembroski made an excellent contribution with the
baking, and some others too I think. This year Ben is snowed under with
PhD work, so if anyone else is up for a bit cakery - even one tray of
flapjacks will go a long way - then let us know.

best wishes
Si