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How do we develop our skills, share our skills with others and enable our groups and our community to grow and achieve the positive changes we want?
“Community Activist Skills and Knowledge, from Novice to Ninja” is one way

This event will surprise and inspire. We want it to be the beginning of a more confident community activism in and around Manchester as we network the amazing range of skills and knowledge we have collectively.

You are invited to attend!
Rough outline of the day (subject to, well, change)

Welcomes, ground rules etc at 1pm

We will start by getting everyone to write down on two bits of paper one skill/bit of knowledge they have, and one that they would like. People can – if they choose – walk around the room holding these up.We will then collate these and use them to run “novice lines”

We start with some identifying of who is in the room, based on what people do (retired, unemployed, student, full-time employment, part-time employment etc), what subjects they are passionate about (e.g. what they campaign on or would like to), where they live, where they grew up.

There will then be structured mingling and “warm-up” in small groups (of no more than five) people. What are people hoping to get from the day? What is the main thing they want NOT to happen. These will get written down on sheets of paper and collected.  We will make sure that we do everything we can to avoid the stuff people don’t want.

We will then (re)introduce the Activist Skills and Knowledge scheme (askfortheworld.net) and run some “novice lines” about what skills there are in the room and what skills people would like

We will then have a break of about 15 minutes (probably longer)

There will be flipchart posters up for people to add “details of upcoming events”, “groups that people should know about”, “people who should be in the room but are not” and blank ones for people to ask the room other questions

We will then come back and have mini-workshops about the most popular topics, with experts and ninjas leading small groups of no more than 5 or 6 people. Perhaps doing a “practical” task, perhaps just a general discussion – it depends on what topics are popular.

We will then find out what questions/concerns/suggestions people have about Activist Skills and Knowledge before doing the major part of the day –

Jobs fayre/dragon’s den

Projects will have 90 seconds to present what problem it is they are trying to solve, how they are going to do it, what track record (if any) they have, and – crucially – what specific skills and knowledge will be needed, and what skills and knowledge they expect people to gain if they are involved.

(You will not be able to say “We want everyone to do everything” or just make a general advert to “join our group” – it has to be a specific project)

After 90 seconds everyone will start applauding to shut the person up.

We will do batches of three job pitches, and then have time for people to either approach the job advertisers, or else just mingle/chill out.

Closing.

We will bring the formal part of the day to a close no later than 4.30pm  We will hand out anonymous feedback forms (inevitably) with a raffle ticket attached.

We will then draw the raffle.

And then to the pub (drinking of alcohol is NOT compulsory).