Original Play (Fred Donaldson)

Back from Wosonos 2015 in Krakow, this was one of the big gifts there, knowing about Original Play. Is there a key on the proportion kids/adults?

Thanks Agata!

Love,

@Eleder_BuM

Law of two feet and Wosonos: sage words by Harrison Owen

Wosonos 2012 in Florida, last May.
Some 75 people took part.
At the end, we have proposals: where would we gather next year?
At last, we knew it will take place in Belgrade (Serbia).
The decission process seems to have been long and rough.
You can read something on it here.
When reading it, I dropped on Harrison Owen´s short, clear, deep, sage words (I changed formats to underline what I find most important):

Discomfort usually comes (in my experience) when discussion gets stuck at either/or. Everything resolves as soon as both/and shows up. It is called the Law of Two Feet! Who says there can only be one WOSONOS? Anywhere it happens is the right place – and as often as folks care to make it so. I do find it somewhat amusing that the 75 odd souls who showed up in St. Petersburg feel called upon to “decide” for the “whole” community. Funny.

Brilliant!

But the string continues, in a surprising, funny way,... read this piece of conversation between ho and Artur Silva,...

Harrison wrote...

Lisa – Hate to say it, but you know I will. I think you are working much too hard! And I’m not really sure it is a question of “design” (“So I love thinking of the 'devil’s advocate' questions when thinking of design.”)—Just do it, just like we always do. For example, when it comes to invitation time just open the space for Invitations. Kind of an offshoot of “action planning.” Whoever cares stands up with a sign (Spain, Serbia, wherever), Goes to a corner of the room, and waits until all other invitations have been made. When all the invitations are “posted” everybody else is invited to journey to that part of the world they feel drawn to. Time to discuss practicalities of location and date – and not incidentally put together an initial Host Team. People can wander from place to place, and after a short time (45min?) somebody with a mike passes from group to group for a “report.” Report could be: Your invited to Serbia, Spring of 2014. Or maybe there are several. Wonderful! Or maybe a group concluded it is a wonderful idea, but not now. Done. No Sweat, no Strain.

Alternative: Place a hat in the middle of the floor (my hat would do) – Anybody who cares deposits a folded piece of paper with the place specified and their name. Just before the Closing Circle, the names are drawn – We have the winners: EVERYBODY!

Harrison

___________________________________

Artur Silva (Portugal) wrote...

Hi Harrison:

In a previous mail you said:

I do find it somewhat amusing that the 75 odd souls who showed up in St. Petersburg feel called upon to “decide” for the “whole” community.

This suggests me two questions:

First: is not that what is always done in the end of a WOSonOS? Why putting the question this time?

Second: Is not there a contradiction between your [quote in your previous email] and the detailed description of "how to do" that you provided in this post (above)?

Warm regards

Artur

PS: I suspect that you missed my heteredox contributions, so here it is a new one ;-)

___________________________________

Harrison Owen wrote...

Artur – Consistency is a virtue I have never been accused of…J

ho

______________________
Live, laugh, love :-)!

@Eleder_BuM
www.burumapak.blogspot.com (Basque)   
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Congrats Jonathan Coe!

I had the pleasure to meet Jonathan Coe the day before Wosonos 2012 began in London. Charming, smiling, open man. Now I know he is the OSLIST Poet Laureate this year, invited by Lisa Heft.

Very happy with these news!

Here a piece of him I´ve loved:

Space Open Circle 

from Open Space Technology - A Users Guide by Harrison Owen

Note: This poem is in the 'found poetry' form. I have made selections from the original text and decided how to shape and punctuate it.

I have removed all the other words from the book - but none from the selected phrases.

The circle is the fundamental geometry

of human communication.

A circle has no head or feet,

no high or low

no sides to take;

in a circle people can simply be

with each other,

face to face.

The geometry of the circle 

and the rhythm of breath.

Show Up

Be Present

Tell The Truth

Let It All Go.

Do nothing and remain

invisible.

Be prepared

to be

surprised.

Who ever heard of a square of friends?

-- Jonathan Coe (London, England)

... and here the piece that became him this year´s laureate:

WOSONOS 2012 

In Stoke Newington Town Hall I fell in love with nothing,

and it was no thing that I loved.

Alone, knowing no-one and nothing I walked the circle

I got present

I was connected.

Presence,

absence.

The empty space of the opening circle.

Profoundly empty,

containing no thing

Through me 

everything and no-thing, in me

the circle, in me

the space, in me

the people, in me

butterflies and bumblebees.  In me

body, in me

mind, in me

image, in me

thought, in me

feeling, in me

sensation, in me

nothing. 

It started at the right time

The right people were the ones who came

The only thing that could have happened

Was what happened

It was over when it was over.

The bees were buzzing

The 'flies were flitting

The space was open.

The circle was squared.

-- Jonathan Coe (London, England)

Congrats, Jonathan!


@Eleder_BuM
www.burumapak.blogspot.com (Basque)   
www.in-fluyendo.blogspot.com (Sp.)
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http://www.bilbohiria.com/gaika/berbaz (radio interviews)  

WOSONOS 2012, LONDON, ARE YOU READY?

Berlin 2010 was my first Wosonos just after a few small facilitating experiences. I met there sage, fun and loving people that I feel now somehow as my "world family". I came back to Bilbao with the clear determination to "do more open space".

Last 2 years have made this dream come true and  now, after several OS experiences, I can say that "I can facilitate" open space. Now I'd love to go farer in the no-end way to become a "good" facilitator. And I know that London will be a key milestone on the way.

And I know, too, that beyond the walls and schedules of the official settings, we will continue enjoying this learning adventure all over the open space of life. Yes, we also will still gather, relax, eat, walk, drink, chat, sing and dance together in the pubs and parks,... as far as our two feet take us there.

Are you prepared to be surprised?

@Eleder_BuM  (Twitter) www.burumapak.blogspot.com (Basque)   

www.in-fluyendo.blogspot.com (sp.) www.flowandshow.blogspot.com (en)

http://www.bilbohiria.com/gaika/berbaz (radio interviews)

From Circus to the Circle

Matilda Leyser is, as far as I know, part of Improbable, a Theatre company ran on Open Space... or something. I was lucky to see her in Wosonos Berlin 2010, inviting us so graciously and wholeheartedly to London for WOSONOS 2012. They are also inviting us to
Devoted & Disgruntled 7, late February ...

Do you love theatre? Do you find it frustrating? Do you wish it were different? Do you feel like an outsider in your own profession? Have you just started out and need support? Have you been in the profession for years and feel jaded? Is your sector always left out of the discussions? Do you usually dread discussions and meetings? Are you looking for a sense of: community, eldership, mentorship? Are you looking to change things?

I dropped in this older beautiful gem accidentally. What else could I do than bring this story here? OSLIST is a true treasure. Whenever I visit it I feel so grateful!

Hello all, and a bow to Harold.

I wanted to let the list know that I facilitated my first large open space on Saturday - for Circus! I have done several little ones (and many involving just me and Phelim and some
Monkeys!) but this was the first one I had held for a big group. About 130 people.

Before I met Phelim I worked as an aerialist (trapeze artist) for ten years. Meeting Phelim and encountering Open Space all formed part of my climbing back down to the ground- it made earth seem more appealing. I have been earthbound now for 3-4 years so it was a wonderful and big thing for me to bring my learning since leaving the circus world back to that community. 

There was a fantastically diverse turn out: students and elders, traditional and contemporary circus were all represented.

A sample of session titles for you:

-Circus can't tell a story?
-What's the best trick you've ever seen?
-Why do we never feel good enough?
-The space between 10 minutes and 1 hour
-If circus gets well funded and organised where will all the freaks and weirdos go to play?
- corporate whore v serious artist?

And many others....

People asked 'can we do this again?' in closing circle. My first ever aerial teacher who must surely be approaching 70 said he felt re-inspired and I had to hold it together.

Lastly I would like to share what helped me at the start when I felt most terrified. Phelim told me to walk the circle ten times slower than I thought was slow and that reminded me of the last aerial piece I made: it was on a cloud swing (a rope swing) and I spoke during it and described what it felt like. It began with a haiku that went like this:

Oh snail,

Climb Mount Fuji

But slowly. 

After reciting that to the group and walking a slow circle, it turned out it was a smooth downhill slide all the way as everyone got on with it - seasons, marketplace, work....

Thank you 

Matilda  x

... And Lisa Heft´s smart answer next...

Matilda -

What lovely images I have from your description - both of your coming down to the ground and your wonderfully diverse and nutritious Open Space.

Congratulations / brava - they were lucky to have you.

It sounds like you did some thoughtful invitation work there, as well...

And the space...between the space...

...your breathing and being and taking your time.

As much

time

as 

it

takes.

...oh snail....

Lisa

Considering to attend Boom Festival next July, a great and artful open space. 

Did you know about it?

Eleder BuM31    Mind Mapping-Open Space Technology-Creativity

@Eleder_BuM (Twitter) www.flowandshow.blogspot.com
www.burumapak.blogspot.com (eus)

www.in-fluyendo.blogspot.com (esp) 

http://bm31-liburuak.blogspot.com     

www.bilbohiria.com/gaika/berbaz (radio interviews) 

WOSONOS: using the IT to widen the concept (II)

And Phelim, of the WOSONOS 2012  (http://wosonos2012.com), next year, oct 11-14 in London, answers soon on the OSLIST...

Artur,

Thanks for this lots of great things to consider.

And prompts lots of thoughts for me...

As we begin to explore how technology links us up ( and as someone who is slightly geeky I enjoy those possibilities) I also find myself fascinated how often something like Suzanne's simple reports bring me closer than being able to view something through a camera like a security guard!  Perhaps more interesting than this would be a booth where people can go give personal reports at specific times. 

I'm thinking out loud here so..

I can hear lots of different sides to this...

Whoever comes are the right people.

Whoever went are the right people.

Sometimes we have to accept we didn't make it there.

A live feed doesn't always "feed", isn't always nourishing and also shouldn't mean we can expect to be fed!

Being able to see a little bit makes us think they should be thinking about us more? Makes us want to be part of a party we didn't make it to?

I think perhaps for those not there.. the communications that happen "Live" are less about information out... Than information in. What I mean for example is..  "Twitter" (and I know you say you don't like it) has really changed our D&D events by providing a  stream of information and support from the outside world into the space. It has let the people at the event know there are people elsewhere  thinking of us and proposing ideas. You aren't there but you can get messages in to people from outside.

The twitter stream only seems to take off internally when the people who use it... Use it. Often it's the younger people who it's second nature for. So in the "twittersfere" it becomes like a party people can hear next door. Then the information starts to move outward...

As ever you can't force it to happen and when it emerges it is both surprising and enjoyable. But being told to have a good time at a party and play a game you don't want to play can certainly slow down the fun happening. It's taken years for it to start happening at our D&D events but it did last year and brought a whole wave of new participants. This is like "atmospheric" communication out..

Like your being able to not hear whilst being able to see, it strangely stops us trying to imagine how we might join in the conversation.. (we can't in the same way as we are not there) but use our different senses to connect to the spirit of what is happening.

So if we go down the technology route I think the information out needs a bit more creativity and form... Such as editing and filtering so people get the feel of the event whilst accepting their live contribution will be limited because they are NOT present.  This needs time and energy and the stream out is more likely to happen after the event perhaps as a next wave. Also perhaps  making any kind of live OUT stream just more obvious to be used when people WANT to.

However.. rather like TV arrogantly thinking live theatre should accommodate it we should remember what makes OS special.  I think we have to be sensitive to the beauty of the LIVE event. Knowing that I have cameras watching me and having to think about it can just be something that can get in the way of getting on with the important work at hand. 

I think what I'm trying to say is. We shouldn't get confused by these possibilities into thinking its about people who aren't there being able to join in better!  Those possibilities are about communicating more elegantly to those not there what is happening!

This doesn't mean we shouldn't have all those tools ready to be used when the new form emerges out of the energy of the group to say for instance.."Suddenly go live.. And talk to the world!"

Or create the wiki that can be contributed to. Etc..

We can make the edges of the system more porous but those holding boundaries of the event are what make the event important in the first place. The edge between those who came and those who didn't.

In terms of the event I know that the real out comes.. "Out-streams" are never the ones i think they are going to be. Who ever knows what ways opening space changes things? Some conscious.. Some mysterious.

I do know the interface between technology and opening space is an interesting one and trying to catch ghosts on camera is always fun!

Love

Phelim X
________________________________

I generally pick up emails only at the beginning and end of the working day. I am currently aiming to respond the following day. If it is urgent please call me on 07956 187298.
_____________________________________

www.improbable.co.uk
@openspacer

WOSONOS: using the IT to widen the concept

 

Artur Silva makes interesting suggestions on the OSLIST for the next WOSONOS events, in order to use the Communication and Information Technologies to have more participated and productive meetings. WOSONOS 2012 will take place in London. Sure it helps!

While I wait for the fully report Juan Luis has offered I have been following the WOSonOS in Chile, from 3 sources: 

(1) The marvelous messages that Suzanne Daigle is sending regularly about what happens in Chile; 

(2) The very synthetic messages from Pablo at the "WOSonOS" group at the NING site (http://openspaceworld.ning.com/group/wosonoschile);

(3) The streaming available from http://www.ustream.tv/channel/wosonos-chile-2011. 

[I am not following Twitter, as I don't like it...] 

The streaming is interesting in many ways. I have "made time" to see the opening session and the morning (after my lunch in Lisbon...) and evening news of the second day (after my dinner). In the opening, one could see everything but hear nothing. After that, the position of the (fixed) camera has changed (thanks, Pablo) and, from time to time, I was able to understand small parts of some interventions...

It is interesting to see people moving around without hearing almost anything as in mute films or in bird watching - one can see the "dance" and that's it! From this limited point of view, I concluded that the dance was marvelous in the opening (made by Juan Luis and Karen) and not very interesting in the "Mexican Ola-like - but with shouting" (Ola meaning wave) in the beginning of the second day, and one could hear some of the interventions in the evening news.

One conclusion that I took is that people present in the event must be informed that the streaming is being done and that to be heard far from the location they must speak with the mouth close to the micro (and don't use bells near the micro...).

But a more general conclusions that I took is that if one plans to do a "Worldwide OSonOS" (and not only a "regional WOSonOS with some people from other regions" - a bunch from the USA, one from Asia and no one from Europe, if I understood well), close attention must be putted in the way to facilitate worldwide dissemination and even participation.

Please don't see my remarks and suggestions bellow as any criticism to the Chilean Host team, which is making a very good job, as I can understand from Suzanne's messages, but as suggestions for the London Host Team and for other future WOSonOS organizers.

First: WOSonOS must not be considered in the future only as a gathering of the people that are able to come to the event location, but as an event that takes place worldwide, based on a specific location, but not restricted to it. The new IT possibilities must be fully used to assure worldwide participation. 

Second: there must be used a fixed camera and a mobile one, and have someone monitoring what the world is seeing and hearing (or not) at every time. Having conversation in front of the camera must not be done.

Third: Reports of break out session must be made directly in a wiki, with instructions to the viewers that they can't edit, but they can add comments to the discussion (as it was done when the WOSonOS took place in Denmark some years ago). This can easily be done from free wiki site providers.

Fourth: a reporter must be assigned to make written and/or graphic reports to be displayed daily in the same wiki, or in a linked blog – with photos and videos (from the streaming) also available for the ones that can´t connect synchronously. 

Due to the special characteristics of the UK group that is inviting the 2012 WOSonOS, I think that all this suggestions will be easily done by them - if they accept the concept...

With care, 

Artur

Eleder BuM31
Buru-mapak-Open Space Technology-Creativity
http://www.burumapak.blogspot.com/ (Basque)   @Eleder_BuM  (Twitter)
http://www.in-fluyendo.blogspot.com/ (esp) http://www.flowandshow.blogspot.com/

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http://www.bilbohiria.com/gaika/berbaz (radio interviews in Basque)

OLMUÉ (Chile): the right place for WOSONOS 2011

By the way, do you know there is an anual World Open Space  on Open Space (WOSONOS)? Do you know where it will be taking place this year? In the beautiful Olmué, Chile (19-22 October)! Our friends Juan Luis Walker, Pablo Villoch and others are in the inviting team!

This is the subject of the invitation: what are the main challenges and opportunities of Open Space Technology in Latin America and all over the world?

If you feel curious and want to learn more about OST or are a practitioner this is a wonderful way to learn more, contact and energize yourself!


More info here: www.wosonoschile.cl


Enjoy life!

Eleder BuM31    Mind Mapping-Open Space Technology-Creativity

www.burumapak.blogspot.com (eus)   @Eleder_BuM  (Twitter)
www.in-fluyendo.blogspot.com (esp)   www.flowandshow.blogspot.com  (eng)

OPEN SPACE AND THE ART PERFORMANCES

Last May WOSONOS (World Open Space on Open Sapce) took place in Berlin (you can watch some photos here). We convened a meeting with this subject: "Open Space and the Art Performances". Last week we uploaded the proceedings to the Wosonos 2010 proceedings website. And you can now read them here.
My main concerns regarding the subject:

Art performances (music, painting, dancing, singing, playing,...) help us have a really better world. But, how are they mostly taking place nowadays? Is it usually a decentralised and self-organised experience (think about a music concert, for example)? How could the experience be more enriching and "productive"? More empowering and self-reassuring? How could an art performance be designed to give the participants a more "ost-like" opportunity to enjoy and grow?

Another point: how could art performances enrich OS meetings? Would it be interesting letting a specific place for them in OS meetings? Would art be a good way to promote OS and get what an OS meeting is visualised?

Do you know any art demonstration that more or less fits the OS spirit?

Those are some of the questions that from time to time come to my mind and drove me to convene a meeting on the subject.

Harold showed me his interest soon and he gave us some examples related to the subject before I convened the session:

1. Grateful Dead - They used to have a very open way of letting people record their music, even jacking right into the amps, so there were many "bootleg" copies of their music going around. They would play for long jam sessions. And at concerts, there tended to be drum circles outside the event, so it became a kind of self-organizing festival.
2. Rainbow Gathering - These are extremely self-organized events in the woods which got started as a peace gathering and has a very strong spiritual bent - but everyone is invited 'who has a belly button'. People set up camps, kitchens to feed people, water lines, all the infrastructure goes up without any explicit control processes, and drums and music happen practically non-stop in the different camps. Some camps go much further in their arts and performance orientation, and set up theater spaces for performances with ample seating. And the main meadow of the event usually has a fire pit for a large drum circle.

3. Burning Man - This is a more organized event, but you see some of flavor of the open space principles in their 10 principles, which includes "radical inclusion", "participation", and "communal effort".

Ingrid Ebeling was first to appear and she shared some of her experiences:

Multisense Group: Ingrid does usually visual work in her Open Space meetings: repp-songs, sketches, painting sheets,...

She has also experienced using arts in opening breaking up and closing OS meetings.

Then Johanes Ponader joined and told me about some OS-like art performances: Open stages; Open mikes and poetry Slams.

_________________________

Before WOSONOS in Berlin I had written this message to the OSLIST and Suzanne Daigle had given her view.

_______________________

Finally, yesterday (2010-VI-15), Harrison Owen wrote some lines (and I put in boldface some of them) on a special OS event full of art, answering to a question by Sarah-Jane Rawlings (from Improbable) on the OSLIST...

"...Some years ago a large group of American Community Arts Councils did an OS on their work – just like you all. But it was an Open Space unlike any other I have ever seen. The participants were a talented crew, to say the least, with an inventive passion that seemed to know no bounds. Right from the start when they announced their sessions it was a new and different ballgame. Session announcements were danced, mimed, sung, drummed and just about every other artistic medium you can think of. And it went from there all through the two days. When they got to the end, I guess you could call it a “closing circle” but improve dance would be more accurate. Anyhow I would presume that you will be hosting a similarly talented group, and my suggestion would to invite them to brings anything that they feel might contribute to the party. Instruments for sure, but that might be just the beginning. Who am I to tell you and Phelim how to “do improv” – but I think you will have a lot more fun if you think of the gathering not (just) as an Open Space but also as a wonderful improvisation with 150 participants. And for sure the 3 year olds will be the stars!

Harrison

Sarah-Jane and the people of Improbable invite us for WOSONOS 2012 in London and this will quite sure be a very artish Wosonos, like it'll also be, sure, WOSONOS 2011 in Chile to which our "big boy" Juan Luis Walker so gracefully invites us next year :-)!

Convener

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eleder Aurtenetxe Pildain

Other participants

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Harold Shinshato, Ingrid Ebeling, and Johannes Ponader

Eleder

BM31_ BILBAO: Mind Mapping-Open Space Technology-Creativity

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Twitter

Why do I attend OST Learning Exchanges? (by Jo Toepfer - BOSCOP)

I picked this lines by Jo Toepfer from OSLIST and posted them as I find them really interesting. WOSONOS 2010 will be taking place in May 12th to 15th. I think it is an important meeting point, whatever your life is like. Take a minute to consider your participation. More information here

I hope we will see each other in May!

Why do I attend OST Learning Exchanges?

Whenever an OST Learning Exchange (LEX) is going to take place in my
region I try to attend these type of events. And, I always try to
convince my co-workers and clients to do so. There are a couple of good
reasons for this:

First, I have a chance to be at an OST event as participant. This is a
rare chance for me as facilitator to be just a participant. But it
implies a massive learning opportunity to concentrate on my sensations
and feeling while I am just there. I also learn more about my own needs
how and when to apply the law of two feet. This gives me significant
food for thoughts for my work as facilitator.

Second, it is a brilliant opportunity to deepen my knowledge of OST.
Every single LEX is a practical exercise in Action Research. I discover
new countries, situations and fields where OST has been applied. I learn more about possible occasions where OST is appropriate. Colleagues tell
me about their experience and their ways of applying OST in different
countries, situations and fields.

Third, since a whole bunch of colleagues with different backgrounds show
up the LEX represents a chance to meet new and old friends. OST folks
are normally easy going people and it is very easy to get in touch. The
LEX itself transforms into a playground for new ideas and projects that
I would never ever have been able to create on my own. When I go home
and browse through the Book of Proceeding with all the projects and
agreements made I am normally surprised and feel gifted with a lot of
new opportunities.

Fourth, at a LEX I advance my facilitation skills. I have a chance to
reflect upon the way to facilitate OST events. This includes reflection
about pre- and after work and logistical aspects. We tell each other the
way we work and this is a tremendous rich resource of differences. This
includes not only behavioural aspects of the facilitation work but also
technical details of materials used, timing for set-up and take-down,
size of the team, type of paper used, computing and software applications.

Fifth, there is normally an issues like "One thing less to do" and I
love it. For me this represents a very productive mental exercise to
find out things that are not necessary to do and we can call the result
still an OST event. This makes life much easier for me.

Sixth, Every single LEX is a good chance to spread OST. Since the group
of participants is diverse it includes not only facilitators (which
would turn the event into a boring occasion) but also assistants,
helpers, sponsors, to name just a few. I walked never away from a LEX
without at least a prospect of a future assignment. It simply have the
chance to advertise myself for free and this supports my business.

I hope to see you at one of these events in future!
--

Jo Toepfer, boscop eg
Dolziger Str. 40, 10247 Berlin
++49-30-42018000
www.boscop.org

Eleder

BM31: Mind Mapping-Open Space Technology-Sormena

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