general infonews |
How to organize your own workshopA collective, by definition, is a group of people who share or are motivated by at least one common issue or interest and is characterized by attempts to share and exercise political and social power and to make decisions on a consensus-driven and egalitarian basis. As a collective it is important that nothing sits on single persons shoulders. Each and every person is invited to play a proactive role in forming our community. One of the best ways to get involved is by presenting a workshop. The following should serve as a guide for those who are workshop fledglings and as reminder to those who are old pros. Remember, we are a collective…just because it’s on this page doesn’t mean that you have to do it… It just means that you are responsible for finding someone who will. Happy Planning! Things to considerLocation: Every workshop needs a place to meet. Is the venue you have planned large enough? Does it have enough tables and chairs? Is it handicap accessible? What about Audio Visual Needs, what needs do you have for your workshop…make sure the venue can support them. Babysitting: As a collective that values parenthood, it is important to find childcare for the mothers and fathers who attend workshops. Materials: What materials do you need in order to present your workshop (television, hotplate, paper and tape etc.). Content: What do you plan to do during your workshop? A lecture… an activity… an action…a movie?!?! And please…don’t forget to prepare!!! Handout: Sometimes we humans have poor memories. Give them something to remember you by! Also, people are always looking for resources on all sorts of topics... Where did you learn what you know??? Publicity: If you want people to show up… you gotta let them know it’s going on. Publicity includes not only internet publicity (MySpace, Website, E-mail list), but also designing, printing and distributing flyers. All information that is distributed should include a date, time, location, contact information and explanation of the content of the workshop. Budget: At this point the Dandelion Collective is funded 100% by member donations. Although we do have some money, we don’t have a lot. Before you spend lots of money on a workshop make sure you contact someone to see how much money the Collective will be able to refund you. For workshops that are a little more expensive, we can always requested a donation. Also, even if you plan to make an in-kind donation, please make sure you let us know on the budget, we need that information for our records! The following form is important to fill out because it helps us give accurate figures when applying for grants and filing for non-profit status. It’s also helpful if we ever plan on doing another workshop or event like yours. Please fill it out to the best of your knowledge and let someone know if you have a problem or question. Feel Free to attach any information (flyers, handouts, etc.) that doesn’t fit on this page. This is a Microsoft Word document, so if your browser doesn't support opening these documents and you don't like supporting Microsoft (like your webmaster!) try OpenOffice. They have non-proprietary software that you can use to open Word documents. You can find the event feedback form here. |