We’ve got quite a diverse local crowd gathering on Edgeryders, guys, so it’s time to start designing a workshop to address the pains we raised when joining Spot the Future. This is a wiki aka a living document, so make changes as you wish.
The workshop will provide an open and supportive setting to speak honestly about our projects obstacles and, most importantly, to learn about ingenious workarounds (hacks) for them. We’re collaboratively designing a solution-oriented workshop.
A. Brainstorming the theme
- #Futurespotters Hacking the city
- #Futurespotters Project Hacking for resources: We are each other’s resource.
- A marching workshop session powered by the skaters community -idea popped up here. It would be the beginning of a citizen science project and an efficiency mapping exercise assessing a walkable/ bikeable / skateable Bucharest as opposed to driving and public transportation.
Hacking projects in the city can be a unifying narrative because it’s what each one of us is doing in their work - making change happen in alternative ways, through hacks = quick experiments, creative solutions, and constrained resources.
In fact, when asked to share an ongoing challenge, several people clearly mentioned the lack of resources - financial and in manpower too, while others agreed on the value of bringing together a community of peers still largely disconnected.
Bootstrapping is how most of us operate and expertise varies across projects (community management, DIY solutions, graphic design, entrepreneurship, urban development, permaculture etc.). That’s why a workshop that explicitly focuses on resource mapping, pooling and match-making could be the action based format we’re looking for.
As the call to action for the workshop, we’re considering ‘what’s your project’s pain?’ because we want to make it clear that beyond meeting up and socialising, the goal of the workshop is to come up with needs-based workable solutions.
What do you think?
This is a starting point to build on - looking for your input too! Some ways to pitch in:
- Suggest alternative formats for the workshop: what would bring most value to you? What pains do you think it should address? Other angle for the format?
- Share the call for stories (below)
- Suggest alternative call to actions: what would inspire you/ your friends to go “WOW” and join in?
- Invite fellow city-hackers to join the platform and shape the workshop
- Join this Thursday’s (May 28th) collective video-making session :)
B. Dates and location
Date for the workshop: July 9th - 10th
Location: Hanul Gabroveni on Lipscani St., Sala Studio
C. Engagement plan
Hashtags: futurespotters bucharest bucharest2021 add more?
Twitter accounts of those involved: @Edgeryders @Bucharest_2021 @NoemiSalantiu @ladyniasan @heymarie_ro @Babele_co
- The official call for participation + video teaser is here. Please share!
- Logos, posters and digital flyers are in progress here. Please help!
- Call for participation on Medium: Bucharest 2021 on the Edge?
- Help build collaborations with interesting people and orgs. We would like to join forces with city movements - cultural, activists, advocacy etc to make sure they learn about the opportunity to participate and we don’t miss out on any of the projects happening below the radar. If you know of someone who would enjoy being part of \#futurespotters drop them a line and invite them to introduce themselves or share their story in the project group here (Create a Post).
- Call for paid blog posts and project stories still open
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Shareable call for stories:
UPDATE 1 July: 5 articles were commissioned for this project: Story #1 (Manu), #2, (Iarina) #3 (Ana), #4 (Cosmin) #5 (Irina).
Edgeryders is sourcing stories of hacking the city - write up yours!
Bucharest is a city with more hidden alternative initiatives than we’d expected! Edgeryders - the global community of change-makers working on the edge - is excited to uncover more grassroots innovation in preparation for the futurespotters projects hacking workshop, July 9 - 10th.
Got a project that’s making the city a better place, with little resources and lots of ingenuity? Be it related to culture, environment, social, arts, technology and open data, education… we want to publish it on the Edgeryders global blog so the world can learn about local, citizen driven initiatives! Step in and develop an idea into an honest and personal piece of max. 1200 words about your project - pains and obstacles included. If you let us know fast, we could compensate your writing with a small fee (around 50-80 eur).
D. International cavalry arrives!
Working for change in Romania too often happens in isolation, with a feeling that it’s just here where all world’s problems pile up. Not true, and there’s plenty of helpful stories to tell from Edgeryders. We’ll have @Nadia, @Bzdmny and maybe other international Edgeryders joining and facilitating the workshop. The Bucharest newcomers have made quite an impression on the community managers and they want in on the city-hacking, Bucharest-style.
E. Workshop agenda
Available here.
