Last year when we held our first conference at Southwell House it was held over just one day. People who came from far away wished that there could have been more time to talk to the other participants. This is why we are holding this year's conference over a whole weekend.
Also we wondered who we could have for a keynote speaker and we decided not to have one at all, but to let everyone and anyone speak out on any topic that they felt was important. The idea of OPEN SPACE is to give as many people as possible the chance to speak if that is what they wish to do, instead of everyone having to listen to just a few speakers, chosen in advance. To come into an OPEN SPACE space is to be allowed to listen only to what you find interesting and to feel free to wander between sessions or dip out altogether and go for a drink a snack or a walk.
The OPEN SPACE event concept is based on a simple observation, that conferences are as much about the social interaction as they are about learning something new. To be truly creative and enjoyable, a conference must be a free space in which anything can happen.
There will be a public meeting on Friday 30th October at 7.30pm to launch the weekend. Althea Hayton will make the presentation. This will be the first announcement of the results of the online questionnaire completed by 500 womb twin survivors from around the world. These have been analysed this summer with the help of the University of Hertfordshire statistics department. Entrance to this meeting open to all, by free ticket only. If you would like to come to this but not the whole weekend, please use this form to register your interest in the meeting and the tickets will be mailed to you.
On the Saturday there will be four spaces and four sessions of 90 mins in each space, so that is 16 chances for HOSTS to set up a group on any topic they want on a first-come, first-served basis. (The sessions are decided during the first hour of Saturday, 9.30 to 10.30.) Some people will come ready to host a group, with an existing idea of what people may want to do, such as sharing stories, or a workshop on personal issues such as gender energy or hoarding. Everyone else wil just come and go as they please.
We have bookings already from Portugal, Switzerland, Brazil and the USA. It promises to be a very exciting weekend! We do not arrange accomodation, but there are good hotels locally which can be booked online in advance here.
Meals and breaks: There are no set breaks: there will be drinks and sandwiches available on a self-service basis, but a three-course candlelit buffet supper wil be served on the Saturday evening in the school canteen - the cost of this meal is included in the ticket price which is £70 per head for the whole weekend.
Dont miss our Open Space event 2009! Book your place now!
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