1. This Sunday and Zeitgeist
2. Free Art'Scool
3. Proposal for summer hiatus, last two weeks of August
4. Fall workshops and planning
In Attendance: 9 people
Facilitator: Laura
Note taker: Roxy
Decisions:
1. This Sunday Classes are Suspended, instead, we have a field trip to the Zeitgeist Media Festival (website), which is running from 12pm-8pm in Kensington Market (on Augusta street across from Freshmart).
2. We have been invited to run a half-hour workshop at the Zeitgeist Media Festival for a half hour; the first 10 minutes will be a dramatic/artistic presentation of our framework and what it means to be a part of free'scool; then, we will run a short critical thinking exercise/discussion. All those interested in helping with this workshop/presentation, we are having the planning meeting on Friday August 10th at 3pm in Bellevue Park in Kensington Market
3. The last two Sundays of August (19th, and 26th), we will take a break from classes, to allow free'scoolers a chance to enjoy the last 2 weekends of the summer. All other free'scool activities will continue (free art'scool wednesdays, student union meetings, outreach, work meet-ups); we will resume Sunday classes in September.
4. In September, we will host a workshop series (2 Fridays of the month) on the following topics: popular education teaching methods, facilitation and non-violent communication, cross-cultural conflict resolution, anti-oppression, and two possible workshops: bringing a human rights framework into the classroom, and taking back power.
Discussion:
1. Zeitgeist
- we have been invited to do a workshop; at the last meeting it was suggested that we suspend classes for the day to attend the festival
- There were some concerns raised about Zeitgeist, as many of their 'solutions' to capitalism, and structure are questionable
- Perhaps we should run a critical thinking workshop with them
- We definitely have to go in with a critical mind - there are some really great things they are doing, and some things to be questioning
- It is a really great outreach/networking/educational opportunity
- Some were under the impression that we were going to run classes in Bellevue Park and float in and out of the festival
- We wanted to continue classes for continuity, and because all the courses are in the middle of their teachings
- but we can learn from zeitgeist
- we don't necessarily have the capacity to have some of our people at the festival and others in class
- it is not the best impression if we show up just for our half an hour session and nothing else
- "While i love classes, I think this opportunity for a full day of networking and learning is too good to pass up"
- see decisions - we couldn't make a decision by discussion because most saw the value of both continuing classes, and simply going to zeitgeist. We put it to a vote. 1st was asked if we wanted to do classes in Bellevue park - there were 4 'maybe' hands, no definite yeses. Next option was to go to zeitgeist all day: there were four clear yeses.
- What are we going to do for our half an hour presentation?
- Ideas: critical thinking, something participatory to give them the 'free'scool experience', a theatre of the oppressed piece on free'scool to be developed in the Drama club on Wednesday evening
- after hemming, and hawing, and almost having to vote....we reached a collaborative compromise!
- 5-10 minute dramatic presentation; 20-25 minute critical thinking discussion/exercises.
* note: drama class did not prepare presentation on Wednesday the 9th - open preparation is Friday, August 9th at 3pm in Bellevue Park.
2. Free Art'Scool Updates (by Veronica):
- everything is going well
- the schedule for tomorrow (wEdnesday August 8th) is very open; especially because it is the first one. We will have visual arts and crafts starting at 5pm, drama at 7pm, and and ceremony and music at 9pm
- In a week or two, we'll start holding clear classes with instructors from a variety of diciplines
- Word of the day: Perspective for this Wednesday
- I have one of the best thespians in Toronto wanted to hold a drama workshop
- Someone thinks they might be able to get a ballroom dance instructor
- Open to help, suggestions, and participation
- very excited to start!
3. Proposal: 2 week Sunday Hiatus August 19th and 26th.
- everyone was ok with this...didn't take us more than 2 minutes
4. The Fall
- workshop series in decisions was discussed
- location suggestions: OISE (need to pay), Friendship house with a 'pay-what-you-can'
- think on this for a week and come back
- Dates: to be decided based on availability of facilitators
- other topics/concerns mentioned but not fully addressed:
- need to make material more accessible for those who cannot attend events/meetings - this concern was diverted to the website production, which is still under process and aims to be very clear and accessible with loads of resources
- we need space! pretty soon winter is coming.
- recognition that we've been deliberating on this for a while
- space proposal still in the works
- we need any and all space we can get!
- We need a big advertising and class 'blitz' in September
- because of space constraints and growth, we need to change up when we run classes
- It's great to focus inwards, but I want this group to do more with what's going on in the world!
- recognition of our limited capacity at the moment and slow growth process
closed the space by moving into Human Rights class.
