Article on The Free'scool by Krystalline Kraus in Rabble

An amazing woman, Krystalline, wrote a beautiful article on the Free'scool.
Activist Communique: Occupy the Activist Free'scool

Sunday August 12th

Reminder, we are spending the day tomorrow at the Zeitgeist Annual Media Festival in Kensington Market - Augusta Street across from Freshmart.

For those interested, we will meet at 11am in Bellevue Park (Kensington Market) to finish the half hour workshop we are presenting at the festival. We will walk over at noon together.

August 7th Student Union Meetings, and August Plans

Agenda:

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.