SAVE THE DATE: CoTech Gathering Thursday 23rd-Friday 24th September

Link to the Wiki page with timetable (please fill it in) and other practical info: Autumn Gathering 2021 - CoTech

Hey everyone,

We’d like to invite you to SPACE4 on 23rd-24th September, for our CoTech next gathering. SPACE4 is the work and event space that we manage, and which hosts a few of the London CoTech coops. It is in Finsbury Park, London.

Many of you will know the score already but for those of you new to the network here’s the lowdown:

  • We usually kick off the first day with some intros and a summary of what the network has been up to for newcomers and to set the scene
  • During the days, people split into groups. Some are discussions, and some are more like ‘hack’ groups who might do things like work on the website, improve our onboarding or specific financial or governance challenges/questions.
  • We also usually try to make some network-wide decisions about new directions, things to spend money and resource on etc.
  • There’s plenty of time for chats and getting ti know each other
  • Friday night we’ll have some drinks in SPACE4

I can facilitate the logistics, but these events are pretty DIY/decentralised. I’ll be back with some more details and trying to rope you in to stuff but for the meantime please:

  • Let us know on this thread if you have a session you’d like to run or see happen - either a discussion or a hack
  • Spread the word amongst your coop members
  • Book your trains and accommodation (and let us know if you’re coming)

…Obviously all this will be dependent on covid rates - if they are getting high again we may need to cancel this event.

T’ra for now.

Polly

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I’d like to have a session to build towards passing a proposal on hiring a cotech network organiser and how to pay for it. Thursday afternoon would be nice.

If I can request two sessions, I’d like another one entitled Space4000: A Journey Beyond The Stars

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Amazing @KingMob I want to be involved in both these sessions. We could even have a chat net week about them if you like?

You are definitely allowed 2 sessions :slight_smile:

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@polly could you clarify if this is for Thursday 23rd September 2021 and Friday 24th September 2021 or Friday 24th September 2021 and Saturday 25th September 2021?

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Ahhhhhhhh sorry, 23rd and 24th - Thursday and Friday!!

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I’d like to pick up where we left off after the session at the April gathering about Co-operative Company Handbooks. Perhaps on Thursday morning after intro/summary?

@gemmacopeland @MelMcNab and @LiamFinnis, fellow custodians of the shared resource for CoTech members, would you be able to make it too?

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I’ll be there! Thursday morning sounds good :slight_smile:

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I can join but only on the Thursday I’m afraid… coincides with Tech for Good UK organisers retreat on the Friday… Hoping another Dot Project member can join too…

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I’ve started a page for info and timetable here: Autumn Gathering 2021 - CoTech

If anyone wants to start filling in sessions on the timetable, that would be amazing! And indeed, any other info!

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Would anyone be up for a discussion (say 4-5 Thursday) on how we relate to other worker coop networks and the workers movement more widely? Provisionally: “In One Bound, they were Free…” Happy to kick off with a 10m rant.

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Actually will be myself, Kirsty and Alex can all come along for Thursday! @polly do you have an idea of timings as we will be travelling into London… :smiley:

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It might be worth updating the top post in this thread to have a prominent link to the timetable wiki page?

Are there facilities for any sessions to be presented by remote participants? For example a room with a decent microphone, camera, screen and projector?

Yep we have a room with all that. But do you have a view of what tech to use to link people in to remote workshops/talks @chris ? I assume we’ll be using Big Blue Button - hopefully some of the bugs are ironed out now?

@annie we’re going to kick off at 10am on Thursday.

Polly

Sounds good to me @Sion and that time slot is available. You wanna put it in?

I’m sure it won’t be as tragic and comic as it has been in the past!

I’d be able to attend if there is a remote option :pray:

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Hey Steve, yep we’ll make the discussion sessions accessible remotely.

@chris we have a TV/computer/webcam. Have you confirmed your attendance in person yet? Any chance you could take care of the software wizardry?

Ok a few new sessions that I am going to put tentatively in the timetable. Please let me know if you want to get involved:

  1. How to collaborate with other coops
    A session that is coming from a few of us at Outlandish. We’ve done quite a few collaborations - both partnering on projects and ‘seconding’ people to Outlandish from other coops. I know there are lots more collaborations happening. Lets have a session to discuss how they’ve worked well, what the difficulties are, and how we can get more collaborations happening across the network.

  2. Agony Aunt Sessions / Strategy Group - Learnings and Replication
    A few of the coops based at SPACE4 have been meeting regularly to discuss issues we’ve faced in our coops. It’s been a place to share worries and joys! We’d like to share what we’ve done, with a view to maybe replicating this across the network.

  3. How can we refer work fairly through the network?
    As I understand it (and others may think differently!) part of the point of CoTech is that we can refer work that we can’t do for one reason or another to other coops. But currently, there aren’t many clear processes about how this works. Some people send it directly, others put it on the forum. How can we make sure that things don’t slip through the gaps, and that the right work goes to the right coops in a way that is fair?

  4. Network Coordinator
    For a while now there’s been discussion of getting a coordinator to support the development of CoTech. @alex @KingMob and I have had a few discussions around what this would look like. We’d like to get more people involved in this process.

I’m putting some tentative times in the timetable for these now. If anyone who is involved in these discussions or keen to come along doesn’t agree with my suggested times please change them or message here.

See the emerging timetable here:

https://wiki.coops.tech/wiki/Autumn_Gathering_2021#Agenda

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Yes! I’d like to do a session on the community of practice we’re starting focussed on building healthy power. Have put in the schedule for 11-12am on Friday - I know, first Friday sesh, risky! Please come!! :smiley:

We’re running it internally at Outlandish for now but in the next iteration would really like to open up to CoTech members. I’d also love to explore if this is something which could be part funded by the CoTech fund.

A bit more info from the invite I sent round internally:


What is it?
A small group of people will be coming together regularly over an agreed time frame (we suggest 6 months but we’ll confirm this as a group) to work on building openness, understanding, trust and, specifically, looking at how this can build ‘healthy power’.

‘Healthy power’ is when one person or group exercises power to achieve their goals, all the other people, groups, and ecosystems affected become more powerful and have greater well-being as a result. To achieve this we must include everyone in ‘leading’.

Why we’re doing it
The aim is to create a group specifically for, and run by, people who wish to learn with and from other people to enhance their ability to increase healthy power in the organisations and communities we work with.

The goals:

  • Learning deeply together.
  • Building supportive relationships and a supportive group.
  • Understanding how to build openness, understanding and trust in ourselves, and with others, to increase ‘healthy power’.

Let me know if you have questions, see you there! :sparkling_heart:

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