#FestivalFridays – New APVentures!

A couple of Fridays ago I joined the Education and Training Foundation’s #APConnect’s FestivalFridays lunchmeet and its 1-2pm workshop – kicked off by Sam Jones, co-founder of #FEResearchMeets, from Bedford College.

What are FestivalFridays? do I hear you ask….

FestivalFridays were pioneered by Lou Mycroft (CoP Lead) in a response to synchronous action learning sets  – hitherto a central component of APConnect’s Constellation B – not working during the pandemic. Lou and the team surveyed the 50 participants on Constellation B to test out this assumption and back came 36 responses which confirmed the hunch! Drawing on their responses, Lou led on co-creating FestivalFridays: a flexible menu of peer-led professional learning opportunities which APs could dip in and out of on Fridays, grounded in Thinking Environment principles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wasn’t convinced #FestivalFridays would pull in the punters. I got sucked into the ‘whose got time when they’ve got soooo much to do’ narrative. I was so, so, so wrong!

I went to my first 12-1pm lunchtime space facilitated by Julie Sinclair armed with my lunch. I loved it. But I nearly didn’t make it. ‘So much to do, so tired’ chirped my little voice. I was tired entering the space but left fully rejuvenated. Again, the thinking rounds did their magic. And then I just couldn’t not do the 1-2pm FEResearch workshop…..

I awoke Saturday morning with my head brimming with rich, purposeful concepts – conceived in a thinking space with peers. Ideas such as ‘practice review’ (complementing but distinctive from literature review) fermenting and bubbling away. We’ve (metaphorically speaking) been on several outings including twitter, the public Ideas Room on Wednesday (beautifully facilitated by Hollie Barnes with floo powder administered by Michaela Greaves) and then back to Friday’s 12-1pm lunchtime space. And my, oh my – it feels we have started something…..not reclaiming spaces for FE but creating new spaces that places practitioners’ practices, ideas and energies smack in the middle.

So, two things I want to say. #FestivalFridays were borne out of lockdown 3, out of disruption.  And they have agily and easefully subverted dominant paradigms of professional development. I am experiencing powerful, purposeful professional learning in the flesh. It’s alive, breathing and fresh. Busy practitioners attend because they want to (Boyatzis*). FestivalFridays are purposely co-created as equal spaces – not owned by anyone. A commitment to a community or a constellation with peers you may or may not have encountered yet. No ones taking a register**. There are no minutes. Minimal preparation. No materials. No pressure to act. No strategic marketing**. A blast of fresh air!

What is there? Conditions fertile for growing connections and relationships. Safe spaces to be, to think, to be heard without judgement. No ego. No hierarchy. Only equals. Insights into peers’ thinking, a playing out of values. I am doing some of my best (iterative) thinking for myself and it is transforming there and then. It’s one of the most nourishing, energising spaces I’ve found. I, for one, will be returning again and again to think in the affirmative attention of others. If I think on my own, there is a danger those thoughts stay in my head. If I think in your presence it means I/we will act.

 

Join us – FestivalFriday – open to all. DM @LouMycroft or click on the Slack calendar link for APs.

Public IdeasRooms – Wednesday 8-9pm – browse AP @Mars blog & video to find out more 

Blog by Joss Kang, #APConnect Project Director  

 

 

*SOURCE: Boyatzis, R.E. (2006), “An overview of intentional change from a complexity perspective”, Journal of Management Development, Vol. 25 No. 7, pp. 607-623.

** Registers and strategic marketing is undertaken for the Expert-led workshops 1-2.30pm slot funded by the Education and Training Foundation as part of the DfE funded #APConnect programme.