Thanks for the dance, Lisa (Wish I could say it in portuguese) c. ---------- >From: Lisa Heft <[email protected]> >To: [email protected] >Subject: Re: [OSLIST] OS Diary 1/13/02 >Date: Tue, Jan 15, 2002, 10:22 AM >
> In 1997 I gave a workshop for FioCruz, the biomedical research and tropical > diseases hospital in Brazil. I was working with scientists and the workshop > was to bring back the very human and personal element of working with and/or > living with HIV for those who always worked in the world of research. I > came into one of those rooms with the tiers of chairs bolted down and down > way way at the bottom was the podium and the spotlight for the expert > presenter-type person. Of course everyone else was in darkness, thus giving > the expert a really magical quality. I suppose. To me, it sucked all the > air right out of the room. > > So I said 'we're moving to the hallway' where there were plenty of windows, > tons of light, chairs to move around... > > The organizers got a bit nervous about this (there were offices surrounding > us, and there were only two possibilities - one, that we might disturb their > work, and two, that they might want to come out of their offices and play > with us ;0) > > So they found me a great room with enough room at the front for us all to be > together, good lighting, and a little tray of espresso fixings so you could > have your little cafe's nonstop whenever you needed a little zip. Thank god > for room enough to be in a circle together, eh? Changes everything. > > That same week I presented at their national AIDS conference, and they gave > me a big ballroom complete with marble floors and crystal chandeliers. At > one point when it was time for everyone to move I suggested they dance their > way to their next seat (after all, when you're in Brazil you notice people > dancing while in line for sandwiches or at any old time). All 150 of them > got up and danced for about 10 minutes before they found their seats, with > the music all in their heads. Someone was videotaping all the presentations > at the conference and when the closing conference video was shown, people > saw all that dancing in the glamorous ballroom and wanted to know how they > missed hearing about that huge conference dance party... > > Ah, chairs... > > Sometimes you just have to dance between the solid parts to get more of a > feeling for the spaces in between... > > > > > - - - > L i s a H e f t > Consultant, facilitator, educator > Open Space Technology and Experiential Learning > > 2325 Oregon > Berkeley, California > 94705-1106 USA > (+01) 510 548-8449 > [email protected] > www.openspaceworld.com > > > - - - > L i s a H e f t > Consultant, facilitator, educator > Open Space Technology and Experiential Learning > > 2325 Oregon > Berkeley, California > 94705-1106 USA > (+01) 510 548-8449 > [email protected] > www.openspaceworld.com > > -----Original Message----- > From: OSLIST [mailto:[email protected]]On Behalf Of (David > Koehler) > Sent: Tuesday, January 15, 2002 4:50 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: OS Diary 1/13/02 > > Response to bolted down chairs... > > After becoming involved in OST, I have become very aware of how inviting (or > not) physical spaces are, especially in institutional settings. Bolted down > chairs, which you often find in high schools and churches, certainly convey > a > quick impression on who has power and who doesn't. > > I remember a discussion we had when I was on the city council a few years > back. We were planning on remodeling the council chambers. The desks for > the council and the mayor were up off the floor on a platform. The audience > was at the back of the room behind a row of tables with a banister in front > and consisted of bolted down chairs. After a long discussion, it was > decided > that the council members desks would be set on the floor, so as to not give > the impression of being above everyone else. However, the mayor keep his > desk in the front and center of the room about three steps high. And of > course, not to give people the impression that they had any real say so, the > banister and bolted down chairs remained. > > What kind of world might this be if government operated in open space? > > > Just a thought, > Dave Koehler > > * > * > ========================================================== > [email protected] > ------------------------------ > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, > view the archives of [email protected], > Visit: > > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html > > * > * > ========================================================== > [email protected] > ------------------------------ > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, > view the archives of [email protected], > Visit: > > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html * * ========================================================== [email protected] ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of [email protected], Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
