WORKSHOPS in LEKNES Example of Starting Co-Creative Activities in a Municipality
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
WORKSHOPS IN LEKNES Example of starting co-creative activities in a municipality By Trond Handberg 11th September 2019 at the Open Air Museum in Rumšiškės, Lithuania Where is Leknes? • Leknes – 3 556 inhabitants, the town and administrative centre in: • Vestvågøy – 11 453 inh./425 km2, the most populated municipality in the middle of the archipelago of: • Lofoten – 24 606 inh./1 227 km2, in the north of the county: • Nordland 243 479 inh./38 481 km2, in the north of: • The Kingdom of Norway – «the top of Europe» - 5 328 212 inhabitants/385 180 km2 Nordland county in Norway With municipalities Leknes, main street by night. Photo: Vincent van Zejist Co-creation in Norway • Co-creation as a phenomenon is not new. Some tasks, which today are defined as public services, was originally developed and run by the voluntary sector • The definition of co-creation invites you to look at the municipality as an arena for co-creation, rather than as an organization that provides services to citizens • This thinking represent a relatively new concept, compared to Denmark • There are some examples in the field of e.g. health and business • There are few examples of co-creation in arts, culture and heritage between culture volunteers and managers Starting co-creative activities in Vestvågøy municipality • In Vestvågøy municipality, the thinking about the phenomenon of co-creation had just started in public health work • There has been some co-creation in the cultural field without knowing that the term was “co-creation” • The real thinking about the phenomenon of co-creation in the cultural field was started by the culture unit's participation in the CO-OP project • The workshop in February 2019 was the real kick off for co-creative activities in the municipality Invitation to workshop • Because the concept of co-creation is new, it was difficult to invite participants to a workshop. The word “co-creation” probably sounded “high flying”, and the cultural actors have enough to do • Therefore it was necessary to engage a competent and exciting lecturer from outside who was able to draw participants who were curious about the concept of co-creation • Invitations were sent out to more than 200 email addresses, including voluntary cultural organizations, cultural companies, culturally interested individuals and politicians • The invitation was for two workshop sessions one week apart, taken place in Meieriet cultural centre. The hope was that at least someone would sign up on one or even both evenings. Participants Program for the first evening 5th February Participants were welcomed by Richard Brattli, leader of the Culture Unit Introduction to the CO-OP project by Trond Handberg A presentation round of the participants A lecture on what co-creation and social innovation are, by Lars Ueland Kobro, SESAM/College of South East Norway World cafe discussions on future desired co-creative projects, facilitated by Lars Kobro Recommendations and decision of the framework for co- creation evening 2 by Lars Kobro and Trond Handberg The lecture on what co-creation and social innovation are • It was very necessary to use time to clarify what co-creation really is! • Each participant was given a handbook in local co-creative social innovation: “La oss gjøre det sammen” – “Let's do it together!“ – Published 2018 by the College of Southeast Norway / Center for Social Entrepreneurship and Collaborative Social Innovation (SESAM) – Editor Lars Ueland Kobro – The initiative came from KS (The Norwegian association for local and regional authorities) World cafe discussions on future desired co-creative projects It was noted that there are few examples of co-creative practices in the cultural field in Norway. So the workshop was used to create new ones, by world café discussions, facilitated by Lars Kobro. This discussion included 5 steps: 1. Each participant placed his own sheet on the floor showing a future picture of something their society had achieved by 2029 2. The participants applied barriers to success on as many new sheets as they liked and placed them next to any of the sheets in item 1. 3. The participants added sheets of actions against those barriers in the same way as done in item 2 4. The participants ticked one of the sheets in the sheet group where they thought the local community had scope of putting the idea into action. 5. Finally, participants placed themselves physically at the group sheet where they considered they had the will to make an effort. Recommendations and decision of the framework for co-creation evening 2 • The goal: Evening 1 should be so interesting that attendance at evening 2 should also be good. It should also be a good connection between these two parts of the workshop • The cafe table process led 15 ideas that would be considered more closely on evening 2. Some of the ideas were not about culture Program for the second evening 12th February • A summary of what co-creation is • Further work on co-creation projects from co-creation evening 1 • Co-creation in cultural life - benefits, possible disadvantages and risk factors for warnings and tips for improvement • Courses and training in co-creation • Ideas for co-creation projects that did not appear in the co-creation evening 1, by the world cafe method • Short written comments for evaluation and tips Further work on co-creation projects from co-creation evening 1 • The cafe table process in evening 1 had formed the basis for sorting and prioritizing this list in evening 2. Four ideas related to culture, was considered to have the best opportunities to be implemented: – Harbour promenade in Leknes – Summer festival – Innovation centre – New visual theatre in Stamsund Warnings and tips for improved practice • The participants in evening 2 discussed possible advantages and disadvantages of co- creation • What could be the most important risk factors, associated with this way of cooperating • This provided the basis for pointing out warnings and tips for improved practice for each partner in the co-creative cooperation Courses and training in co-creation • On evening 2, a questionnaire was distributed to the participants, with the opportunity to discuss the questions with the others. • Those who were present on evening 1 but did not attend evening 2, were sent the questionnaire afterwards by e-mail. Most of them answered. • The questionnaire was related to: – The need for courses as such – Wo should arrange – Course form – Practical framework – What gives the most useful input – Homework – Coverage of costs – Dissemination of the courses to association life – Other utterances Ideas for co-creation projects that did not appear in the first evening • Trond facilitated the world cafe method to the best of his ability • Seven ideas appeared, but two where prioritized: – Vestvågøy Culture Forum – Meieriet Cultural Centre with wide-ranging offers • Because it emerged that – The local community has the greatest room for manoeuvre to implement those two ideas – The most participants themselves wanted to contribute in those two ideas Finale considerations • All in all, the feedback on the workshop was very good among the participants and they thought this was fun. The first time you meet, something good happens which in turn may generate more good. This work should continue, and many things can be dealt with at a later stage. An effort should be made to get more participants to later workshops. Traditionally, many expect that the municipality are to facilitate and finance most things, but in co-creation the relevant question is "how can I contribute?“ • Another good thing: The fact that the cultural unit engaged Lars Ueland Kobro, also created ripple effects in the municipality organization. This was done by arranging a lecture open to everyone with co-creation and social innovation as a theme, and afterward a workshop about co-creation in municipal planning • Absolutely, co-creative work should be continued in Vestvågøy. In this municipality too, “Social innovation”, “New Public Governance” and “The transformative potential” are very relevant concepts. It's about local democracy. Thank you, dear partners! .