What do we want to capture?
Here are 3 areas that we want to document during the Learning Festival:
1. We want to document the process.
This is an opportunity to present what happens at a Learning Festival, why it happens and what is the result. We would like to narrate what happens, to interpret what happens and to present the result.
2. We want to capture the stories that relate to the practises.
The stories are an important part of the Knowledge Asset. We need to capture the stories in a form that is consistent with the Knowledge Asset.
3. We want to capture examples of ‘This is what happened to me during the session’.
These stories are a testament to the value of the Learning Festival. They can stand on their own, but they will also contribute to the documentation of the process (the first area above).
The material that we need to capture for each area is different. We may be fortunate and one piece of material is relevant for all 3 areas, but this is unlikely to happen often. Here are some comments on the nature of the material that we need to capture for each area:
1. The process
The purpose of this work is to help others to run a Learning Festival. The aim is to give people a feel for what happened during a particular session. Therefore, we need to record what happened. We need to record why the organisers made the choices that they made for a particular session. We need to record the response of the audience to that step in the process.
2. The stories for the Knowledge Asset
The purpose of this work is to document the ‘Principles for Action’ that form the heart of the Knowledge Asset. We are looking for a structured story with a clear message. So we aim to capture this material after people have worked on it during the Learning Festival. Our opportunity will come on the afternoon of Day 3 and during Day 4.
3. The stories of personal change
The purpose of this work is to show what can happen to an individual during a Learning Festival. The problem is that the change can happen at any time during the week. And the challenge is to capture the excitement and the pleasure that comes with that insight. Look and listen for it and capture it just as quickly as possible.
How do we capture?
Here are 3 principles that help to answer this question:
1. There is no single solution.
We can use writing, sound, video and images. Keep on thinking about the different possibilities.
2. Don’t capture everything.
It takes a lot of time and effort to organise and to integrate material. There is a dilemma that we should recognise. We can be very specific and focused on the material that we collect. This helps us to deliver a good result easily and quickly. We can try to collect everything, but it will be almost impossible to select, to edit and to organise the resultant mass of material. There has to be a balance between the 2 approaches. We achieve that balance when we listen very carefully during the event. We can identify the content that we need as we listen to it.
3. When we record images and video we disturb the situation.
The people that we work with are not usually professional (or amateur) actors. When we record them, they often feel that they need to perform and are uncomfortable. We should be careful about disturbing people when they are doing something else. In particular, we must be extremely uncomfortable with the idea of documenting a SALT visit. It seems to the writer that it is almost impossible to record a SALT visit without transgressing the very idea of a SALT visit.
Some guidelines for telling stories and helping others to tell their stories
Here are 3 guides that can help you to tell your own stories and to help others to tell their stories.
1. ‘Story telling guidelines. doc’ comes from Jean-Legastelois. He has spent a lifetime collecting stories.
Here are the 6 main messages in the text that has more details:
2. ‘Advice from the Chiang Mai Knowledge Fair.doc’ comes from the participants at the event.
3. ‘Story telling template.doc’ helps you to think about whether you have got all the information that you need to tell the story.
A review of the capture opportunities at the Chennai Global Knowledge Festival
Day 1: Human connections
Are we human?
Introduction to CLCP
What is story telling?
Learn-and-share in mixed country groups
Prepare for SALT visits
The day consists of a series of short sessions. There will be some introduction from the facilitator with some activity or reflections. Guess is that the day is most relevant to the capture the process. Capture the facilitator introduction. Capture the facilitator reflecting on the session. Listen and then capture an individual who has responded to the session.
Day 2: SALT—a personal experience
My guess is that today is an opportunity to capture personal change. So look and listen during the SALT visit and interview afterwards. My strong personal preference is not to record during the SALT visit.
Capture the AAR of the SALT visit for the process.
Day 3: Community speaks
I am not sure about the opportunity for the Market Place. Maybe a good opportunity for personal change.
I think that the Knowledge Fair will be difficult from the capture point of view.
To capture the process we will need to listen and to write.
To capture the stories we will need to be patient and take opportunities.
To capture the personal change we need to listen and to capture
Day 4: Our way of thinking and our way of working
This will be the main day to capture the stories for the Knowledge Asset.
It will also provide a good opportunity to capture stories of personal change.
Day 5: Keeping conversations alive
Today will be a day to take opportunities as we find them