Where to host

Space is political. Where you decide to hold the conversation can either enhance the inclusion of those who have been invited or exclude them. In making decisions of where to host a local conversation, we need to interrogate our assumptions of people’s access to devices and connectivity, as well as our assumptions about the ablebodiedness of our participants.

Use the needs assessment discussed in the previous section to guide your decision-making in choosing a venue for your event.

Our environment also has a huge impact on our engagement. If you are hosting a physical conversation, look for a space that has good ventilation, fresh air and lots of natural light. If possible, find a place that makes you feel inspired! For you, this might look like a venue surrounded by nature, or a local arts and culture centre nestled within a bustling city, or a community-led space with a rich history of hosting activist organising.

Ethical considerations

Go through your participant list and their responses from the needs assessment to answer the following questions:

• Do folks have specific accessibility needs? If choosing a physical venue, make sure the venue enables the mobility and onsite accessibility of all those attending. If hosting an online conversation, choose a platform that has the necessary features available to ensure full and engaged participation of all invited.

• Is the venue safe for diverse identities? Is it queer-friendly? Is it women-friendly?

• Can folks access the venue using public transport?

• Does the venue provide vegetarian meals, and accommodate other dietary needs?

• Who runs the space? If choosing a physical venue, are its custodians attentive to the ecological impact of the space, and the environmental sustainability of its surrounds? Do they welcome diverse bodies? If hosting an online conversation, are your chosen platform’s developers invested in enabling internet freedom?

• Can information be kept safe at the venue? Can conversation materials be locked away overnight if taking place over multiple days? Does the space have surveillance cameras, and if so, can they be turned off for the duration of your event? If taking place online, does your chosen platform support your privacy needs?

Useful resource: Come together, APC guidelines on planning and designing online events

Venue facilities

Depending on the conversation activities you want to host, also consider whether the venue has:

• A whiteboard or chalkboard

• Walls on which to stick up posters

• Open space for participants to self-organise

• If hosting a conversation online, you may want to choose a platform that enables breakout rooms, and explore online tools for different ways of engaging and being together

Lastly, let’s not forget about our love for technology and our ability to be in our bodies!

Bringing your technology to physical venues	Bringing your bodies to online spaces
Check if there are plug points for folks to charge their devices and stay connected Ask the venue beforehand about their Wi-Fi facilities Create a digital repository for folks to share information and resources with one another   Share infrastructure! Invite folks to bring their devices and favourite tech to the conversation.	Does the platform you wish to use allow folks to engage their senses? You may want to: Share, listen to, and dance to music! See one another on video Enable ongoing engagement via a separate chat platform or by making use of the video conferencing platform’s chat facility   Pool resources! Invite folks to bring material items to the conversation that speak to particular moments in their activism.

Reflective exercise What is the best workshop or conversation you have been in? In a list, describe the aspects of the space you believe contributed to the energy you experienced.