Reflecting on Hodgepodge
- May 1
- 3 min read
Updated: May 6
Summary
Last Friday (24th April), we held our first ever Hodgepodge event at the New Earswick Folkhall in York.
Our intention was to create a space for community organisers and activists to come together, build relationships, shape their ideas in community and learn about what is going on around them. We felt that this kind of space was missing in York, especially in this time of increased polarisation and continued austerity where there is a sense that resources and capacity are scarce.
The focus of the day was less on what people are doing, and more on how they are working in community. We worked hard to create a space that felt free of competition, established psychological safety and emphasised connection.
How people arrived, and how they left
At the start of the day and then again at the end end, we asked our attended 3 simple questions to gauge their energy levels, how hopeful they were and how connected they felt to other organisers/movements in the city.
We asked them to move around the room to indicate how they felt, and managed to draw the general shape that they created in the room.
From the diagrams below, we think the event had a positive effect on attendees energy, feelings of hope and connection.
From high energy to shattered, how are you arriving today?
From despairing to hopeful, how are you feeling?
From feeling really connected to disconnected, how connected do you feel to other groups working in York?
Hodepodge Commitments
At the start of the event we handed out a list of Hodgepodge Commitments, asking people to keep them in mind throughout the day's activities.
These Commitments were designed to create a feeling of solidarity and safety amongst the group, many of whom didn't know each other. Retrospectively, we can see that this kind of early agreement between individuals is essential when doing introspective work together, that it set the tone for the event and helped to establish the conditions for psychological safety.
We feel it allowed people to be both vulnerable and accountable, and we'll definitely be using them again when creating similar events.
Our Thoughts
We really enjoyed Hodgepodge and loved the vibe in the room. It was wonderful to watch people chatting and getting to know each other throughout the day, and we were grateful that people came and shared their thoughts and experiences.
Our intention with Hodgepodge was to ask the question: 'What do we need to be community organisers and activists?'
We wanted to ask this within a space that felt non-competitive, community focused and with a recognition that nobody can make change on their own.
We had two fantastic speakers to help us answer the question...
Anu Priya and Becca Bunce took us through interactive discussions in which we delved in to questions around our values, our accountability and who we rely on within our networks. We also practiced holding space for others who are doing similar work and thought about not just the people, but the places and things that inspire and nourish us.
Listening to these two inspiring facilitators was such a treat, and taking the time to think deeply about our own needs felt restorative, grounding and almost luxurious (although we know this shouldn't be the case).
If you're interested, have a quick glance over the slides that were used on the day. If you have any questions about what you see, just drop us an email.
Before we began planning the event, we noticed a lack of events in York dedicated to activist's wellbeing, and we wanted to rectify this. From the feedback forms, we've now learned that many who attended Hodgepodge felt the same way, and that this event was a much needed chance to reflect and connect. With this insight, we're really motivated to create other, similar gatherings and keep filling the gap.
A snapshot of the room
We asked our attendees a few questions to get a feel for who was with us and what was important to them. Check out their answers below.
What issues are you most passionate about?
Which grassroots group/ campaign in York inspires you?
Where else do you draw inspiration?
Gallery
All photographs taken by James Drury. See his website.
Another Hodgepodge?
We had some lovely comments on our Feedback Forms from the event and the
vibe in the room was that there's not enough of this kind of space for organisers. We will definitely be exploring how we can continue to create events dedicated the needs of activists in the city.
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