Second Renaissance Barn Raising
What: Second Renaissance Barn Raising
When: Tuesday 3rd Dec at 530pm - 930pm CET | 830am-1230pm PST | 1130am-330pm EST
Where: Online - Zoom
Who: You! Anyone in the space who wants to directly contribute to a collaborative event to co-create resources for the community
What is a barn raising?
A barn raising is a community effort to create something meaningful and useful together.
Historically, it was a gathering where a community cooperatively erected the framework of a neighbor's barn, typically followed by a celebration.
In our case, it’s a work party to harness collective wisdom and experiences, building resources that serve our community and help people navigate the Second Renaissance space.
What to expect
The Second Renaissance Curators team will host a 4-hour barn raising event on Zoom.
It’s all about tapping into your lived experiences to craft “postcards from your learning journey” that reflect the diversity and richness of our group and the space.
Flexibility: Join us for the whole event or part of it, as your schedule allows.
Engagement: A short video introduction will be shared beforehand to get you up to speed.
Creation: Work together in small groups or individually to contribute your ideas in a lightly-structured, creative way.
Core Activity: Write Your Own Postcard
Using a simple template with room for creativity, Write Your Own Postcard invites you to contribute personal knowledge and experiences tied to areas, organizations, practices, and people within or generally aligned with the Second Renaissance Ecosystem Map (https://secondrenaissance.net/ecosystem).
What You’ll Do
Create Postcards: Using templates with guiding questions, share your experiences, interests, and ideas. (Examples will be provided on the day.)
Connect: Find others with similar themes, and explore how your ideas intersect.
Contribute: Add your postcard to our growing resource pool.
Your contributions will initially form the basis for quick, accessible information nuggets for newcomers to the space, or those who want to learn more about specific areas, supporting people’s journeys into or through the space, which can feel overwhelming or hard to navigate at times.
Over time, these postcards could evolve into guides, infographics, or social media resources.
Why Postcards?
Postcards are bite-sized and accessible. They are:
Easy to create, read, and share.
Perfect for collaborative spaces like wikis.
Flexible: They can stand alone or be combined into larger resources.
Creative: One side can feature an image or design if desired.
What This Means for You
Express Your Unique Perspective: Your lived experience is valuable.
Shape the Resource Hub: Help build a resource hub that will guide and inspire others.
Find Your Community: Collaborate and connect with like-minded contributors.
Have Fun: Get creative and work on this low-pressure high-impact project.
FAQs
I’m very new to this space. Will I be able to contribute?
Yes! Sharing how you found us, your wants, and your guiding questions are just as valuable as contributions from someone who’s been in the space for 10 years. These postcards are for people like you.
I’m only available for part of the event. Can I still join?
Of course! Orient yourself with the pre-barn-raising introductory video and join us when you can. All contributions are welcome.
Who are the Curators Team?
The Second Renaissance Curators Team includes:
Rufus Pollock, Co-Founder of Life Itself – Curatorial Lead
Catherine Tran, Life Itself Research – Research Lead
Danielle Johnson, Limicon – Onboarding Lead and Deputy Wiki Lead
James Baker, Intentional Society – Curator and Social Designer
Lauren Wigmore, Life Itself Communications – Communications Lead
Simon Grant, Life Itself Senior Research Associate – Wiki Lead
Sylvie Barbier, Co-Founder of Life Itself – Design and Narrative
James and Lauren will lead this project, supported by the rest of the team.
What happens to the information on the postcards?
All information submitted as part of this project will be open source. Please only share what you’re comfortable making public.
Can I invite others?
Yes, absolutely! The more, the merrier. Send them this lu.ma event link to register.
If you have any questions in the meantime, contact Lauren at hello@lifeitself.org
Learn more about the Second Renaissance here https://secondrenaissance.net/