Lois Weaver - New Methodologies for Public Conversation / TESTIMONY
Introduction
INSTRUCTIONS
RESEARCH OUTPUTS
PROCESS
PORCH SITTING PROCESS
SITUATION ROOM PROCESS
PUBLIC STUDIO PROCESS
CARE CAFE PROCESS
DISSEMINATION
TESTIMONY
CONCLUSION

TESTIMONY

Genevieve Pearson | Visitor Experience Consultant (Programming)| The National Trust | 07770544555 | Midlands |www.nationaltrust.org.uk

"Back in April I happened upon the The Situation Room, an open event that was part of the Wellcome Collection’s ‘The Sick of the Fringe’ festival. I’m really interested in different formats/ environments/ structures for conversations, and in the current climate particularly, it feels crucial that we all hone our skills at seeing things from different perspectives. At the National Trust, we’re exploring topics through our programmes that have relevance to issues in the wider world (Home, Wellbeing & Nature, Global Connections), rather than being internally ‘interesting’, and to do this effectively, meaningfully and openheartedly, we all (volunteers and staff) need to get better at having conversations – whether they’re planned, adhoc, in front of an audience, or otherwise. Whilst the Situation Room has an element of performance and takes inspiration from a film, it is the conversation format that feels most pertinent to what we’re trying to achieve as an organisation. Hearing a group of strangers open up their thoughts was profoundly moving, and I would like to explore what this might do for us as an organisation, as teams, where people do already know each other already, and there is something to discuss.

I approached Lois Weaver, creator of The Situation Room, in the summer, and having explored a few options with her, it seems that there could be some fruitful outcomes if we were to collaborate. Lois’ research into conversation formats at Queen Mary, and her work during her Wellcome Trust Fellowship (how specific places might inspire communication and imagination, improving access for marginalised groups, working with internal teams, expertise in facilitation) are all areas of overlapping interest with the National Trust and lend themselves to a potential collaboration. I’ve approached several colleagues in the Midlands region – all are interested in exploring this with Lois further. As well as working together on some specific topics/ approaches, we’re interested in learning from what Lois has already researched, in understanding how other organisations have changed as a result of this work, and whether working with the National Trust would provide some further case studies to add to that research. There are a number of Trust workstreams within which we could see this collaboration fitting and are very keen to work together if we can identify a good place to start."

TESTIMONY

Testimonials taken from Council of Elders participant survey responses:

"It can challenge perceptions, assumptions, prejudices and attitudes on individual and societal levels by opening up the conversation between generations, classes, tribes etc."

"It made me see older people as wise and capable and very relevant in terms of advice and giving help and lending advice to problems of today's world."