21st Century Democracy – Participation Now
Raymond Williams Foundation (RWF) residential at Wortley Hall, 28th-30th November 2014
 
Provisional Programme
 
This residential will broadly follow the pattern of recent RW events at WHall and
elsewhere.  Hence we aim to be flexible, expecting 45 resident participants (plus maybe
2 or 3 part-time) which will enable five choices for discussion/seminar sessions in groups of up to ten.
This programme will remain provisional, open to some minor modifications.
A facilitator ‘…contributes structure and process to help take the discussion forward…’.
We have a line-up of experienced facilitators for the discussion circles/groups/seminars
(WEA, OU and other university lecturers/tutors; poet and authors; PiPs facilitator/s...)
 
Fri 28th November
 
14.00  onwards Arrival and registration.   Book sales, 2nd hand from late afternoon on…
 
16.00 Tea and biscuits
 
17.00 Welcome: Introductions, and review of programme plans.
 
17.15    Warm-up discussion sessions: i)   Liberty and Liberation in Poetry;                 ii)  Constraints on Democracy  iii) Public Libraries  iv) PiPs and other methodologies – training          v)  Voting and decision-making via Web
 
18.30 Dinner
 
19.45    Participation Now – Work in Progress  and On-line Learning Potential
Dudley Pretty Memorial Key-note Lecture by Dr Nick Mahony,   Founder of OU/oD PN Project
 
21.15   Bar or option of Music – Singing Together and Poetry Readings  (from within the groups)
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Sat 29th November
 
08.30 Breakfast
 
09.30   Discussions and workshops: i)  Further discussion on 'Participation Now' Lecture
ii)  Crony Capitalism  iii) Freire, Raymond Williams and Chomsky: 'The emerging landscape of thought and practice;  iv) Women and Democracy  v)  A review of Paul Rogers’ oD weekly postings on War & Peace  
   
11.00 Coffee
 
11.30  Social and Democratic Exclusion on City Estates and ‘Precariat’ Issues in General
Lecture by  Dr Lisa McKenzie,  Fellow,  Department of Sociology, LSE.
 
13.00 Lunch 
 
14.00  Free time….
 
15.00  Optional catch-up on discussions as above,  selected by vote.
 
16.00  Tea
 
16.30   Three earlier sessions, as above, repeated;   iv)  Education and Compass  v)  Volunteers and Volunteering.  
 
18.30 Dinner
   
19.45   Public Engagement and the Big Society  Lecture by Sharon Clancy, former Head of Community Partnerships and currently researching radical adult education in residential colleges. 
 
21.15   Bar, and/or Sing-along with guitar accompaniment, maybe…
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Sun 30th November
 
08.30 Breakfast
 
09.30   Discussions and workshops: bringing together Three big themes from lectures and earlier sessions, selected on a show of hands
 
11.00 Coffee Break
 
11.30    Discussions and workshops:   As 09.30, plus maybe another big theme from
earlier sessions, selected on a show of hands.
 
12.30    Forum:   Review, and What Next?
 
12.50    Soup and sandwich lunch, and heading home…
…………………………………………………………………………………
 
Suggested reading, viewing or listening : any books, web references and broadcasts
mentioned, or relevant to, above; Raymond Williams Keywords (1976 and 1983)
New Keywords (Ed by Tony Bennett .... 2005) 
More recommended books as in notes provided… Visit www.opendemocracy.net for latest articles
on a number of central issues.
 
Keep up-to-date with notes posted on RWF web-site.   Advance preparation - by all - for discussion sessions is, we know from experience, hugely helpful, assisting avoidance of waffle and repetition.
 
Facilitors for sessions may not be ‘experts’, and may facilitate discussions for which others
have prepared notes.   We hope obviously that expert opinion will have been consulted
by participants beforehand.   If you have a lap-tap or i-pad/tablet/phone with you at WH
these may be useful during some above sessions.    Please bring your guitar, mouthorgan, Sax or whatever if your are able to contribute to the social late evening music sessions.
 
For newcomers - if you are nervous or sceptical about any of the above, fearing confusion
and chaos... it is suggested you look at the evaluations on earlier similar residentials on
the RWF website...
 
Any queries/issues contact: derektatton@btinternet.com   or phone 01538 370067
 
DT 17th November  2014 www.raymondwilliamsfoundation.org.uk