Dear London Town

Project 1: Wowie!!

Wednesday 14^th January – Wednesday 21^st January

Introduction

This project requires you to make something extraordinary happen.

Brief

You will be divided into teams that deliberately bring together differences in background, mode of attendance and skill. Each team will be required to define its own interpretation of ‘Something extraordinary’ and how to make it happen and who to. You will report back and work together to analyse what you made happen on Monday afternoon and Wednesday evening according to attendance requirements (F/T Monday and Wednesday, and P/T Wednesday evening only) but you will need to find mutually convenient slots during the project to meet and work together.

Presentation

All groups will present their outcomes from this project on the evening of Wednesday 21^st of January. Presentations should last a maximum of 10 minutes to be followed by about 10 minutes of feedback, in the form of constructive criticism. We expect all of you (during the evening) to contribute to the critique. Effective feedback is facilitated by a supportive response that offers opinion rather than questions. Feedback is undermined by defensive responses. The point of presentation is to make your rationale and strategy clear. If your presentation was not fully understood by your audience this is something to learn from. Assuming that your audience is dumb simply delays the potential to learn.

Criteria

The project will be assessed against the following criterion:

• Your ability to utilize and apply your imagination
• The quality and range of your research
• Your ability to respect and utilize each other’s skills and opinions
• Your ability to manage, delegate, share, take responsibility, plan and deliver
• The clarity of your presentation
• The level of risk taking you display in your presentation
• Your ability to move beyond the predictable
• Your ability to manage the gatekeepers that need to be persuaded to unlock the gate to collaboration and risk
• Your ability to work constructively as a group
• Your ability to communicate effectively and persuasively to all who are involved in all aspects of this project from permission to approval
• Your ability to sum up what you have learnt

RESULT:

We went toTrafalgar Square with a bowl of pennies asking people to make a wish and throw it in the fountain. But we got kicked out of TS due to the money exchange – even though we were giving it, not asking for it. So we left and went to St James park and stood on the bridge asking for people to interact with us. Success.

See slide show:

Conclusion: Wishes are many times based on social needs – expressing the condition of the times. They also fall under three types of categories: need, want, desire. These types of wishes are very different.

Think about what you wish for – is it some you need (food, water, shelter – basic needs for survival); want (love, happiness – a feeling/emotion); or desire (lust, money, power). Now find a fountain, get a penny and make a wish.