Last week, Grapevine hosted a space of solidarity, reflection and hope for people from all over the country, organising friends, funders, think and do tanks and local leaders.
Over 70 people joined us for ‘Organising Change: How we build relationships and power through tough times’ on 26 June in an important conversation at this moment of risk and opportunity.
A conversation to help prepare us for the year ahead, however today’s general election plays out.
On this day we share some of those rich contributions from our discussions - inevitably needing longer to grow than the time we had together.
“When there is parched ground, the water you pour on soaks up so fast that however much time you allow, there is never enough. But that tells us there is a thirst for more!” said Grapevine CEO Clare Wightman.
Our keynote speaker Marshall Ganz discussed building collective capacity to do deep work for structural, progressive change.
Followed by Grapevine deputy CEO Mel Smith on how we organise in this place at this time. The power and importance of place-based creativity and infrastructure, coalitions for change and a culture of care. Developing power to take on structures and building organisations based on justice not charity.
With David Robinson from The Relationships Project on taking the relationship-centred revolution to government.
And Reem ASSIL, personal and organisational growth facilitator, on how we need to be leaders of change.
Husna Mortuza from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) rounded up from a funder’s point of view supporting organisers of change.
Chaired by the wonderful Iona Lawrence. Visual minutes by Grapevine community organiser and artist Melissa Smith ?
Mel said: “Observers of our work only see what’s visible - the outcomes. We don’t want to shy away from what it really takes and how long it really takes.”
We've been in #Coventry for 30 years. We care about our place. We believe we only get better places if we build better agency.
Critical, deep work so that local people can form and lead their own solutions. So they can hold others to account and advocate for their own needs and aspirations. That critical deep work is what we do.
If this post piques your interest and you want to explore a relationship with us, book a one-to-one, visit us in person, invite us to visit you/to speak at an event/host a blog or a conversation in your networks - please get in touch. We have a recording of this event to share too.
Local organisations and citizens can be the holders of big ideas and might be precisely the places we should look to for the kind of insight we need right now.
