Elle Simms
Week Zero: Making Great Communities
This project will give you the space and support to have a positive impact on your community, the place you feel you belong or are connected to. You will be able to engage with community practitioners who have insight and experience working to build relationships and make projects happen in community settings. And you will find your WHY, your reason for doing this, your motivation and story. You do not need to know you WHY yet, you can find this on the journey…
A more detailed project brief will be provided in the next section when we begin the journey:
Photo by Nathan Lemon on Unsplash
Read: How Kindness Spreads in a Community
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A new study finds that when we witness kindness, we’re inspired to be kind ourselves. This article will inform part of our first session, and we would like you all to read it, and consider what your thoughts on the research is. Come prepared to share ideas and collaborate in groups to build off of this article.
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Photo by Dee @ Copper and Wild on Unsplash
So, how does this Incubator work, and what actually is an Incubator?
An Incubator is based on a model where people join a group of practitioner mentors with a half baked idea, and we incubate that idea into a well rounded and actionable plan. This Incubator will take place over six weeks and will involve supported project work to form an idea that is personal to you, in which you can do good in your identified community.
Each week will consist of a session, with input from practitioners and community advocates, with a series of short tasks and activities, and you will then work independently or within smaller groups and with a Mentor to support your idea to develop. You will be provided with resources and help in creating and delivering your ideas. In every session you will work collectively, as well as independently and with the support of your Mentor. Its a really excited project, where we see YOUR amazing ideas emerge and become a reality, trust us – you can do this!
By the end of the 6 week Incubator, you will have a story to tell and share about your idea, and will have the option of putting your concept into reality, and pitch for seed funding and/or mentor support from Man Met to make your idea a reality.
Outline of the Project plan:
Week 1: Think BIG: Ideas and Mentoring
By the end of week one you will know your project mentor, and will have begun to build your idea outwards. You will have explored your why for doing this and will feel excited to begin!
Week 2: Projects & Ideas: Where, what, how, when…
By the end of week two you will have explored lots of ideas for a project idea and picked one to take forward, you will understand what it means to build a project and will have considered logistics.
Week 3: Testing the water: what is feedback and development?
By the end of week three you will have shared your concept with your mentor group and defined your idea. Alongside this you will begin to state your clear goals and create an action plan to achieve these.
Week 4: In Action! Testing and Trialling
By the end of week four you will have explored the different aspects of your idea: it’s desirability, feasibility, viability and sustainability. You have had a go making something happen in real life, and shared more detail with a small group of peers. Your mentor will help you connect beyond the university to begin community relationship building.
Week 5 – Building your story: Narrative and confidence
By the end of week 5 you will have finalised your idea and decided how you wish to share your story. You will learn how to feel confident in yourself and how to express your why as a way to pull audiences into your concept.
Week 6 – Sharing Session: CELEBRATION!
By the end of week 6 you will have shared your project idea, received feedback and discussed how you might make it a reality. You will have the option to pitch for seed funding and/or get mentor support to bring your idea into reality!
Apply Your Thinking:
Take a look at this extensive listing to find groups and spaces in your community, who you might be interested to work with
Community Group Directory – https://manchestercommunitycentral.org/directory
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Can’t wait to see you, build ideas for your communities, and introduce the mentor team. Lets see what good we can make happen!
So, meet the exciting group of mentors who will lead you through this project and who you will be paired with:
Oladamola Babalola (Mr. Babz) is a cancer survivor who founded and has successfully been running a 10 + years ‘award winning’ social enterprise called Freshrb. Freshrb innovatively uses media as a tool to raise the awareness of health conditions and galvanises public engagement with health themes & research.
Mimi Dearing is the founder of Get It Done, a community arts organisation that produces creative projects to drive positive social impact, and supports young changemakers to lead their own community initiatives.
Laura Negus is a socially engaged ceramicist. She works with community groups and charities, focusing on the positive impact working with clay can have on our wellbeing and mental health. She is experienced in working with volunteers and supporting people through recovery.
Audrey Albert is a visual artist whose research-led practice enables her to consider and investigate themes of mixed identities, collective memory and displacement. Born in Mauritius with Chagossian heritage, Albert’s practice is socially engaged and community based. Audrey is also a creative facilitator, hosting photographic workshops around identity, memory, and notions of home.