Event Details
This half day training session will draw on lessons from the two year Power Project inquiry, and the new guide, ‘It’s All About Power’, which launched in March 2022. In many ways the session will look and feel like a collaborative workshop, whilst also providing you with practical tools and approaches to thinking about power, allyship and participation of people with first hand experience in your social change work.
‘Lived Experience’ has become a buzz word in the social sector. The Power Project took on the challenge of asking what it really looks like to work together with people who have direct experience of social injustice and inequality, in active solidarity to drive social change. We think understanding power can help set us off on this journey, to shift the way we all think, work and campaign. This will help civil society to become far more than the sum of its parts – and unleash our power to create change.
Whilst there’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ answer to these big and pressing questions, in this session participants will:
- Explore the power dynamics at play in the sector, and in their work
- Develop an understanding of how and why those with direct experience should be central to any campaign
- Explore how to create space for people with direct experience to be central to campaigns
Who is this three hour workshop for?
- Anyone working to create space within their organisations for people with direct experience of the social issues they tackle, whether you yourself have direct experience or not
- Anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the power dynamics that exist within civil society and how these affect the work done by campaigning organisations
- Any level of seniority, from those at the start of their careers to senior executives and board members of organisations
Through the Power Project we are challenging the social sector to embrace a new way of thinking about power to create deeper solidarity for social change. ‘It’s All About Power’ is designed to start conversations that will create the conditions, within each organisation, for more equitable relationships to flourish with people who profoundly understand the consequences of inequality and its potential solutions. This training session is about putting those principles into practice, and we hope you’ll join us!
This workshop is led by two SMK staff members, namely Sarah Thomas, Head of Power and Participation, and Shaan Singha Knowledge and Information Manager.
For an informative read on SMK’s approach to solidarity for social change, read this blog.
Workshop Dates
Tues 20th June 2023, 2-5pm
Tues 7th Nov 2023, 10am-1pm
Tues 12th Mar 2024, 2-5pm