Following two days of presentations and breakout conversations on Zoom, the in-person Unconference on Saturday, April 30 offers participants to continue conversations, collaborative thinking and project planning in an open-ended format. The Unconference takes place at the John Nicholas Brown Center for Public Humanities and Cultural Heritage at Brown University, located at 357 Benefit Street (building entrance 50 Williams Street), in Providence, Rhode Island. There will be three sessions, with opportunities for participants to submit session ideas twice throughout the morning.
Unconference Schedule
9 – 9:30am Welcome coffee; participants’ session proposals for Sessions 1 and 2 must be submitted by 9:30am.
9:30 – 10:30am Session 1
10:30 – 11:30am Session 2
11:30 – 11:45am Break; participants’ session proposals for Session 3 must be submitted by 11:45am.
11:45am – 12:45pm Session 3
12:45 – 1pm Session report-outs over cookies and beverages.
Unconference FAQs
Can I attend without proposing a session?
Yes!
How do I propose a session?
You can propose a session the morning of the Unconference using paper/pens/markers provided at the Center for Public Humanities. If you want to write up your session idea and bring it to the Unconference, you may do so too.
How are sessions chosen?
All participants will vote for the sessions they want to see. We will tape all of the session proposals in a grid on a wall and participants will cast votes for their top choices; votes will be quickly tabulated and a schedule put together listing all sessions and their locations. We have capacity to run three sessions per time slot. Depending on the number of participants, all sessions may run, or only a selection of sessions may run, depending on the number of proposals.
What kinds of sessions can be proposed?
All kinds, including general discussion sessions, project-based discussion/prototyping sessions, technology/skills workshop sessions or miscellaneous experimental sessions which may even take place outside of the building, such as walks and tours.
If I’m proposing a session, should I bring a presentation or lap top?
No. This is not a venue for prepared formal presentations or Power Points. This video, called “Unconference 101,” gives an overview of how an Unconference works. If you would like to bring handouts for a session, you can bring paper handouts that can be given out if your session is chosen.
Can I leave a session that I’m in and join another one?
Absolutely – Unconferences are fluid, so feel free to wander between sessions.
Have another question? Email marisa_brown@brown.edu.
Artwork credit, web banner: Detail, Jazzmen Lee-Johnson, Not Never More (2022)