Hello,

Just a quick note to confirm I’ve not forgotten your interest and involvement in the Swale and Medway conversations.

Thank you again to those of you who took valuable time out of your days and weekends to come along, meet new people, and to participate in what was definitely a solid and perhaps surprisingly proactive first step forward – the feedback forms gathered say as much.

I will be in touch asap (hopefully later this week) with a written update/overview of what happened and what was discussed (in both Sittingbourne and Chatham); along with some potential next steps.

Rest assured that both conversations were recorded and will soon be available online along with the update/overview – but first I must optimise file sizes and peak audio levels or else everyone will need to download gigabytes of data which would be less that useful to you.

Thanks again to the kind folk at the Avenue Theatre and Music Project Space for letting us use their spaces and tea making facilities.

You will all hear from me again soon enough.

Finally, to those of you who’ve since emailed directly (for one reason or another), hopefully this acts as a useful reply – as usual I’m juggling quite a few things and my inbox can be a little unruly when it comes to fast replies.

If you haven’t already done so, please do signup at http://CreativePeoplePlace.info

Many thanks for your enthusiasm and patience.

Positive thoughts,
Carl

Proud to be part of CreativePeoplePlace.info

Are you a doer with half an idea or plan?

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Over recent years I’ve invested a lot of time, and my own cash, in getting to know and help people who are doing and initiating great things across Medway or Kent. I’ve become a sounding-board and go-to-guy for people like Emma Dewhurst of WOW magazine (testimonial below), and the team behind Digibury Canterbury; plus a range of social minded startups, and regional investment opportunities like CreativePeoplePlace.info

To continue inspiring and helping others, and to entice yet more interesting folk through the doors of coFWD, I’m considering making myself available for a series of one-to-one drop-in sessions – for local people seeking a sounding-board for their idea or project.

I’ll be clear, I’m not a legal or financial advisor, and because of the broad nature of this idea I can’t offer any assured or insured advice, but I promise that I’m very used to shaping and launching ideas and I’ll do my best to join-the-dots and provide useful insight and direction.

If you are doing, or want to do something for community and cultural benefit and would like someone to talk to about the challenges and hurdles, and generally bounce some thoughts about – please do get in touch or leave a comment below.

I’ll only announce dates if/once I know people are actually interested but in the meantime, inspired by Mark Suster, James Yorke and I invite you to join us at the next Startup Saturday event, please do signup via eventbrite.

To the awesome people I’m yet to meet across Swale and Medway.
I’d like to introduce myself if I may please.
I’m Carl.

I’m better at doing stuff than I am explaining why it works.
I’m a social hacker – I connect the dots between people, and wire them up.
I deliver ideas by example – I lead and do, with passion, and purpose.
And I want to meet like-minds; to make the places you and I live, better.

But talk can be cheap, and I believe we’re defined by our actions:

In 2008 I began reimagining where I live and work (Medway).
In 2009 I wrote a vision for the future and some people responded.
I lead with personal accountability and civic responsibility.
I continue to challenge and question Kent’s Creative Economy.

In 2011, we (an ever-developing community) cofounded coFWD coworking community and participatory space.

Developed upon Tuttle101, coFWD started small. Now eleven months into our larger building move, we’re 49% financially sustainable (still a long-way to go to before we can be declared an overall success), but our community impact has been and continues to be considerable.

Ok. So why reach out in 2012?

Well, during early 2012 I engaged in an Arts Council conversation about a new kind of funding opportunity – through supporting and developing connections to public places, grass-roots individuals and community activities, the Arts Council aimed to engage everyday-people in ‘the arts’.

A great deal of probono time and effort later, I’m proud to say that I’m part of the team responsible for securing a £1.4m investment into Swale and Medway, to be delivered over the next three years. Sadly no funds will be available until at least February 2013 whilst we dot the i’s and cross the t’s with the Arts Council team but more news will be announced shortly.

Please do sign up to the mailing-list at CreativePeoplePlace.info

I’ve acquired a track record for identifying and investing in the right people – often people already doing great things but under the radar – and I’ve put my own money where my mouth is to do so. I got involved in the conversation, and this opportunity, to scale my approach and impact.

Given everything I’ve ever done, I feel it important to note that I’ve never been paid by public-sector or third-sector money. Its misuse and miss-allocation continues to frustrate me, as does red tape. I now find myself being asked to advise Medway Council, KCC and the Arts Council – to make the places you and I live, better.

I have little faith in ill researched media agendas, and nor do I run an arts organisation. I believe the economic climate is going to get far worse for arts, cultural, voluntary and public sector organisations, locally and nationally. And that this requires a real adjustment in the way public spending and funding works, and how it’s measured (vanity metrics don’t cut the mustard).

I come from a world of 21st Century enterprise methods and I believe that ‘innovation is creativity with a job to do’, and that this can inspire adaptive communities and responsive models of getting stuff done. I believe people have a civic responsibility towards their local communities, and I believe small actions can create true meaning and positive change for everyone – provided the right dots are connected and the emphasis is placed on discovery through doing, not theory.

I believe ‘art’ and ‘the arts’ can be a catalyst for change, but for it to be so requires a reimaging of how it’s done (and I’m certainly not alone).
I frame this reimaging as ‘the act and art of doing’ (and getting things done), together.

I understand that many arts purists believe ‘the arts’ should be done for arts sake with no requirement for measurable impact, and they will undoubtedly disagree with me. But when it comes to sustainable investment and cultural impact, and local peoples futures, I firmly believe that ‘art’, and ‘the arts’, can and should be used as a tool to connect people and inspire communities, and as a platform upon which to inspire not only dialogue and event attendance, but long-term action and meaningful participation.

Before we can engage people in ‘the arts’, we must first engage them in the conversation, preferably over coffee *~) If you’re a doer with a like-minded spirit for creative experimentation, please do take the time to say hello. I look forward to any comments.

Please do sign up to the mailing-list at CreativePeoplePlace.info

I look forward to meeting you.
Carl @FellowCreative

[A short edit of the following was published in WOW Magazine in April 2012]

Kent is often referred to as the garden of England; for the past few years I’ve fondly referenced Medway as the compost heap. Sure it’s a bit rough around the edges but once you know where to look and who to look for, you’ll always find fertile soil to grow ideas, nurture communities, cultivate participation, and create truly sustainable value for everyone.

I prefer ‘doing stuff’ to writing about it (but I blog, occasionally). Back in 2009 I began a journey by challenging some of Medway’s authorities and the cultural landscape[i]. And I began exploring the soil and creative ecosystem[ii]. By 2011 some awesome people had found each other and a vision existed to create something disruptively better[iii]; through empowering ‘Personal Responsibility over Rights’ and a refocused importance to ‘Identify Passion and Redefine Creativity’.

coFWD (pronounced Co Forward) is a coworking community and participatory workspace, based at 161 (High Street, Rochester). The former three-storey bank building has become a bank of social-capital and community interest, a developmental and participatory place for a diverse community of people (amateur, pro-amateur, freelance and professional ‘problem solvers’, ‘doers’ and ‘social enterprisers’).

Creative insights and innovations often come in non-linear ways, through seeing connections and similarities between things we hadn’t noticed before. coFWD hopes to become an engine of such serendipity, to disrupt the traditional stereotypes of ‘creative industries’ and ‘creative practice’. Artists studios, media agencies, serviced office spaces and creative business hubs can be found elsewhere; at coFWD you’ll find overlapping circles of people whom might just create something much greater than any of them could create individually – to become more than the sum of their parts.

We moved into 161 on November 1^st 2011, now only a few months in, the participatory space and its numerous rooms and environments have evolved considerably (painted, second-hand furnished and equipped with pro-bono exchange) but much is left untouched, waiting to be written and shaped. Our vision is open to anyone but we know it isn’t for everyone.

The book selection in 161’s ‘Library’ room is perhaps the most introspective clue about the diversity of the community and its overlapping circles and themes: Graphical Navigation Systems to Fundamental Techniques Of Serious Hacking, 101 DC Comics & Gig Posters to Introducing KANT, The Business Model Generation to The 1000 Journals Project, A Guide To Electronics to The Pedagogy Of The Oppressed, The Handbook Of Pricing and Ethical Guidelines to The Third Industrial Revolution, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein to The Brainstorming Toolbox of Game Design, to name but a few.

If you have an incredible curiosity then it’s likely you’re a ‘Hacker’ of things (not to be confused with the malicious geek term ‘Cracker’). Whether you’re interested in how words shape, technology connects, culture forms or understanding develops; coFWD is an agent of change, rather than a guardian of tradition. coFWD and 161 are independent, shaped and run by people not organisations, but legally framed as and supported by ‘Creative Medway Community Interest Company’ (CiC).

Our community calendar currently lists contributions, sessions and activities including: ‘Dr Keevil’s Guide to Teaching Things and Stuff!’, ‘Monthly Coworking Jelly’, ‘Tuttle101’, ‘Lets Ruin Cinema’ and ‘Rochester Writers Retreat’, to name a few. If you’d like to know more or participate please do watch the film below and signup to our mailing-list at coFWD.org.

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Please do register your interest by visiting: http://CreativePeoplePlace.info

Swale and Medway is one of seven successful consortium applications across England that have been awarded a total of just under £16 million over three years, with Swale and Medway receiving £1,476,000.

The Creative people and places programme focuses on parts of the country where people’s involvement in the arts is significantly below the national average*.

Creative people and places takes a new approach by supporting communities and grass roots organisations to play a leading part in inspiring others to get involved with the arts.

The projects all employ innovative ideas for reaching new audiences. The Swale and Medway consortium comprises Swale Council for Voluntary Service and Volunteer Centre; Medway Council for Voluntary Service; Artlands North Kent; LV21; Kent Architecture Centre; Creek Creative Studios; FrancisKnight – project managers for Leysdown Rose-tinted ; and FellowCreative. The consortium will showcase and test new arts activities, support local people to develop their own creative ideas, help strengthen existing arts provision and celebrate what’s great about the arts. Three local authorities (Medway, Swale and Kent) will work with the consortium to develop the project. The consortium will be working with locally based arts and cultural partners to do this, including: Royal Opera House Bridge Organisation, South East Dance, and Kent County Council Libraries and Archives.

Carl Jeffrey, Founder of FellowCreative and a member of the Swale and Medway consortium, says: ‘We are thrilled to have the support of Arts Council England. This substantial investment will make a real difference to the communities of Swale and Medway. The long-term aim of our Creative People and Places vision is to enable a spirit of creative experimentation and the art of doing, together.

‘Initiated by an ever-developing network of small-scale, grass roots individuals and organisations, we hope that Swale and Medway become widely recognised as places where all forms of creativity can thrive; where communities directly benefit from the power of the arts to make positive changes in people’s lives; where new routes for engagement are opened up through testing out pioneering and experimental approaches.’

Sally Abbott, Regional Director, South East, Arts Council England, says: ‘We have a long history of working with artists and arts organisations in North Kent and we know that there is a real desire among people locally to get more involved in the arts and culture. We’re looking forward to seeing what ideas the community come up with to encourage more people to feel the benefit that taking part in the arts and culture can bring.’

Alan Davey, Chief Executive, Arts Council England said: ‘I’m excited by the possibilities of this programme and by the vision of the successful applicants.

‘All the projects have the potential to make a visible and lasting impact on the places where the work will happen and, very importantly, they all share the ambition to unite increased access with excellent art.

‘We’re looking forward to working with them to help them develop their ideas for creating and sharing great art for everyone – which is crucial to the vitality and long-term sustainability of the arts.’

The projects will be delivered by consortia and partners which include arts organisations, museums, libraries, local authorities and commercial organisations working in collaboration with the local community, grass roots organisations and the amateur sector.

The successful applicants will now receive a small percentage of their award in order to develop their plans. Receipt of the full award is dependent on the Arts Council approving each consortium’s full business plan. Round two of the programme will open to applications in September 2012.

The Creative people and places programme is one of a number of initiatives designed to help the Arts Council achieve its goal of more people experiencing and being inspired by the arts – as set out in Achieving great art for everyone, the Arts Council’s ten year strategic plan.

To contact the Consortium or to register your interest in the Swale and Medway project, please go to: http://CreativePeoplePlace.info

For regular updates about Kent Coworking or Tuttle101 Rochester please signup to coFWD MailingList.

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Dear Laura / Kevan [proprietors of The Deaf Cat]

Following the recent licensing issues and council interventions, I wish to make my feelings known on the subject of the Deaf Cat Coffee Bar – I hope this short note inspires you and your staff to stay motivated and positive in the face of the current hurdles, paperwork and autocracy.

In short, the Deaf Cat is much more than a Rochester coffee shop, it has become much greater than the sum of its parts and for the good of Rochester’s (and Medway’s) social ecosystem it is of paramount importance that this be recognised and supported by the council, not constrained.

I applaud what you have achieved in terms of a business, but more importantly I congratulate and thank you for the diverse community you have helped align, ignite and inspire. In a relatively short period of time you have achieved so much – well done! Through my ever-growing tuttle endeavours, community connections and public/council partnerships I will do what I can to help you build the necessary bridges with other creative groups, community initiatives, creative-freelancers/entrepreneurs and the local authorities.

From the standpoint of bureaucracy and autocracy (Eg. a quick glance over a piece of paper and a tick box aligned to a column marked ‘High Street Coffee Shop’) I understand how the Deaf Cat may appear at first to be a traditional High Street coffee house, but for those who care to look beyond the business name and brick building and its categorized business genre, a unique and thriving community of local catalysts can be found and will continue to grow. Sure the Deaf Cat serves good coffee but to most of the people who use it regularly the coffee is not the reason to frequent its welcoming space… its value cannot be realised in a cost-effective cuppa, its true value is in its community of active participants and true social-capital. Given Medway’s ‘Big Society’ agenda I can see no more valuable venture than The Deaf Cat.

What can be counted doesn’t always count. And from the standpoint of social capital, that which can’t be counted on paperwork or council forms, often counts.

Thank you. Positive thoughts,
Carl

Catalyst: http://www.fellowcreative.com/tuttle101
Co-founder: http://coFWD.org

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To keep up the local co-working vision and momentum, and to help the wonderful Deaf Cat out with its financial commitments to its currently vacant artists studios, James (@BecomeKnown) and I (Carl @FellowCreative) have just moved into Studio 5 at number 10 Rochester High Street – and we’re opening up our WiFi (including more secure Ethernet connections), Desks and Kettle to freelancers, startups, visitors, students and community initiatives.

Our new Studio 5 space isn’t as flexible as the Former Westminster Bank we had our eye on back in February (sadly removed from the rental market by the owner), nor is it as big as the original 2008 Brighton Skiff but we’re hoping it’ll provide us with a temporary foundation upon which to build even greater momentum and vision.

Studio 5 is currently equipped with 4 desks and an overflow space for an additional 3 desks (Studio 3), as well as access to toilets, a fitted kitchen and an enclosed courtyard.

We’ve already secured our first two part-time coworkers at £50pcm each (big thanks and welcome Paul @p_r_anderson of Sustaina.co.uk and Paul Baker at iDesignFor.co.uk).

We’ve still got room for two more full-timers (at £100pcm) or some more part-timers (at £50pcm), plus we’d like to encourage Students and other good folk to call in and see us. Occasional coworkers are very welcome for a day at no charge, just give us a ring on 07929 601737 to make sure we have space on the day.

We’re also exploring the potential for an event/workshop space for small groups so please let us know if you’ve got any ideas. We’ll post more details soon, in the meantime if you’re an organiser of small workshops, talks or other activities and you like the look of it please email us.

Finally, with this being a 101 Project and in support of The Deaf Cat (and the larger coworking vision) its important we’re transparent with finances. The space costs £260pcm to rent and any money we make beyond this will go into funding additional space usage (as and when its needed).

Any questions, please email: tuttle [at] fellowcreative.com

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Photo: Tuttle101 at @TheDeafCat Coffee Bar (Rochester)
Original photo taken and licensed by @fellowcreative