The current members of The British College of Mutual Aid are the Foodhall project, Access Space and Redhaus books in Sheffield, UK.

The two day event explores how we organise in a collective way by exchanging theories of best practice and alternative economics. The practical models needed to sustain social, architectural and creative collectives and the hurdles we all face as the social movement has more contributors.

The British College of Mutual Aid is an alternative to current education. With a goal to enable everyone, over time, to contribute to the collective knowledge to enhance a wider scope of views. Including views which don't have any academic platform. Overcoming the age and financial boundaries of current UK education system by open and equal access. Over the weekend participants and collaborators are invited to come, live together over a two day period in a more immersive and alternative approach to learning and teaching one other.

This idea is in it's infancy and this is the first event under this banner. It is currently led by a small network of members of independent radical spaces, and members of the international EASA community. These learning and creative exchanges exist beyond traditional academic or formal frameworks, but are qualifiable by the mutual agreement and consensus of the attendees.

Also contributing to this event

* Dougald Hine of the Dark Mountain Project, recorded an interview especially for this event about his work and creating effective networks of self-organising projects.

* Monika Kostera, academic and author of Occupy Management! in a recorded discussion with Louis Koseda and Jake Harries about the resilience of small self-governing organisations through having strong networks.

* Larisa Blazic, artist, researching how Blockchain can empower local communities

*Fran Edgerly+maybe others, of Turner Prize winning Assemble London via Skype

*Susie Steed, co-founder of the Brixton Pound

* Maria Pastuskh. SESAM Poliklinika

*Elina Dzinovic, EASA Real.

+more (to be announced)

Weekend time line and activity schedule:

Really excited about the weekend ahead and it will be a fantastic experiment in learning and teaching. We have included a timeline for the weekend based on speakers arrivals and availability and have included a few extra speakers who hadn't confirmed at the time of the previous post.

Friday:

5:00 Community cooking

7:00 Social Eating

8:00 TV DINNERS C.E special: Opera Project film. +others

Saturday - Economics:

Foodhall:

8:00-10:00 Breakfast

Access space:

10:00 Louis, Jake, introductions and inspirations.

10:30 Susie Steed. - Workshop on time banking.

11:30 Larisa Blazic. -Local ledger - Workshop on blockchain, ethics of technology and social consequences.

Foodhall:

1:00 Lunch.

Access space/Foodhall

2:00 Symrun - Redistributing the attention economy.

3:00 Minesh Parekh - Workshop on community Wealth. 

4:00 Community workshop.

5:00 A short walk around rainy Sheffield.

6:00 Cooking in Foodhall.

Sunday - Collective:

Foodhall

8:00 - 10:00 Breakfast

Access space

10:00 Louis Koseda - Collective Organising, introducing the day.

10:30 Ian Nesbitt - Fostering togetherness.

11:00 Fran Edgerly - Skype presentation.

12:00 EASA Reality

12:30 EASA Sesam

Foodhall

1:00 Lunch.

Access space/foodhall

2:00 Community clay workshop VB

3:00 Monika Kostera- Interview. Resilience of small self organised Groups through Networks

4:00 Dougald Hine - Interview. Creating effective networks for self organising projects.

5:00 Conclusions from the weekend.

The final meal

8:00

Dougald Hine and Monika Kostera have recorded interviews with us as they can't make it person now, and Fan Edgerly will join us on Skype for a live discussion.

Please note that there will be a ticket price to suit you. Not being able to afford it shouldn't be an obstacle to attending.

We are also looking for more venues who would be happy to deliver programmes under the banner, British College of Mutual Aid.