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Pushing the
Boundaries: Facilitation Frontiers
Charles Sturt University, Bathurst - New South Wales, Australia 26-28 November 2008
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PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Conference Theme
Conference start and finish
Program structure
Plenary sessions
Concurrent Workshops
Offer to facilitate a workshop
Local tours in concurrent sessions
Post-conference Workshops CANCELLED
Informal and networking time
'Birds of a Feather'
Impromptu or emergent workshops
Celebration events/Conference Dinner
IAF Facilitator Certification (CPF)
Conference Theme
The Conference Theme, with its two related concepts of pushing the boundaries and frontiers, has guided the organisers in seeking presentation of concurrent workshops.
It encompasses all the ways in which facilitation practice may push boundaries: for the facilitator, for groups, for society as a whole.
The frontiers relate to any place where facilitation is at the forefront or cutting edge of reaching and engaging people, and supporting people to work together for better social, cultural and environmental outcomes.
For some Bathurst district perspectives on this, see Conference Theme: Local Stories
Conference start and finish
The Conference begins on Wed 26 November. The Registration Desk is open from 8 am that day, with Morning Tea available from 10.30am. The Opening event (not to be missed) begins at 11am.
The Conference ends on Fri 28 November. The Closing Event is at 1.30pm, followed by Afternoon Tea and final farewells. The Registration Desk closes at 4pm.
See also Program at a Glance
Early Arrivals Welcome & Orientation
Participants whose transport arrangements bring them to Bathurst early can come to the Registration Desk from 2pm, say hello, check in, have a cuppa, and start meeting a few others.
Depending on numbers, shuttle transport into town may be available for some local tours or for vital shopping and the like.
Dinner on the night of Tue 25 November is at the participant's own cost. The Registration Desk will have details of some good options for dining in town, and you may be able to link up with some of the participants who have emerged from the IAF CPF Certification.
Program structure
The Conference Program is built on a series of plenary sessions which involve all participants in one place, and concurrent workshops which participants select to attend in various locations at the venue. Evenings of Days 1 and 2 include celebration events for all participants.
For a summary, see Program at a Glance. This page has links to details of concurrent workshops and presenters.
Plenary sessions
These are important gatherings for all participants. They include:
Day 1
Conference Opening Event
Indigenous welcome to country
Celebration of gathering together
Scene setting / Orientation to venue and program
Answering participant questions
Evening Pit Stop
News and announcements from organisers & participants
Advising program or location changes
Answering participant questions
Regional Showcase Event
Not so much a plenary session as an evening of celebration
- of where we are and who is here
Day 2
Morning Pit Stop
Evening Pit Stop
News and announcements from organisers & participants
Advising program or location changes
Answering participant questions
Celebration Dinner & Dance
Not a plenary session but another evening of celebration
- of all that the AFN, IAF and the conference stand for
Day 3
Morning Pit Stop
News and announcements from organisers & participants
Advising program or location changes
Answering participant questions
Conference Closing Event
Participatory review of the 2008 conference to guide the next
Acknowledgments
Celebration of where we have been and where we are going
Transition to the next conference and organising group
See also Program at a Glance
Concurrent Workshops
AFN Conferences are not like many other conferences - rather than 'talking heads' with a content expert delivering information to a listening audience, the emphasis is on the attendees being active participants in experiencing a method or approach for themselves. So, each session is a process of engagement and facilitation.
The program of workshops has been designed to offer a variety of opportunities for participants at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels of of capability and experience. Each workshop is tagged with the level for which it is offered.
Participants can sign up to attend concurrent workshop sessions on the wall sheets near the Registration Desk. This is on a 'first come-first served' basis at the start of each day. Number limits will be enforced as a courtesy to both presenters and participants.
Some workshops for which there is a high demand may run more than once during the program.
Participants who are arriving late at the Conference or have other reasons for inability to sign up beforehand for workshops can apply to the convenors for assistance.
See Workshop Program for details of concurrent workshops and presenters.
Offer to facilitate a Workshop
Concurrent sessions are proposed and presented by facilitators who have gone through a process of review. Workshop facilitators are not paid, and sessions are not to be primarily for self-promotion.
Local tours in concurrent sessions
To encourage engagement with the local district and community, and to offer an occasional respite from workshops, options are provided during concurrent sessions to join tours to local highlights, particularly those related to stories which illustrate the Conference theme - see Theme Stories: Summary.
Each tour will start from, and finish at, the Registration Desk within the 90 minute concurrent session. Participants can sign up for local tours within a concurrent session on the wall sheets near the Registration Desk. This is on a 'first come-first served' basis at the start of each day. Number limits will be enforced as a matter of safety.
Shuttle transport is provided to take participants to the tour location. No fee is charged for transport, as this is considered to be public transport provided as part of the Sustainability Policy ('Lighten the Load').
All entrance fees and associated costs at tour locations are to be met by participants. These are specified in the local tour descriptions.
Post-conference Workshops CANCELLED
Post-conference sessions are offered on Saturday 29 November.
See Workshop Program for details of post-conference workshops.
Informal and networking time
Time to gather and interact with each other on an informal basis is a vital part of any conference experience. So that this can happen without participants having to miss out on workshop or plenary sessions, time periods have been included for informal gathering or personal free time on the mornings of Days 1 and 3.
In addition, Lunch periods on Days 1 and 2 are 90 minutes long and Morning and Afternoon Teas are 30 minutes long to facilitate informal gathering and networking.
Participants who wish to have a network gathering on a local or regional (rather than a topical) basis are encouraged to do so at a time other than lunchtime on Day 2, which is designated for the 'Birds of a Feather' session (see below). Please make use of periods for informal gathering on the mornings of Days 1 and 3.
'Birds of a Feather'
Lunch time on Day 2 includes the traditional 'Birds of a Feather' time, during which participants can connect with each other in an informal gathering around a topic or arena of shared concern or interest.
If you wish to host a gathering, write your name and topic on the 'Birds of a Feather' wall sheet near the Registration Desk. You can also announce your topic at a Pit Stop session. At lunchtime on Day 2 collect a balloon with your topic written on it from the Registration Desk, park yourself in a suitable space and wait to see who else shares your interest. Attendance is very dynamic as participants drift between topics.
If you wish to participate in a topic gathering, there is no formal sign-up - just find the balloon and join in.
Impromptu or emergent workshops
From time to time, participants spontaneously decide they want to host or experiences a workshop which is not included in the program or which emerges as a result of a programmed workshop. Equally, some presenters find that they need to repeat a workshop due to excess demand. The time slots for Sessions 7 and 8 have spaces allocated for this purpose. As a courtesy to other presenters and participants, the organisers request that any impromptu or emergent workshops be staged at these times.
See Workshop Program
Celebration events/Conference Dinner
The Opening event on Day 1 and the Closing event on Day 3 are important 'bookends' to the Conference program. They celebrate the act of gathering together, the people who are gathering, and the place where we are gathering. A feature of the Opening event is an indigenous Welcome to country from local Wiradjuri people.
The evenings of Days 1 and 2 are open to all Conference registrants, with tickets available for accompanying persons. For more information see Registration.
The evening of Day 1 is a Regional Showcase of produce and performance which celebrates the rural district and dynamic community which comprise the geographic and cultural setting for the Conference.
The evening of Day 2 is the Conference Dinner which celebrates the community and fellowship of facilitation in all its forms. This is a time to cement relationships or open up new ones as we dine and dance.
IAF Facilitator Certification (CPF)
As a professional adjunct, the two days preceding the conference (24-25 November 2008) offer an opportunity for facilitators to gain IAF Facilitator Certification (CPF).