December Workshops!

Anarchist Parents’ Group
Monday December 2, 6:30pm
Camas Books and Infoshop

Let’s get together to support each other in the challenging and joyful task of raising revolutionaries amidst the tsunami of military-entertainment culture. Kids welcome – Camas has toys available.

Supporting Anarchist Women who are Long-term Prisoners
Thursday December 5, 4:00pm
Camas Books and Infoshop

Learn about some of the anarchist women currently imprisoned for long terms (Marie Mason, Nyki Kish, Fran Thompson and Rebecca Rubin) and how to support them. Facilitated by Comrade Black.

Supporting Indigenous Resistance Prisoners
Tuesday December 10, 4:00pm
Camas Books and Infoshop

Learn about Indigenous resistance prisoners John Graham, Oso Blanco, Leonard Peltier, and the Mi’kmaq blockade prisoners, and how to support them. Facilitated by Comrade Black.

How to Make the Zine
Thursday December 12, 6:30pm
Camas Books and Infoshop

It is that time of the day, week, month, year, to make a zine! You have been storing all your energy in preparation for a great DIY experience, and this is it my friend! In celebration of the upcoming Zine Fair, this workshop will provide some basic materials and information on zine making (Pronounced “Zeeeeeeeeeene” The ‘e’ is silent). For those prepared, there will be book binding jigs provided as well. Some printing costs may be covered for this workshop depending on what is needed. So bring your wonderful self to this event and enjoy the ultimate creative experience extravaganza.

Cozy Up with Crocheting w/ Katie
Tuesday December 17, 2:00pm
Camas Books and Infoshop

Winter doesn’t suck. Cozy up for the rainy season and learn how to crochet! By the end of this workshop, you will easily have the skills needed to crochet a blanket over this dark and beautiful winter. Crochet needles and yarn will be supplied for the workshop and I can share how you can source your own. Feel welcome to bring your own if you have em, or join the crochet circle even if you already know how to crochet. Rad discussions will also be shared and I fully intend on bringing delicious hot chocolate to share!

do you want to Flood a Freeskool With ingenious Proposals? Here’s how:

Our Deadlines for Proposals are the 15th of each month to give a workshop in the following month. You send us your proposal by either by email or in person at Camas books. (Note we are a separate collective from Camas so if you have questions you’ll need to email us). We’ll schedule your workshop into our Freeskool Calendar.

Where:

Most workshops take place at Camas Books, which means you have access to a sound system and projector to show films or websites. We also have alternate venues that can accommodate, messy skill shares, body work, outdoor activities, etc. These spaces are still fairly limited at this point, so please let us know what you need well in advance of the deadline.

How:
Email proposals to freeskool(a)camas.ca by the 15th for the Next Months Freeskool Calendar. (For example: January 15th for February Freeskool)

What we (the Freeskool) has to offer:

1) Accessible venues where you can hold the workshop. (Please note that while the spaces are accessible some washrooms are not.)

2) Inclusion in our public calendar of events.
3) Promotions through our networks as well as support with postering and online promotion.

4) Resources for attendees: bus tickets, tea, snacks and reimbursement for childcare costs. (We want to acknowledge that it is often not free to attend workshops even if there is no admittance fee and we aim to address this issue.)

5) Resources we provide to facilitators: some funds for printing costs, promotions and workshop materials. (We will work with facilitators to negotiate how we can work together to ensure there are minimal costs for participants. Facilitators should keep in mind that as a Freeskool we are aiming for an audience seeking free knowledge, Do-It-Yourself and low-cost skills.)

6) There will always be two trained members of either the Camas or A Freeskool collective present. They can answer your questions about setting up your workshop, and can help you welcome workshop participants.

What we need from you:

1) The facilitation of the workshop/event/skill-­share etc.

2) The event must be free (or by donation with no minimum).

3) An awareness and commitment to uphold Camas’ values as an anti-­oppressive space.

4) We ask that you, as a facilitator consider how we can create safer spaces when we come together as well as how we work towards decolonization.

5) If your workshop requires some setting up, arrive a little early to do this. You are welcome to bring friends or co­‐ facilitators to help you with logistics or presenting.

Freeskool Workshop Questionnaire for Proposals

In order to help make your workshop happen, the Freeskool needs some basic info about your workshop or course, in order to coordinate logistics, and that’s why we have this short questionnaire.

Please answer the questions below:

1. Is this a one-time workshop or a series (like a course)? If it’s a course, make sure you let us know how long it will run and how many sessions there will be.

2. What date(s) are you hoping to hold this workshop?

3. Please give us a brief (~50-100 word) description of the workshop so we can circulate it and promote it.

4. How will you create a safer space for your participants?

5. Could the workshop be held during regular store hours at Camas? There may be some distractions during store hours (customers coming into the store, etc.) but it’s also easier to coordinate a time because a Camas Collective member will already be in the store.
6. Do you need any special equipment for your workshop (i.e. powerpoint, video, audio)?

***Please email your completed questionnaire to freeskool(a)camas.ca***

Note: To view the full facilitation Call Out than click the link at the top of the page under “A Freeskool. Acknowledgements. Get Involved.” You can also access it through the link listed on the right side of the page in the side bar.

Conversations about sharing knowledge, free skools and de-colonization

Earlier this month Anthony Meza-Wilson joined us from Vancouver, where he is involved with the Purple Thistle, to share his vast experiences and knowledge of Free Skools all over North America and throughout time.

You can check out his research at this amazing participatory wiki site all about Free Skools.

This workshop inspired the members of our collective to take on a few challenges over the coming months.

The first of these is providing a space to discuss safer spaces, facilitation skills and the radical pedagogy that is central to what a Freeskool is.  Our fist step is a workshop on February 6th (see more info. about the workshop at the end of this post).

• As a collective we are committed to creating safer spaces and realised that many of us, ourselves included are struggling with what this looks like and how we can work together to create these spaces.  We believe that we will never arrive at AN ANSWER as to the what and how of a Safer Space, but that continually thinking and talking about it and actively creating safer spaces is the best way that we know how to live our commitment to Safer Spaces.

• We have found that many folks in our community who we know have wonderful things to share are uncertain when it comes to facilitating a discussion, sharing their skills or leading a workshop.  Sharing skills and nurturing capacity in our community is what we are all about so, in order to continue to make the freeskool an accessible space for those sharing either as facilitators or participants we though facilitation itself would be a good topic to cover.

• Connected to facilitation is radical pedagogy as a central aspect of what our freekool is about.  We do not want to reproduce the same oppressive classroom dynamics of school in dominant culture.  We are committed to learning and (un)learning that is liberatory.  Most of us have been socialized in state funded public schools… which means we have (un)learning to do together to dream up ways that we can share and learn in spaces that are inclusive, nourishing, safer, horizontal and break down systems of authority and dis-empowerment.

The second thing we’d like to try is having evaluation forms at our workshops so we can hear your suggestions, experiences and ideas.  We can’t believe we didn’t think of this before!

Lastly, we plan to take on Anthony’s ‘The anti-colonial challenge‘, which you can find in the Theory section of his Wiki.  Our collective are settlers who acknowledge that we are organizing on stolen Coast Salish lands and we are committed to being active in working against colonialism.  In March we will begin a reading group that will begin by working together through the Unsettling Minnesota Source Book.

Wednesday 6 Feb. 6:30pm

Facilitation, Safer Spaces, and Freeskooling

At Camas Books

Are you intrigued by a freeskool, but are not sure what it is? Have you been considering facilitating a workshop because you have awesome skills and knowledge to share (as we all do), but have not facilitated before? Are you wondering how you can create safer spaces for your workshops, collectives and community? Well, this may just be the workshop for you. We will discuss the principals and politics behind freeskools, what safer spaces are and how we can work to create them, and facilitation tips on how to lead workshops with respect to the principles and values of freeskools. This will also be an opportunity for you to ask questions from the group and work through issues that may have arisen for you with regards to the topic. This workshop is facilitated by one of the founders of A Freeskool, Serina, who has been facilitating stuff and thinking about these things for a pretty long time.

—Serina