What's Brewing
I put ideas I'm brewing here because they're not really my ideas (whose are?) and I'd rather attract collaborators than "protect my intellectual property."
Kid Co. Business School
LaunchingInquiry-based learning, rooted in community. The Kid Co. Business School facilitates a thorough and meaningful dive into the world of small business for kids who want to learn skills in a real-world setting with real-world feedback.
Where my thinking is at
A seven week program where a group of 8-10 kids aged 10-13 develop a business idea from the ground up and deliver it at a local market. I'm hoping to base the weekly 1.5hr sessions at a community hub in the northern suburbs of Darwin, and have a market stall at Nightcliff Markets in the sixth week of the program. The seventh week will incorporate a wrap up and review where we discuss what we learned and evaluate the business. Currently I'm thinking the program would be limited to craft-item businesses (like beeswax wrap, candles, garden ornaments etc.) but could elevate to a food business down the line. The other big-picture development down the track would be moving to a co-operative model where the profits from the last round provide the seed funding for the next round. Kids who had done the program before would be more than welcome to stick around for subsequent rounds, mentoring others and watching the seed fund grow to enable more ambitious projects.
Ecstatic Dance
DreamingEcstatic dance, conscious movement, moving meditation; call it what you will, I've received so much from a regular practice of listening to and moving my body in tune with something that goes beyond words and thoughts.
Where my thinking is at
I love music, I collect and curate playlists like my life depends on it, and I love my work as a marriage celebrant and MC: it feels like a natural fit to begin facilitating a movement practice. The barriers I'm working through at the moment are: I don't know how to DJ, and I'm not trained in a modality like 5Rhythms or Open Floor (both of which take many logged hours all over the world to attain). I'm imagining running fortnightly or monthly dance sessions with clear intentions and strong boundaries: no substances, plenty of natural light, bring everything you're carrying from your day or week with you and dance it through your body. To make this happen I need (at a minimum) to find a space where I can pump a pre-made playlist and start advertising regular events. Over time I'd love to get the DJ skills and equipment to curate the experience live, and to deepen my facilitation skills through a formal training process.
Children's Theatre Production
DreamingA simple, grassroots theatre production of a classic play, put on by your local neighbourhood kids in the park.
Where my thinking is at
Theatre and drama bring me to life: from a young age I loved being on stage and dressing up in character. Theatre is a wonderful opportunity for children to participate in community entertainment, rather than being passive consumers of it on an iPad. This doesn't need to be complicated: just a kid-friendly script of a classic story (like A Midsummer Night's Dream or Peter Pan) that can be performed in an hour or so with an intermission, a basic set construction, costumes, and a venue. Darwin during the dry season is perfect for this because there are so many beautiful outdoor public spaces this could be held.
Want to be part of something?
Whether you want to collaborate, pilot something, share a venue, or just tell me what you think — I'm all ears.
Let's TalkAlso from Tom