129 - From vision to reality: The story behind the NeverDoneBefore facilitation festival with Myriam Hadnes

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 The microphone has turned, the seats have switched, and I am being interviewed on my own show!

This week, Michelle Howard takes up the mantle of workshops.work host and invites me to explore the origins of and process behind the NeverDoneBefore facilitation festival.

I’ve wanted to talk about NDB in detail on the podcast for a while, but worried about the self-promotional aspect of doing so. The novelty of relinquishing control and taking the role of interviewee felt like the perfect solution to discuss NDB in a way that truly represented it, my thoughts, and the process so far comfortably and fairly.

Michelle did a wonderful job of holding space for the conversation to unfurl naturally and helped me realise things that I, myself, had not realised about the festival. 

This episode may well prove to be informative, educational, and revelatory for everyone involved!

Find out about:

●     How the vision for NeverDoneBefore emerged

●     The iterations, missteps, and trial-and-error that led to NDB as it exists today

●     What curating a festival has taught me about community

●     How I’ve come to balance clarity and novelty, even with a festival built on novelty

●     Why trying and killing new ideas has been foundational to developing a strong programme

●     The question I come back to that has helped me build an accessible, appealing festival

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Click here to download the free 1-page summary.

And if you prefer to watch our conversation, click here for the Youtube video.

And if the idea of NeverDoneBefore 2021, the community of facilitators, caught your attention; click here to explore it in more detail!

About Michelle Howard: 

Michelle is a specialist facilitator with the skills and experience to manage diverse groups and processes with energy and integrity. She has worked in the government, private and not-for-profit sectors manage process of conflict, policy development, program evaluation and change.

She has been a guest on the workshops work podcast, in episode 43.

Questions and Answers

[02:41] What is NeverDoneBefore 2021 about?

[07:23] There is a huge diversity of experiences accessible through NDB, can you talk about that range a little more?

[12:32] How important is finding the perfect ‘stretch’ point beyond our comfort zone for learning novel things?

[14:29] What defines the NDB community – who is it comprised of and what do they have in common?

[17:13] Who are ‘Residents’ in NDB?

[19:36] What are you most excited about ahead of this year’s festival?

[21:56] Is the mentoring element of this year another means for people to stretch themselves?

[24:53] How has NDB helped you grow personally?

[30:15] You’ve just ‘handed the keys’ to Julio Muhorro for two weeks, whilst you took

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