Proposals
Fixing the Food System
The COVID pandemic is making the cracks in our modern food system painfully aparent. In the US, the cheap and unhealthy foods we consume make us sick, while the system that produces them exploits workers and degrades our environmental. Up to 40% of food produced and shipped in this county goes to waste, while globally an estimated 10% of people suffer from chronic undernourishment. We can do better. I've spent years dreaming of a just and sustainable food system, and I'm sure many of you have as well. Come to this workshop to engage in a structured conversation about the food system we have now, the one we would like to build, and how to get from here to there.
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Getting Started and then Getting Fancy with Web Forms
Let's learn how to make great fillable forms on the web. Using standard or free forms like Google Forms, Drupal Webform or Survey Monkey you can make collect information of many types. We'll go through the basic types of information and then get fancy with conditional questions and custom responses.
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Hamilton Singalong!
I have been longing to have a Hamilton singalong for a long time. Seems to me there are many challenges in doing it online, but I am hoping I can figure them out by the time we have this workshop! So, during the workshop, we'll talk about the things that go into doing an online singalong sort of thing for maybe 10 minutes, and folks can (hopefully if I figure it all out) sing one of their favorite songs from the show for us to all sing along with! There will probably be some setup sorts of things to make this work, but since I haven't figured them out yet, come with some flexibility and a desire to learn some things about settings in zoom to make things sound better. Anyone is welcome to come to this workshop if they like the show, or even if they don't know it and want to learn some things about it. If you live in a pod with folks who also like to sing, you could even do some of the songs that have more banter or back and forth or harmonies!Remember, you don't need to be an expert to teach at Skill Swap, you just need to want to try!
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Have a Not-Primarily-Technical Music-Making Practice
Kurt Vonnegut advised attendees of a class to go home and write a poem and fold it up and carry it in their pockets for a week and never show anyone. He said, "just do it to make your soul grow."Music has no upper limit on the technical competence it can require. One composer, confronted by his violinist who admitted, with embarrassment, that they were unable to play what he had written, said, "I know. It is impossible that anyone could play what I have written. What that section of the score is intended to elicit is the sound of someone attempting, sincerely, to play it." This is not a class that requires or aims, primarily, to cultivate technical competence. As your facilitator, I'll simply ensure that you have what's necessary to get out the front door and begin your adventure, and I'll stick by you long enough to ensure that adventure finds you and you get home safely that night, and that have what you need to go out again.
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How to Make Things Up
Puns, terrible jokes, silly ideas for bad movie plots, stories about what you did on Friday night that are more exciting than "petted my dog for an hour and went to bed early," totally disgusting foods that you describe to your friends but which no one in their right mind would ever actually cook - These are the riduculous things which your imagination has the potential to create for your own - and others' - amusment. Come to this workshop to let your imagination run wild! We'll think about how to make your mind a sillier place, and practice being funny, ridiculous, and fantastical. We might also go deep, and have a conversation about the power of imagining, and some more serious (but not too serious) reasons you should get better at making things up.Note: This workshop is a little bit improve, a little bit bullsh*t, and a lot of fun! Please bring your laughing pants.NOTE NOTE: I would also be glad to hold this workshop as an outside-but-in-person workshop with a small group in the Burlington VT area, if anyone is interested!
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How to Sewing Machine
Do you own a sewing machine, but not know how to use it, or even what the parts are? Do you want someone to talk you through the basics of what it does and how it does it?Do you have sewing machine issues you'd like to troubleshoot with someone? (hint: have you tried rethreading it?)Good news! I'm here to help you get a little more comfortable with your machine in one-on-one sessions.Note: you're gonna need to have some stuff for this, so be sure to reach out to me with any questions with enough lead time to place an order or get to the store if you don't have the basics already.
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How to Talk to Kids
Do you find it hard to talk to children? Do your friends' kids freak you out? Does the sight of a little womp-rat looking up at you with big eyes and sticky fingers make you want to run for the hills?Allow me to help. Let's talk about barriers to communication with little ones and why it can be hard to find the right tone. We'll discuss how different families might have different expectations, and how ultimately (and perhaps surprisingly), kids are just people. Usually pretty cool people.IF YOU ARE A KID: come along and tell us how you feel about the way adults talk to you! Your input is by far the most valuable in this conversation. Disclaimer: I have not formally studied child development. I have, however, been an educator with a historical society and am very comfortable with kids. I'm also really good at rolling hoops and sticks.
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Ignition
Centuries ago, refugees abandoned Earth in all directions as evidence mounted of a runaway greenhouse effect that would leave the planet uninhabitable. Two hundred years into their outbound voyage, our ancestors lost contact with all other humans when the long distance communication system of their starship failed. It's been three decades since that ship reached its destination, planet Gethen, and an initial outpost was established on the surface.
IGNITION is a short, six-ish-person, live-action game about the last survivers on an exoplanet outpost. It’s a story adaptation of Jason Morningstar's THE CLIMB (which I ran in 2018). These games are part of a movement of freeform role playing that has elements of improv story telling and uses props and sets to ease players into the kind of make believe we may have forgotten since we were children. Bring a headlamp. We’ll build pillow forts. If someone has a pair of walkie-talkies, please bring them!
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Intermediate waltz
Learn some intermediate waltz elements, and possibly experiment with liquid lead (https://youtu.be/OH0dK208MNk?t=790).This assumes you already feel comfortable with basic waltz or a similar partner dance (like frame, connection, foot work, and circulating on the floor).My waltz style is informed by contra and blues dance.
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Introduction to indoor fort making / Fort parade
Introduction to fort making: 30 minutes, open to adults and childrenThere will be a break for half an hour, then we'll have a fort open house - show us all what you created!During the discussion, we will look at concepts, core materials and finding inspiration for making a fort inside of your home. There are many different types of forts, and each has pro's and con's regarding durability, safety, light and space. Are you building for a slumber party? Creating a maze for a child, or perhaps a cardboard box castle?When does turning over a couch make sense, or not make sense for that matter? What safety considerations, policies and procedures do you and your friends want to put in place with the creation of your new tiny house? ; )Ideally this would be 30 minutes of discussion and Q&A, followed by a break of half an hour and then an indoor fort parade in which those interested can give a tour of their fort! : D
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