Open Space Technology

The Copenhagen Interpretation uses a self-organising system called Open Space Technology.   It was designed by a man called Harrison Owen, who once spent a year organising a traditional corporate conference with speakers and activities, and then realised that the really important and useful work was actually happening in the coffee breaks - the one part he didn't organise. So he set about describing a coffee break.   At an Open Space event, participants begin in a big circle. Anyone who would like to discuss a specific subject writes a short, punchy title for that discussion on a piece of paper, along with their name. They stand in the circle and read out their title, inviting others to join them.   They take that piece of paper to a wall which is divided into time slots and locations, pinning that piece of paper at the time and location where they will be holding that discussion. This is known as "calling a session".   When all the time slots and locations have been filled, or when the circle has run out of people who want to call a session, the event begins. Everyone goes to that wall to look at their options, chooses sessions to go to, and off they go.  
For the purposes of The Copenhagen Interpretation, we might gather on the Discord server for an evening of play, and begin with players saying what scenes they would like to play, and in which channel. Then we know what sessions might be happening that evening, and can choose where to play and/or read.   The scenes themselves can begin with an out-of-character discussion about anything that needs to be agreed or plotted ahead.
  During any Open Space event, there are five principles, one rule, two insects, and one piece of guidance.   Whoever comes is the right people
Whenever it starts is the right time
Wherever it happens is the right place
Whatever happens is the only thing that could have happened
When it's over, it's over
The Law of Two Feet or The Law of Mobility
Bumblebees
Butterflies
Be prepared to be surprised   Whoever comes is the right people
Some people will come to play a character, and actively collaborate with us. They are the right people to do that, because they are the people who showed up and did that. Some will come to watch what we are playing, reading our words, or watching us on screen or at a live event. They are the right people to bear witness to the storytelling, which is just as important a role as playing a character.   Whenever it starts is the right time, and when it's over, it's over
  • whenever you arrive is the right time: no need to apologise for lateness, and any reason is a good one
  • when it’s over for you, it’s over: no-one will be offended if you leave when you need to leave, for any reason
  • our timings are always flexible, but we will share a schedule, and some things may be time-limited to help us
  We tend to begin with some time for chatting, to help us all get settled or catch up, and welcome anyone new. This is our opportunity to get comfy and:
  • make sure we have what we need (eg: interpreter, a weighted blanket)
  • figure out how we’re using the platform (eg: muting the mic on Zoom, or talking 'in character' or 'out of character' on Discord)
  • understand what we’ll be doing and how we might best enjoy it
  • check in with each other to see how we're all doing that day
  • call any sessions / scenes we would like to play, or that we'd be interested to see played by others, if they're willing
  During play, anyone can ask for us to pause at any time, to clarify something, or slow down and reflect, or just take a comfort break for any reason.   At the end of play, we tend to use the last half hour or so to check in with each other, make sure everyone is okay, and talk about what we loved, and what we wish there was more of. (Open Space Technology ends with a closing circle, and this is our version of that.)   Whatever time you give to playing or hanging out with us is the right amount of time. There is no obligation for any specific commitment.   As for how time passes: some play faster, some prefer to play slower. We will do our best to accommodate whichever you prefer: just let us know beforehand, or during play. There are multiple channels, and some can be for slower play, some for faster. We also have some tools we can use to slow things down a bit, like playing in rounds where we take one turn each and then all go again.   These styles of play are all things we can discuss as we go along.   Wherever it happens is the right place
We play continuously on Discord. Our main facilitated play time happens on a Monday evening from 7:30pm - 10:30pm UK time. In addition to this, some scenes are played in Google docs, which gives us a different kind of opportunity for collaboration. The official time for this, if you want to watch it or play a scene, is an hour before our Monday Discord session.   Other play times are arranged using our #when-we-are-playing channel. Sometimes we do bigger sessions, which take place on Zoom and at live performance events over a few weeks. In connection with these, we might send out hard copy newsletters, or give out a number on which you can call and chat to a character.   Whatever happens is the only thing that could have happened
Whatever we play, we can edit. We can also go back and change things if we want to. Small things, or big things.   We'll be telling stories within an existing setting, responding to some guided metaplot, but mostly weaving our own smaller narratives as we go.   Sometimes our characters' lives can be challenging, and sometimes it can be challenging to play them. We try to look out for each other, to accompany each other on this journey.  
Let's just keep swimming.
— story architect Rachel Hebert
At the end of the day, we are in control of the story, and we use it to serve us, not vice versa. The most important thing is that we as players gain something from the collaboration.   The Law of Two Feet or The Law of Mobility
At an Open Space event, the large room is broken up into session spaces with small circles of chairs. Because of the principle "When it's over, it's over", some people will leave a session before the allotted time is done - which they are welcome to do.   In fact, it is the law in Open Space that, if you find yourself not gaining or contributing anything to a session, you should use your two wheels or two feet, or whatever mobility you have, and take yourself off to another session or place where you can be more engaged. This law must be obeyed! It is incredibly important. As for us - you are welcome to bring in or extract your characters whenever you feel like it, in the same way. More than that, as a player you can always use this law to go and deal with anything that needs your engagement more than the play at any time. This includes the demands of real life, as well as anything that grabs your attention: a different scene, some chat instead of play, whatever it is.   Bumblebees
Since movement around the whole space is so free, two patterns of behaviour emerge, and the first is called "Bumblebeeing". When people fly from one session to another, they tend to cross-pollinate ideas around the space.   Our characters do the same within their community, sharing news and gossip and ideas, and we as players will do the same with each other: reading other people's scenes might give us ideas we can use elsewhere.   Butterflies
The other important pattern of behaviour that emerges is called "Butterflying". Sometimes, people just need a break, or they don't fancy engaging in conversation that day, or about any particular thing, but they do want to be present. Maybe they want to read scenes we play. There are many wonderful things about Butterflies. They hover in place, looking beautiful, and sometimes draw people to them who begin interesting side conversations about characters, or stories, or about the playing itself.   The fact that some are bearing witness to the playing, to the stories, is also hugely important, for what are stories without readers or listeners?   Be prepared to be surprised
This is the advice for participants in Open Space events, and it is also our advice to players here: by all means come in knowing your character and their intentions, but be prepared to be surprised by where the interaction with others might take them.   And if you end up somewhere that makes you really uncomfortable in a way that isn't going to be productive for you - we can talk about it, and we can change things.

The Access Accord

"To come to an accord..."
Supported Space
Open Space Technology
Permissions
Specific Access Needs
Comfortable
Blog post: comfortable, uncomfortable
How to join us
The Copenhagen Interpretation
This is still (always) in development, but we intend to provide this information in other accessible formats

Open Space Technology


This is The Copenhagen Interpretation of an Access Accord v5. This draft is dated 17th April 2022, developed for ADHD-inclusive digital platform usage for The Broad Cloth R&D 2022, supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.   The contents of this draft have been shaped by Jenifer Toksvig for The Copenhagen Interpretation with support from the ADHD Hive (Marie Moran, Claire Stewart, Ross Watt), Ellen Armstrong, David Bellwood, Martyn Blunt, Chloe Coleman, Diana Miranda, Flo O’Mahoney, Wendy O’Mahoney, Chloe Mashiter, Laurie Ogden, Erika O’Reilly, Teatro Vivo (Kas Darley, Mark Stevenson), Zoo Co, and pets, as well as those who came to play with us on Zoom and Discord during the 2022 R&D, in particular Mark Aspinall, Solomon Foster, Rachel Hebert, Lorena Hodgson, Amy Ledin, Sue Lee, Beatrix Livesey-Stephens, and Jennifer Lunn. Some of this process has been inspired by, or directly uses processes from, other people including Harrison Owen's Open Space Technology, and Kit Whitfield Thomas's observation that, when you have ADHD and you speak while someone else is speaking, you're not interrupting them, you're harmonising with them. Others who have inspired these things include FFRPG writers Debra Phillips, Kate Sinclair, and Jamison Yager, and theatre makers Phelim McDermott and Lee Simpson of Improbable, and Alan Lane of Slung Low.   This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Everyone is free to share (copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format), and/or adapt (remix, transform, and build upon the material) for any purpose, even commercially. If you use it and can let us know, you will be supporting our future fundraising work – thank you.