Networking Diagrams

Diagrams in their most simple form

I've created a series of networking diagrams, attempting to understand how the community centre works and although complicated looking...I hope it is understandable. like mentioned earlier in the meeting the relationship between the community and the facility is cyclical but i would interpret it in a slightly different manner to how it was spoken of. Give me opinions on the diagrams please.

Networking Diagram

Cyclical relationship

Mathematical graphic of cyclical relationship

Also related to this is a power structure diagram, where it seems that all of the power within the organisation doesn't exist within the community / parish boundary therefore they actually have NO INFORMAL COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIP. Simple thought process but enlightening all the same.

Power structure of the organisation

Group meeting

A decision was made to travel to the site on Friday and partake of the morning, afternoon and evening activities along with the continuation of the mapping process, concentrating on the local scale along with possibility to undergo a 2-3 day workshop either in the location of the church or along a community node or at several locations within the ward providing different activities to encourage community participation with the building whilst making the community aware of the facilities and functions that All Hallow's Church provides.

Flyer suggestion?

Anyone got an opinion on what our presence in the community and within the building should be? Carolyn had stated that we should consider inviting people from other community centres to any events. I did this very quickly to start a discussion. I also think that we should place photos of ourselves into the community centre so that if we are involved in some of the activities that people recognise us and we have a proactive presence.

Leeds in the news

GuardianLeeds has loads of interesting articles about the city from,  
sites and blogs in Hyde Park, Burley and Woodhouse 
to an independent Leeds Map.

A different take on participation

Public works is an art and architecture practice based in London which was established in 1999. They employ playful methods to involve local users, residents and passers-by in their projects, often making interventions on site in order to inform and expand a given brief.

Mobile Porch
a mobile mini-architecture designed for roaming the public sphere. It is an urban toy used to engage on a one to one level with the users and governing bodies of public sites. The observations and experiences collected during on-site residencies are a valuable source of information in regard to the state and potential of everyday situations and future policies/strategies. Mobile Porch was developed for the North Kensington Amenity Trust to roam its public domain. Everyone was invited to use it, to shape it, to mould it, and to temporarily own it.

Park(ing) Day and Tinwolf

I realise that they sound like a pair of catchy new superheroes but...no!

The Park(ing) Day event is undertaken on a worldwide platform, in the majority of major cities, the participant in the UK is not London but...Leeds.The purpose of the event is to temporarily increase the ratio of provided public space by reclaiming unused, underdeveloped and undesirable functions of the city and re-appropriating them with a desirable green park / space based on the idea of 'guerrilla gardening' of the city.

On a slight tangent from this, I have unearthed an community based organisation called Tinwolf, its ethos is to 're-invent the city through creating community solutions for a sustainable Leeds. It does seem a bit 'radical' (they have their own constitution) which may suit the desires of the church and they have an association with the University of Leeds and seem to attract student and community interest and play an active role in community engagement through the formation of activities and events. More knowledge is required. The blog for this organisation is here.

Group meeting

We met as a group this morning to discuss the outcomes of the research and mapping exercise. Later, we met Carolyn to discuss how we felt the project would progress and the requirements involved with this, recognising that the first client meeting was based on a very pragmatic premise, wishing for the resolution of the two types of heating systems, the fixing of a leaking roof and reconfiguration of the external amenity spaces, although all parties found this to be of concern we felt that an emotional reading of the building was required from the resident artists, Trish and Simon and it would be at this stage that the participatory response with the community would take place.

Democratic resolution was made on the hand-in criteria which would comprise of a document stating grant and funding possibilities based upon a funding timeline of 5, 10, 20 years. We also felt it necessary to produce a series of posters to coincide with the churches art exhibition on the 12th November.

Some other outcomes were that we would arrange to attend all the activities within the community centre to provide ourselves with a more comprehensive understanding to the buildings functioning and each user groups emotional and physical attachment to the building.