EXPERIMENTS IN GROUP WISDOM

The first rule of WRITE CLUB is that you do not talk during WRITE CLUB.

This very simple meetup is based on the premise that public and peer accountability enables more productive writing than sitting at home and getting distracted by the fridge.

We will write/read for an hour in silence. (I will be writing thought experiments for my other meetup group: THOUGHT EXPERIMENTS IN PUBS)

If you'd like to hang out afterwards, or if you prefer just to hang out, I have another event immediately afterwards in the same place :-) You can find that here: HANGING OUT AT THE SOUTHBANK

We'll make use of the fantastic indoor public spaces on London's South Bank (The Southbank Centre, The BFI Cafe, The National Theatre Cafe, etc) to spend time in the company of other people.

There are plenty of places to buy refreshments, but you can also bring your own if you prefer.

This first event will take place in the foyer of The Southbank Centre. You can find us by looking out for a big red flag with THE SUNRISE CLUB emblazoned on it (though this clearly isn't THE SUNRISE CLUB! If you want to find out about that, you can do so here.)

Looking forward to meeting and writing with you :-)

Bonny

Inspired by Sheila Liming's 2023 book, Hanging Out, this event is about "daring to do nothing much, and even more than that, about daring to do it in the company of others."

We'll make use of the fantastic indoor public spaces on London's South Bank (The Southbank Centre, The BFI Cafe, The National Theatre Cafe, etc) to spend time in the company of other people.

There are plenty of places to buy refreshments, but you can also bring your own if you prefer.

This first event will take place in the foyer of The Southbank Centre. You can find us by looking out for a big red flag with THE SUNRISE CLUB emblazoned on it (though this clearly isn't THE SUNRISE CLUB! If you want to find out about that, you can do so here.)

And if you feel like using the hanging out as a carrot for some creative work, please join us an hour earlier for WRITE CLUB - an hour of silent writing/reading in the same location.

Looking forward to meeting and hanging out with you :-)

Bonny

• this is a tried and tested method of getting into good conversations quickly, see my other community "THOUGHT EXPERIMENTS IN PUBS" for evidence!
• we will split into small groups for about 25 minutes to discuss

We will then open up discussion to the room (15 people max).

There will be an opportunity to choose focus topics for the evening:

• E.G. philosophical(ish) issues: purpose, leadership, ethos, what we mean by community
• E.G. practical issues: structuring an event, marketing, communication between events

We can either continue in the big group or split into smaller groups again, depending on preferences for topics.

There will also be opportunities for storytelling, trouble shooting, and celebrating existing communities.

The rest of the evening is unstructured space to continue conversations, discuss collaborations, get to know each other.

NOTES ON THE GENERAL ATMOSPHERE:

• Laid back, light, fun
• Respectful of each other's time, views, ideas
• Generous listening and low pressure sharing

WHO SHOULD COME:
Everyone with an interest in hosting groups and building community. This group is not about being experts, it is about working it out together. That is, bringing our various experiences and lenses on the world together to support, inspire, and uplift one another. The more perspectives, the richer the conversation.

WHERE WE'LL MEET:
The Fitzroy Tavern in Fitzrovia. In the small dining room UPSTAIRS. The nearest Tube stations are Goodge Street and Tottenham Court Road. (It has a nice fire place!)

YOUR HOST:
I'm Bonny. I've created a couple of successful communities (e.g. THOUGHT EXPERIMENTS IN PUBS & THE SUNRISE CLUB) and have a lot of experience hosting groups. I'm always learning. My best ideas come out of conversations with others :-)

WHATSAPP GROUP - stay in the loop
SUBSTACK - sign up for the newsletter

I'm looking forward to meeting you and hearing your ideas!

If you would like to further support these meetups, you can do so here: https://buymeacoffee.com/bonnyastor
Thank you!

• this is a tried and tested method of getting into good conversations quickly, see my other community "THOUGHT EXPERIMENTS IN PUBS" for evidence!
• we will split into small groups for about 25 minutes to discuss

We will then open up discussion to the room (15 people max).

There will be an opportunity to choose focus topics for the evening:

• E.G. philosophical(ish) issues: purpose, leadership, ethos, what we mean by community
• E.G. practical issues: structuring an event, marketing, communication between events

We can either continue in the big group or split into smaller groups again, depending on preferences for topics.

There will also be opportunities for storytelling, trouble shooting, and celebrating existing communities.

The rest of the evening is unstructured space to continue conversations, discuss collaborations, get to know each other.

NOTES ON THE GENERAL ATMOSPHERE:

• Laid back, light, fun
• Respectful of each other's time, views, ideas
• Generous listening and low pressure sharing

WHO SHOULD COME:
Everyone with an interest in hosting groups and building community. This group is not about being experts, it is about working it out together. That is, bringing our various experiences and lenses on the world together to support, inspire, and uplift one another. The more perspectives, the richer the conversation.

WHERE WE'LL MEET:
The Fitzroy Tavern in Fitzrovia. In the small dining room UPSTAIRS. The nearest Tube stations are Goodge Street and Tottenham Court Road. (It has a nice fire place!)

YOUR HOST:
I'm Bonny. I've created a couple of successful communities (e.g. THOUGHT EXPERIMENTS IN PUBS & THE SUNRISE CLUB) and have a lot of experience hosting groups. I'm always learning. My best ideas come out of conversations with others :-)

WHATSAPP GROUP - stay in the loop
SUBSTACK - sign up for the newsletter

I'm looking forward to meeting you and hearing your ideas!

If you would like to further support these meetups, you can do so here: https://buymeacoffee.com/bonnyastor
Thank you!