Three weeks ago Grapevine hosted a space of solidarity, reflection and hope for people from all over the country, organising friends, funders, think and do tanks and local leaders.
Over 70 people joined us for ‘Organising Change: How we build relationships and power through tough times’ on 26 June in an important conversation in this moment of risk and opportunity.
A conversation to help prepare us for the year ahead under a new Labour government.
On our blog today we share some of those rich contributions from our discussions – inevitably needing longer to grow than the time we had together.
“When there is parched ground, the water you pour on soaks up so fast that however much time you allow, there is never enough. But that tells us there is a thirst for more!” (Grapevine CEO Clare Wightman)
Our keynote speaker Marshall Ganz discussed building collective capacity to do deep work for structural, progressive change.
Followed by Grapevine deputy CEO Mel Smith on how we organise in this place at this time. The power and importance of place-based creativity and infrastructure, coalitions for change and a culture of care. Developing power to take on structures and building organisations based on justice not charity.
With David Robinson from The Relationships Project on taking the relationship-centred revolution to government.
And Reem Assil, personal and organisational growth facilitator, on how we need to be leaders of change.
Husna Mortuza from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) rounded up from a funder’s point of view supporting organisers of change.
Chaired by Iona Lawrence, with these visual minutes by Grapevine community organiser and artist Melissa Smith.
Mel said: “Observers of our work only see what’s visible – the outcomes.
“We’ve been thinking about the practices needed to do this work well for a long time – we don’t want to shy away from what it really takes and how long it really takes.
“It lies in the development of relationships, in the 100s of one-to-ones, in the building of trust and in the unwavering belief in people.
“We always show up with kindness, warmth, and love. Love isn’t a term often used in organising but it’s always been in our kitbag.
“Love means that we work to really understand one another as well as being willing to welcome tension, to agitate and face conflict head on.” (Grapevine deputy CEO Mel Smith)
We’ve been in Coventry for 30 years. We care about our place. We believe we only get better places if we build better agency.
Critical, deep work so that local people can form and lead their own solutions. So they can hold others to account and advocate for their own needs and aspirations. That critical deep work is what we do.
Local organisations and citizens can be the holders of big ideas and might be precisely the places we should look to for the kind of insight we need right now.
Making sure that these conversations are carried into the world in a way that brings to life the nature of this work is crucial.
What next?
If this post piques your interest and you want to explore a relationship with us, book a one-to-one, visit us in person, invite us to visit you/to speak at an event/host a blog or a conversation in your networks – please get in touch with our CEO Clare.
We have a recording of the event to share too.