POSTPONED DUE TO LYCEUM RENOVATION.....CAN'T STOP PROGRESS!!!

the un-Conference for the un-city at the Brooklyn Lyceum.

What is a barcamp?

The history of barcamp is interesting in and of itself.  Although mainly focussing on the younger, tech-oriented crowd, it has potential to have far reaching influence.  

Essentially barcamp is an unconference.

An unconference is driven by the participants, not the producers of the conference.  There is no schedule till the morning of the conference.  No advance notice of celebrity speakers or announcements of exact topics.  Just the participants who are driven to communicate with others who step up, prepare a discussion and place a filecard on a schedule wall.  The attendees check out the topic and determine on the spot if they should attend.

Why a barcamp?

Blogs are not enough.  It seems that a barcamp might be a possible town-meeting type event.   A face to face about issues that matter enough to someone.  A place to learn that isnt driven by those in power either politically or financially, but the voice of a burgeoning, intelligent, less transient, participatory class of citizen.

Why Brooklyn?

Brooklyn is where we think we will find a critical mass of burgeoning, intelligent, less transient, participatory citizens.

How will it work...

• The Brooklyn Lyceum will pick an available date or two in 2010.
• A couple of in-house lyceum staff will lead the charge to get the word out.  Viral will be the word.

How it might be different than your typical barcamp...

• Some topics will be pre-announced.
• Usually there are many similar sized rooms at the venue.  The Lyceum will be host to the largest two rooms of the barcamp.  
• There will be some form  of registration for the sessions.  Not usually done, but we want to not turn away people because of a random small venue assignment.
• There will be 3 or 4 venues within a few blocks of each other in the Park Slope/Gowanus section of Brooklyn.

Is there a theme?

Only that the issues/topics matter to Brooklyn.  Some unofficial possibilities:

• Eminent domain
• Brooklyn has been home to a whopper of an eminent domain battle with the whole Atlantic Yards debacle.  The recent seemingly incongruous Appellate decision(Alantic Yards) and Appellate Division decision(Columbia) seem to be just so much kindling.
• Atlantic Yards Report
• Transit
• Lots of people with more monety than prior residents moving into the boro.  Maybe it would be useful to analyze the transit stucture a bit.
• Crime
• Gentrified areas slipping back into lawlessness.  Will anyone notice?

Hopefully, you get the point.  A citizen inspired analysis/review of stuff that matters to Brooklyn.

To participate in planning this event or to help out running it.... email us atinfo@barcampbrooklyn.com.