An invitation to get knowsy!
This is a post by the RECOVER Urban Wellbeing core team in collaboration with InWithForward.
You’re invited to Knowsy Fest!
When: Friday, October 22 to Sunday October 24, 2021
Time: Indoor space open 10 am - 6 pm daily; window space open 24 hours
Admission: Free
Location: Four locations along Alberta Avenue between 92 and 94 Streets (Pe Matawe Games, Carrot Coffeehouse, Qi Creative, Nina Haggerty)
During this public event we invite you to get knowsy about how the people around you are doing, and how it might be similar or different from you. During Knowsy Fest, we’ll share some of things we heard from people, and invite you to join us as we explore stories and start to make sense of what they might mean with you.
So… what’s a Knowsy Fest?
Around the world, governments of all sizes are wondering if the people they are serving are happy and well. They often try to quantify happiness and wellbeing using standardized scales (like “how satisfied are you on a scale of 1-10), or by using generic indicators (like access to parks or primary care doctors). Only, the generic indicators don’t tell us how happy or well people feel. And where different people place themselves on the standardized scales hold different meanings based on their own lived experiences -- or whether they’ve had their coffee yet.
Since 2017, RECOVER: Urban Wellbeing has been testing prototypes and learning about what living the good life means to people in Edmonton -- in particular to people who have experience living on the streets and have been marginalized by current structures and systems.
We have come to understand that wellbeing in our city is about a sense of connection and balance… and that current standardized scales and generic indicators do not provide us with an appropriate representation of how people are well. We have not been asking the right questions; we haven’t even been asking the questions in the right way.
To help us orient ourselves and our work, we wondered:
What would it look like for a city to engage citizens in more humble and authentic ways, deeply listening to what wellbeing means to them?
In an attempt to answer that question, during the past three months, InWithForward and the City of Edmonton’s RECOVER: Urban Wellbeing team have been testing out a prototype called Auricle in the Alberta Avenue neighbourhood.
During the summer months, a team of ‘Local Listeners’ explored Alberta Avenue, connecting with their neighbours, asking them to share a story about a moment that mattered to them.
At its heart, Auricle is a new way to tune into our community and learn about what matters most.
We’ll be sharing some of the stories we heard, and would like to explore them with you during Knowsy Fest. Hope we’ll see you there!
For a bit more background in case you’re interested, Auricle is being guided by the following principles:
Respect
We treat others with deep regard, acknowledging their feelings, wishes, rights, and traditions, including their right to choose to engage (or not) on their own terms.
Curiosity
We approach all interactions with a curious, open mind and a willingness to learn from others.
Warmth
Our interactions are the opposite of clinical or cold: we strive for approachability, an appreciative mindset, and meaningful moments of connection.
Consent
We are explicit in asking for and confirming an informed consent. You decide whether your story is shared, anonymously.
Reciprocity
We believe the process of learning about wellbeing should promote wellbeing, and that community members are the first beneficiaries of their own collective wisdom.
Multiplicity
There is no single truth to uncover; instead, there are multiple truths and infinite ways of being and knowing in the world. We’re not trying to uncover a dominant story.
Subjectivity
We see value in the effort to understand how individuals and communities make sense of their experiences in the world, because that’s what actually shapes our behaviour.
Co-creation
As much as possible, we invite folks in to collaborate in a process of shared meaning making.