Arranging a speed-dating Creative Café

This isn’t about finding the perfect partner but about raising the profile of creative practitioners and allowing those interested in the arts to get a closer look at content providers. It also allows the creative practitioners to get to know each other better.

Financing / marketing

A café owner or a creative practitioner should do this. It’s probably ideal if they work together. A set price could be charged. This should finance café’s time and pay for drinks and a slice of cake for all involved. My favourite local café would charge a modest £7.00. Up to £15.00 might seem reasonable according to venue and the value-added those involved might consider they’re getting.   

Café Set up

Tables should be set up so that two people can sit opposite each other.

Timing

The “speed-dating” should last a maximum of two hours, with a short introduction at the beginning. The evening / afternoon will need to be brought to a close and it might be good to have a half hour or so at the end to allow people to chat more informally. At this point, it would be fair to revert to normal café conditions, with participants paying for extra drinks.

There shouldn’t probably be more than twenty-four or less than twelve participants. Each session should be between five and ten minutes, depending on the number of people involved. It’s probably good to aim for half and half – say twelve practitioners and twelve audience members, though any combination can introduce interesting dynamics.  

Combinations

Half the group moves round. The other half sit at a table. Make sure that half of each group are moving so that all of the following combinations are possible:

Creative practitioner / audience

Creative practitioner / creative practitioner

Audience / audience

Half of the time the “static” person should talk and the other half the “visitor”. See below for talking point suggestions.

Creative practitioner / audience

This probably isn’t the place to try and sell a CD, a painting or a book but the creative practitioner should certainly be prepared to talk about their work and how else they work – residencies, talks, events they have coming up. They should certainly have literature about their work and these events to give out.

The audience member could sneak in a book to be signed but might also quiz the creative practitioner about aspects of her work that she finds interesting. She might even find out whether she could involve this particular person in some event she is organising – perhaps a school event or supporting a favourite charity.  The audience member can give the practitioner some feedback if she knows her work. Or maybe, if she likes the practitioner’s work, she could commission something.  Some of these things may actually occur after the event.

Audience / audience

The two audience members could discuss why they’ve come here. They could point out to each other anything they have already found out that might help the person to whom they’re talking. They may even be able to support each other in their endeavours.

Creative practitioner / creative practitioner

Can they support each other?  Can they work together? Can they share some knowledge? Even if there appears to be no common ground they should exchange contact details. Something may occur later.    

Fancy arranging a speed-dating Creative Café session?

Go for it! And let us know how you get on.