Good communications is all well and good but how about improving the thing? An event in Yorkshire aims to improve how democracry is done and it's of interest to anyone in or around local government.
by Dave McKenna
While controversial council decisions make their way easily onto the news agenda the day to day of council decision making remains invisible to most people.
Take Council meetings for example. While millions engage with the x factor and strictly hardly anyone is interested in what’s happening in their own town halls. The problem is not the comms but the product. So how can we bring council business out of the 1930s and blinking into the sunlight of the mass media age?
Notwestminster 2016 is all about redesigning local democracy so it’s less like Baroque (obscure and outdated) and more like Rock ‘n’ Roll (popular and exciting).
Impossible you say! Well, maybe, but we want to give it a go. Sound like your cup of tea? Well, come and join in.
We’re bringing people together to create and share new ideas for doing local democracy at our second “We’re not in Westminster any more” event in February 2016 in Huddersfield. It’s a free event, organised by volunteers, and open to everyone who is interested in doing something to improve our local democracy.
Please come and take part in two days of making, thinking, discussing and creating. Notwestminster 2016 includes a Local Democracy Maker Day on Friday 12th February. Our main event includes workshops, lightning talks, creative activities and lots of opportunities for making contact with others who are interested in local democracy. Our main event is on Saturday 13th February. There will also be a PechaKucha on Fridayevening, social activities and public events.
You can book free tickets for the event on Friday February 12 and Saturday February 13 at the Media Centre, Huddersfield Notwestminster 2016 – book now and Local Democracy Maker Day 2016 – book now.
Dave McKenna is scrutiny manager for the City and County of Swansea.
