The Transition Sheffield 3x3 Film Festival started off with a screening of The Power of Community on Thursday 11th September 2008 in the Pavillion in Meersbrook Park. Following is a write up of the event from Heather.

Who came?

20 people came — including new faces to us all. 10 were from Meersbrook/Heeley.

3 had heard about it from posters or flyers, 2 from word of mouth, 2 from the article in the Telegraph and 6 from emails through connection with an organisation.

How was it facilitated?

We welcomed people with tea and biscuits (Gareth brought his tea urn) and started at 7.10.

We followed the Transition Towns idea, after a brief welcome and introduction to film festival and the film, (and finding out how people had heard about it) we invited people to talk with someone they had not come with — 3 minutes each — introduce themselves, why they had come and what they hoped for the evening. That generated quite a buzz.

The film

Runs for 53 minutes — intro to peak oil then Cuba in special period as an example — very inspiring and raises questions.

Gareth lent us his projector and speakers which he is willing to lend to other venues at a cheap letting rate.

After the film we asked to find another person and share what thoughts or feelings they had arising from the film. (About 10 minutes). During that space each person was given a couple of post its and then asked to write down any of their thoughts and come and stick it on a comments flip paper. (Spare pens useful.)

Then we had open discussion for about 20 minutes.

Then talked a tiny bit about Transition Towns — most people had come across it — and invited people to put their names on the sign up sheet-2 columns to tick if want to be in Sheffield TT info email list, 2nd column if interested in idea of Meersbrook/Heeley TT idea.

Also mentioned Roberto Perez Event — Sheffield 25th September — flyers available (Roberto Perez is a Cuban permaculturalist featuring in the film).

Discussion themes

• "Inspiring-kind of world I want to live in and am still fighting for."
• The climate in Cuba is different — won't be so easy here to grow food so easily — we will need to find our own adaption.
• Cuba had a crisis to respond to — we wont do anything until there is a crisis — ours is coming — no it is here.
• Can we respond cooperatively and adequately without a revolution first? When people return from visiting a 3rd world country, they often vow to value the basics, then get sucked back into our consumer culture — how quickly we forget when we're not in it.
• So can we do it?

Collection

£28.40 at door £8.30 at tea hatch. Hall cost £22.50 so £14.10 towards publicity.

Engaged? Follow on?

About 10 people signed contact list, most ticking both columns. Most said good and useful evening.