“How to organize grassroots events? Part I”

Hello everyone! It’s no secret that Nottoday is a grassroots initiative: we operate without a large editorial board or headquarters; we have no directors or donors to dictate terms to us or to you. The choice of every article series or special release is decided among project participants through the method of consensus.

But what exactly is a “grassroots initiative”? Polina Muzyka helps us break it down in her extensive text, “How to Organize Grassroots Events?” This text serves as a guide and manual for those who have decided to start their own grassroots initiative, dissecting every aspect you might encounter on the path of organization from start to finish.

INTRODUCTION

This text is dedicated to how to organize grassroots events, sometimes constructing adventures or new activities out of “sticks and stones.” I believe such a manual is necessary primarily so people realize that fighting the notorious “atomization” of society is easy, and DIY activities contribute greatly to this. Organizing an event of almost any nature isn’t difficult; often, you don’t even need specific connections—just a circle of like-minded people ready to embark on an event-adventure. Most events can easily be organized at home or in public spaces accessible to anyone, like parks. It’s also important to note that space owners are often positive about letting someone organize something on their premises. In Moscow and St. Petersburg, there are plenty of venues that can provide space under fairly convenient conditions. As for other cities, I think organizing something there is even easier because the active arts scene is small; new people and ideas are highly valued, making it easier to gain the right connections. Venues might refuse most often for one of two reasons: 1. the benefit to the venue isn’t clear, or 2. the idea is vague. To solve the first problem, you can come up with a clever trick to help the venue get the desired bonuses: this could be financial support (e.g., introducing an entry fee in the form of a donation) or a contribution to their “symbolic capital” (e.g., agreeing to promote the venue in some way). Regarding the vagueness of an idea, the most important thing is to clarify for yourself what you want to achieve with the event. It’s vital to designate a certain value for a wide circle of people, not just your friends. Simply put: the idea of gathering friends at a venue to gossip about a mutual acquaintance won’t work (unless it’s some kind of performance art piece).

In most cases described below, you don’t need serious investment. Sometimes a venue might ask for money, but believe me, if you structure your event competently and can clearly answer “Why does society/the people around us need this?”, you will eventually find a space willing to let you in just for the chance to contribute to co-culture. Additionally, places with a kitchen or bar often host activists expecting that the guests will buy something.

Why organize events at all? As mentioned above, to fight social atomization: we need new ways to unite and find common ground with people from different social bubbles. Despite the growth of digital life, people—even in virtual spaces—rarely encounter the unexpected without accompanying irritation; even more rarely are they capable of a clear, sober dialogue, and almost never with random people in person. The only way to truly know people is to encounter them in one-on-one dialogue, specifically those whom your usual routine wouldn’t let you cross paths with. This is where events come in, allowing you not only to solve your own problem (see “Personal Experience” below) and give guests a “treat,” but also to establish contact with those you wouldn’t easily meet in daily life.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE 1: my friend Eva repeatedly organized flea markets simply because she had accumulated a huge amount of clothes and didn’t want to deal with the brain-drain of selling on Avito. Eva found other people similarly overfilled with material goods, found a venue interested in hosting an event, and organized a market, using the participants’ social capital for advertising.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE 2: a few years ago, I organized a reading group for two texts. A strange and very contradictory character, “M,” attended the meetings, and everyone—including me—reacted to him with tension. After the fateful events of 2022, we held a final meeting to discuss the situation rather than the texts. M came and delivered a soft, hour-long monologue revealing his position on the events, which clearly contradicted the views of all other participants. To everyone’s surprise, despite the radical disagreement, we all listened to M attentively. Afterward, guests thanked him for expressing his point of view; even though it didn’t align with anyone else’s perspective, it was very useful for understanding the fate and outlook of another person.

In principle, any event can be built following a simple and accessible set of instructions. Later in the text, we will offer more complex and nuanced ways to organize certain ideas because every type of collaborative entertainment has its own nuances and challenges (including internal ones). Nevertheless, we recommend you regularly refer back to the BASIC INSTRUCTIONS while reading, as it is a dry summary of what is required for successful organization. Let it be noted that these instructions were born from personal experience and that of close friends; they aren’t pulled out of thin air but have been tried, tested, and overhauled a million times by different people.

BASIC INSTRUCTIONS

1. Come up with a reason for the event and its theme
2. Choose a name, determine the date and time
3. Decide if the event will be free or paid; if paid, determine how payment will be organized (fixed price, donation, sale of artifacts, participant contribution, etc.)
4. If it’s an offline event, find several friendly venues, test the waters, try to negotiate with everyone, and choose the venue with the best conditions
5. If it’s an online event, find an online platform and account for its limitations (e.g., in the free version of Zoom, meetings last 40 minutes before cutting off)
6. Think about where to publish the event announcement (friends’ blogs, chats, friendly venues, your own blog, posters on poles, newspaper ads, word of mouth, TV, car hood ads)
7. Make the announcement and spread it by any means; consider whether the event is for a niche or a broad audience; the announcement must tempt potential participants—welcome to marketing 101
8. Prepare everything needed for the event
9. Host the event
10. Ideally, collect critical feedback to account for nuances and correct mistakes in the future

MINIMUM TOOLKIT

The minimum toolkit for a young activist is “head and hands.” The head is needed to manage the event: recruiting and monitoring participants, negotiating with venues or finding public spaces, planning the event itself (timing, activities, rules), and advertising it. Hands are needed for gesturing during conversation (if it’s a discussion), for setup at the venue, and for handling a mountain of correspondence regarding where participants and guests should go and what they should do.

Also, an event—especially a large one—is impossible without advertising. Advertising can be “mini-format” (aimed at a close circle) or “maxi-format” (to attract a broad or random audience). For mini-format, mass messaging friends and asking them to invite their friends is enough. Here it’s important to be persistent and competently reveal all the charms of the upcoming event-adventure. For maxi-format, it makes sense to involve thematic communities, blogs, and the social resources of the venue itself. Even maxi-format doesn’t require serious investment: you can arrange a barter with an acquaintance who has a large following; you can explain to a large community why it’s beneficial for them to advertise your event (e.g., social significance or a small fee). Venues themselves also benefit from announcing activities, as it brings people to their territory who might buy something—so don’t be shy about asking the venue’s SMM manager to post about your event. The main trick of advertising is to clearly show the potential visitor what benefit they will receive by attending.

Regarding timing, it’s a double-edged sword: on one hand, you must maintain spontaneous freedom and not control the meeting like a prison guard; on the other hand, people need structure to understand the purpose of the event, so that by the end, they (and you) understand why they came. Therefore, we recommend unobtrusively outlining the event structure, focusing on the question: “What is the goal of the event?” We’ll talk more about this below.

READING GROUPS, DISCUSSIONS, AND SEMINARS

Reading groups, discussions, and seminars are “birds of a feather,” as all three formats unite people around a single source: a certain problem (not necessarily negative) designated either in a text (reading group), in the media/info-sphere, or both (as in a seminar).

A reading group is the simplest tool for those who want to explore a text but feel they can’t handle it alone, or have other issues preventing independent study (see “Experience 3”). In the humanities, a reading group is the most common format: you read the text either in advance or during the session (partially or fully) and then discuss it. Thus, the most important point is deciding when the text will be read. It’s vital to prepare for the fact that likely half the participants won’t have read the source. There’s no need to blame anyone; people often hope to pick up something useful during the discussion. For such guests, we recommend preparing a brief summary of the text’s theses and being ready to read out specific quotes. In such events, the discussion is half the value—the core of the event is the shared reflection.

With reading groups, it’s important to determine how much text needs to be read and structure the number of sessions accordingly. Experience shows people are reluctant to read large chunks (especially tooth-grinding philosophy) and prefer a maximum of 10 pages. We strongly recommend not doing more than 3 meetings for one text; generally, it’s better to choose short sources and dedicate a cycle of reading groups to different texts (one per meeting). Experience shows that after the first two readings of one source, attendance drops.

You must also realize: you aren’t doing the reading group for yourself, but for others. Your personal interest is the organizing boost, but the event must focus on the participants. Hence the main rule: designate the social significance of reading that specific text. This significance differs for the general public versus a circle of like-minded peers.

Now, about discussions and seminars. The difference is that a discussion isn’t necessarily aimed at a goal, whereas a seminar requires a meaning-making element and a conclusion. A seminar might also involve reading elements. Furthermore, the role of the “host” in a seminar is much more significant—they aren’t just a moderator but a mentor. Both must be managed competently (see below).

As mentioned, a discussion doesn’t require conclusions; often these events are organized to clash different viewpoints or provide “food for thought.” A discussion can be inclusive (everyone participates) or exclusive (selected speakers talk while guests listen and ask questions later). A seminar implies total inclusivity: everyone is involved in the shared work. In a discussion, the moderator directs the talk without participating directly; in a seminar, the host is a guide into the problem, using moderation and sources to lead guests to a collective conclusion.

Moderation is crucial in all formats. The common factor is that you, as the moderator, must remain neutral. Your task is to develop the discussion, steer it in the right direction (focusing on facts, not emotions), smooth over conflicts, and include as many people as possible. You must be friendly to all: for example, bullying a guest with a dissenting opinion is unacceptable. Bullying can be tempting because often people with radical positions attend wishing to convert everyone—this can irritate both you and the guests. In such cases, be flexible: change the topic or gently ignore the “passionate” guest if tension rises. Your task is not to engage emotionally with the theses but to softly guide others. Neutrality is key. You can express your opinion by stating, “I want to share my own position,” but the event must not be built upon it.

Reading groups and seminars can be held at your university (book a room through the dean’s office—they are usually cooperative) or public places like parks, libraries, friendly cafes, or homes. You can also negotiate with venues like “Sklad No. 3” (Moscow). Beyond that, consider museums, independent exhibition spaces, or other universities. You can even transform meetings into an intensive retreat at a country house or a forest camp.

HOW TO ORGANIZE A READING GROUP: INSTRUCTIONS

1. Decide which text or fragments you are going to read
2. Break the text into chunks (ideally no more than 15 pages per session)
3. Plan the schedule (if one text spans several meetings or it’s a cycle)
4. Decide how the text will be read: at the meeting or in advance at home
5. Define the goal: shared exploration, popularization, or investigating a problem through the text
6. Decide on the scale: is it public or a private “friends only” group?
7. Find a venue (university, library, park, cafe, art center, home, etc.)
8. Negotiate conditions with the venue
9. Write and distribute the announcement on social media
10. Prepare a summary and quotes for those who didn’t read the text
11. Host the event and collect feedback afterward
12. Repeat if necessary

HOW TO ORGANIZE A DISCUSSION OR SEMINAR: INSTRUCTIONS

1. Define the topic or problem
2. Set a goal: for a discussion—state the problem; for a seminar—define the conclusion/result
3. Determine exclusivity (selected speakers or all guests participating)

     3.1. For a seminar, limit the number of participants to ensure everyone is included.

4. Outline the line of conversation: prepare questions, sources, and neutral theses
5. Find a venue. For exclusive discussions, you need a “stage” setup (check out the Nekrasov Library)
6. Write an announcement and ask speakers to share it
7. Don’t forget technical equipment: microphones, projector, water
8. Host the event and moderate effectively
9. Collect feedback from participants and speakers

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE 3: A well-known art theorist and philosopher “B.K.” once organized a successful reading group in a famous space on “Red October” just to cope with the effects of his depression. It was hard for him to read texts alone, so he used his social capital to organize a club, which helped him maintain reading discipline.

LECTURES

Lectures are perhaps the easiest way to level up on several fronts: boosting your personal brand, involving different people, helping a venue, and exploring a problem. Lectures are convenient because they can be held online or offline, for a fee or for free; all you need is a topic and a willingness to speak.

There is often a lot of “pathos” around lecturing; many believe a lecturer must have a specific set of credentials. But since this text is about grassroots events, we urge everyone to relax and think about how to include lecturing in their life. Lectures help clarify things for the lecturer themselves. In philosophy, many thinkers “didn’t write what they understood,” but “wrote in order to understand.” The same applies here.

Online lectures can be organized via Google Meet (which is very user-friendly and doesn’t require registration on desktop), Zoom, Yandex Telemost, or Skype. Offline mechanics are the same as for reading groups. Lectures can be paid or free. It is considered good form to ask for a “suggested donation” (either before or after the session). If you are confident your material will “blow people’s minds,” collect donations afterward when guests are inspired. We also recommend recording your lecture to review your own speech and reuse the material.

Regarding preparation, there are two paths: the “nerdy” one (requiring deep expertise and long preparation) and the “soft” one (focusing on improvisation and co-thinking with the audience). As you gain experience, you will naturally move from the first to the second. Everyone has enough skills and knowledge to share with others. This very text is an example of that…

Regarding preparation, we can loosely identify two paths and the gradient between them: the “nerdy” way and the “less-nerdy” way. The nerdy path assumes you are deeply well-versed in the topic, and this topic is tied to specific skills, knowledge, or abilities that you have likely accumulated over a long time and are now sharing from the position of a powerful mentor. Most likely, you won’t be able to hold such a meeting off the cuff; it requires powerful intellectual equipment and significant past experience. At the other pole is the “less-nerdy” format—here, in contrast to the hard skills of the first type, we include soft skills, co-thinking with the listeners, and improvisation along the way. The trick is that as you move through the tension and preparation of the “first path,” eventually—thanks to practice in public speaking and managing the thoughts of the crowd (the audience)—you will flow into the “second path,” where each new performance will require less and less preparation. Also, in this paragraph, we find it important to point out two things. First, anyone possesses a sufficient amount of skills and knowledge to share with others. An example is this very text, which is born from simply grouping and systematizing the experience of recent years, developed through personal passions and pursuits. Second, the ability to give lectures is a separate skill in itself; you shouldn’t judge your own general competence by your mastery of it. If you get lost, confused, or feel stiff and awkward at first, we hasten to assure you that this has nothing to do with how well you understand your material. There is a false belief that “understanding” means the ability to translate your knowledge into an accessible register: that if you truly understand the material, you can explain it even to a child. But the thing is, explaining to a child is a separate task requiring separate craftsmanship in the art of explanation. In your inner life, you may perfectly align with your topic structurally and navigate it freely in your head, but when it comes to speech, you might panic and get lost. This is okay, and we urge you not to give in to fear and doubt. Realize that even the most deeply “pro” lecturers with powerful storytelling skills can suddenly lose their way during a performance. It’s important to stay focused on the fact that you are learning to speak and command a crowd; you will be learning this your whole life—and that’s magical! Because it’s fun. So, to summarize: pack your intellectual bags and dive boldly into speech, where many wonderful discoveries and adventures await you.

Returning specifically to the technique of lecture preparation, we would not recommend writing out the full text of your speech, as reading material is incredibly boring for both the lecturer and the audience (even if you read it charitably). It is enough to list a series of points and theses that you will expand upon, making sure to include an “introduction” and a “conclusion.” The introduction is the statement of the problem, and the conclusion is a review of the points raised and a summary of what was revealed and what remains unsaid. More on how to hone your lecture mastery can easily be found on YouTube, but always keep in mind that the most valuable lessons come through practice.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE 4: Once, using the reach of my blog, I decided to give an online lecture on “confidence,” which I had been researching from various (including non-obvious) perspectives for several months. I had a plan ready, I understood the topic well, I had speaking experience, and I felt quite calm with the gathered audience. For reasons unknown to me to this day, I almost immediately began to lose my thread, which triggered a wave of panic. Fortunately, thanks to my teaching experience and experience in dealing with this state, I kept talking while trying to process a very intense negative affect within myself. Unfortunately, it eventually became impossible to hide the panic from the listeners, so I spoke honestly, saying that right now, while talking about confidence, I was feeling insecure. Later, discussing the episode with a friend deeply into Buddhism and Vipassana, I learned that often so-called “gurus,” while talking about the dissolution of the ego, experience a collapse back into that very ego and usually state this honestly to the audience. Likely, in both my case and the guru example, it was a matter of excessive pressure from responsibility.

HOW TO ORGANIZE A LECTURE:

1. Define the topic of the lecture
2. Prepare your theses, introduction, and conclusion; write them all down on a convenient medium so you can refer to your notes at any time (paper is better and feels more solid than a phone; a tablet or computer is ideal)
3. Calculate the timing of your speech and set aside time for Q&A (usually questions are asked at the end)
4. Pick a date
5. Find a venue, online or offline, where you will broadcast (if offline—see the “Reading Groups” section)
6. Consider if there will be a fee and what format it will take, perhaps based on the venue’s requirements
7. Write an announcement; include a couple of the brightest points from your draft in step 2!
8. Publish the announcement on your page and/or the venue’s page
9. Prepare for “H-hour,” using all your internal settings to minimize worry, and if that doesn’t work, don’t worry about the fact that you’re worried
10. Give the lecture

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE 5: Having extensive experience in various formats of performance—both very successful and total failures—as well as experience in systematic lecturing for educational projects, I’ve derived a “super-rule”: if you’re nervous, say so, ideally at the very beginning. I always spoke about my panic or about the fact that I didn’t feel confident enough; I boldly stated that this was all put together on the fly and asked them not to throw stones while I spoke—better to destroy me at the very end of the lecture instead. The listeners always relaxed and always felt very comfortable (according to subsequent surveys) because the lecturer transformed from a monolithic block into a person with their own fears and doubts. Such a move always has a charismatic effect on listeners, brings the lecturer closer to the guests, and relaxes you as the speaker.