Salon
CC Salons are global events focused on building a community of artists and developers around Creative Commons licenses, standards, and technology. The first event took place in San Francisco in 2006 with intention for the idea to replicate in other locations internationally. Since then salons have sprung up in 15 different cities around the world.
The format for each event varies based on the location, but the overall concept is simple. CC Salons are open forums for people who are interested in the issues surrounding Creative Commons and global participatory culture. If you're interested in attending - check out the upcoming salons. If you're city doesn't have one - feel free to start your own. Check out the resources for starting your salon for extra info.
Contents
Upcoming Salons
- Berlin February 18th 2009
- NYC February 9, 2009
- San Francisco February 11th, 2009
All Salons
- Amsterdam
- Austin, TX
- Berlin
- Beijing
- Brisbane
- Chennai, India
- Johannesburg
- London
- Los Angeles
- NYC
- San Francisco
- Seoul
- Taipei
- Toronto
- Warsaw
- Add your CC Salon after you "Start Your Own Salon"
Resources for starting your own CC Salon
There are a few important items to consider before you start a Salon. These are by no means requirements but rather guidelines and tips that we have discovered in planning our own Salons - they should be seen as a starting point meant to spark ideas for your own Salon as they are all unique. The list format (and some of the content) is very much inspired by the wonderful folks at dorkbot.
Theme
It is important to remember that each location will have its own unique slant on the Salon format. While the Salons are meant to function generally as a way for people interested in CC to meet up and socialize, Salons can (and should) focus on a specific theme - the arts, computer programming, social networking, etc. This theme needn't be static - it can change every Salon - but it helps to get speakers who will be able to speak on similar topics.
Frequency
To ensure a strong turnout, it is important to understand how often your audience is willing to meet up. Similarly, think about how many presenters and projects you can rotate through on a continuous basis. These two factors could mean a Salon happening every month, every 6 months, or even every year - each locale is different. The better you can space the Salons according to your audience and presenters, the better turn out and dialogue you will have, making the Salon more successful as a whole.
Venue
Having the Salon in a consistent space will help ensure repeat attendance. Reach out to local art galleries, bars/pubs, and even universities to see if they can offer you a block of time to use their space for free. The space doesn't need to be extravagant and it is good to remember that a small but full space is more conducive to discussion than a large but empty one.
Equipment
It is important to allow presenters the ability to showcase media - be it video, audio, slideshow, or other. Speakers and a projector aren't essential to the Salons but they will make them run much smoother. If your venue doesn't have those things on hand, ask around to your friends and co-workers. More likely than not someone will have something that will work.
Cost
All of the CC-run Salons are free and open to the public and there is little to no money spent on additional resources. We encourage you to make do with the sparsest of budgets - in regards to promotion we are happy to blog any Salons happening and CC's mailing-lists are a great way to promote as well.
Format
CC Salons tend to be run in an open manner, allowing people to mingle and socialize as they see fit. Outside of this there are often two to three presenters who will speak to their own use of CC licenses, be it personal or for a larger organization they are part of. This is by no means a rigid guideline but rather a starting point - feel free to screen a film, hold a panel discussion, have a live music performance, or anything else that may be relevant. Most importantly, remember to have fun!
