Salon
CC Salons are global, informal events focused on building a community of artists, developers, and creators of all kinds around Creative Commons licenses, standards, and technology. The first event took place in San Francisco in 2006 with the idea to replicate in other locations internationally. Since then salons have sprung up in cities around the world Whether you're familiar with Creative Commons or are brand new to the concepts behind it, we encourage you to check out a salon near you.
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 your 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
- Bangalore, India December 2, 2009
- San Francisco February 16, 2010
Past Salons
- Amman, Jordan November 16, 2009
- Bangkok September 12, 2009
- Vienna September 11, 2009
- Boston February 25, 2009, co-hosted with Creative Commons, Participatory Culture Foundation and Pecha Kucha Boston
- Berlin February 26, 2009 (together with the Openeverything Focus event)
- NYC June 18, 2009
All Salons
- Amsterdam
- Austin, TX
- Berlin
- Beijing
- Bogotá
- Boston
- Brisbane
- Chennai, India
- Johannesburg
- London
- Los Angeles
- NYC
- Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)
- San Francisco
- Seoul
- Taipei
- Toronto
- Warsaw
- Vienna
- 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!
Using CC's Logos and Marks
Use of CC's logos and trademarks, even in connection with a CC Salon, is subject to our Policies. You should review those before using our logos and marks. If you are interested in using our logos and marks in ways not contemplated by that policy, or if you are interested in developing a new logo for your Salon that incorporates one of our protected trademarks or logos, please ask us first by contacting us at salon[at]creativecommons.org. You should also contact us first if you are interested in creating new swag that incorporates our logos or marks, whether or not you plan to give them away or sell them.
