Talk to me about workshops...

[SolidGoldBrass]

Somehow I think I'm most likely to find people who know a bit about workships in this topic... anyway. I have to arrange one/make one/perform at one (see, not even sure of the terminology).
What sort of thing are the attendees going to expect? Do I give them a talk and then invite questions? Do I make them pretend to be bananas? Should there be handouts or homework sheets?

(I did do one about 20 years ago but am not sure I made a very good job of it...)

What is your workshop about? Who is your audience (colleagues, interested laypeople, a mix?)

It's for interested laypeople (and I have no idea how many to expect either AARGH why did I say I would do it?), subject is erotica for women.

Find out from whoever's organising it how many people to expect and what they want you to do.

It can really vary. IME a workshop can be anything from someone standing up giving a powerpoint presentation and then inviting discussion to much more practical hands on stuff (break into small groups, discuss specific scenarios, do role plays, feedback to the group etc).

As I write this I'm realising some of this sounds a bit odd in relation to erotica (role plays, hands on stuff ).

The conference organisers should give you more of a steer about what to expect though.

A good rule of thumb with workshops though is that they should be interactive. A workshop where someone just talks at you is very dull.

In what context SGB?

Ok

I go to inset days as a teacher , v unerotic but there is prob some general crossover with inset techniques

What do you want them to leave the workshop with? Understanding of how women's erotica has developed etc, the confidence and skills to write their own...what is your objective

Yy to rrosa

10 or 15 min blahblah, then task for your workshoppees, with then time for them to process and discuss results or outcomes of the task

Oh bollocks why did I ever say I would do this?
I will just have to get on to the person I am doing it with and see what she has in mind (TBH I sort of vaguely said yes thinking I would just have to give a talk or be part of a panel discussion...)

make sure you plan the timings with a time-flexible activity towards the end so you can cut it short if you're overrunning without people feeling short-changed

and if you're not sure about numbers make sure you have worked out how to run the different activities for different numbers.

simple rule - the more people in the group trying to do a task, the longer it will take them to do it....