Asking people to attend a ‘data day’ is not an easy sell.

But we knew it was important and we had a strong desire to make it happen!

When people booked their tickets we asked them what ‘data’ mean’t to them. This was the word cloud that brought all the adjectives together.

Create Gloucestershire were one of the four partners who came together to host the dataday. Back in the autumn of last year we began conversations to imagine this event. It was going to be unashamedly about data and it was going to inspire, inform and empower everyone who came along. That was the plan. We wanted to appeal to all sorts of people from the start - people who lived and breathed data and people who were frustrated or bored by it, or felt they were being exploited by it. “Data is used all the time about us – never with us or by us.”

We had conversations with Active Gloucestershire, Connected by Data and Barnwood Trust to share our ideas and learnings from data projects we were involved in. Like us, they are all organisations based in and focused on Gloucestershire who work in a connected way to make ‘here’ a better place to live, work and play.  While each of us has a slightly different emphasis around data we shared a strong hunch that a root in a specific PLACE might generate interest and energy in data.  We took heart from William Morris, founder of the arts and crafts movement who made his home here.

“If I have succeeded in some small way, if only in one small corner of the world, amongst the men and women I love, then I shall count myself blessed, and blessed, and blessed, and the work goes on.” William Morris, The Well At The World's End: Volume I

A range of experts were at the dataday ready to help people discover the potential of data and build confidence working with it.

This assumption was confirmed when the event sold out with 150 people from 80 different organisations and communities. We were really encouraged by the number of people willing to bring their energy and ideas to share.

Taking a closer look at the data (in this case the tickets sales!) we were struck by the diversity of the people who wanted to come along. They were from arts organisations, nature and climate groups, NHS and health professionals, data science and data security organisations, academics and people representing faith groups.

At this point we had planned the day so there were opportunities to be informed by open source data sets, inspired by creative methods used to share data differently and to think critically to be empowered about data. But how could such a small team set an agenda that would cover the data issues, challenges and opportunities that such a diverse group would be interested in?  We realised shifting to an Unconference might be the answer.  

We would combine curated workshops with lots of space for participants to add to the agenda by offering up topics to discuss on the day. The new shape for the day went like this:

  • Kick off the day with lightening talks (sparky short talks lasting a maximum of 5 mins)

  • Pick and mix of thematic workshops run by leaders/artists

  • Stall holders offering hands on skills developments

  • Open Space (where participants suggest topics and also run the sessions)

  • Lots of coffee breaks for people to connect or continue conversations started in the workshops and open space discussions.

Adding ideas for the open space sessions. Image credit: Helen Jeffrey

The diversity of open space questions proposed on the day confirmed that we were right not to tie up all the time. 17 open space round table discussions were held and a fascinating set of issues were surfaced and discussed. Here are a few examples:

Getting creative with data

CG’s priority for the dataday was to showcase creative methods used to share data. Music, performance and illustration can bring an idea to life in a way that raw data or even bar charts and diagrams can’t. Telling the stories with creativity also appealed to us and our goal “to make arts every day for everyone.”

The artist’s responses

Data Sonification

Alan Inman Ward, CGs Data Lead and Director of Insight and Operations at  Active Glos created a unique piece of music using data gathered in the run up to the event – from partners coming together to organise, to ticket sales and the expanding geographical reach of participants - ending with a cacophony of new connections made.

Performance

Sumita Majumdar delivered a workshop that combined personal performance with a presentation-reflection of neurodivergent data-collection. And delighted everyone by sharing a song she wrote all about it.

“I was using data and the data was the data and then I needed data to look at the data!” 

Listen to the song 👇👏

2021 Census Data summarised by Obioma.

Illustration

Joe Magee ran an interactive workshop using population data from the Forest of Dean. Obioma Egemonye from Connected by Data partnered with Joe to summarise these aspects of the census data for everyone to work with.

The participants were asked to draw anything that could represent the information that was in the data shared with them. For example, there are larger numbers of older age people, fewer than average 18-29 year olds so what that might mean for the county? Perhaps more pressures on social services like the NHS or fewer working age people in the Forest of Dean. The ideas from the workshop were the starting point for Joe to work on these final illustrations that were shared at the end of the day.

The gap in the branches in the middle of the tree shows the missing young population in the Forest of Dean.

The empty space in the rings of the tree shows the missing young population in the Forest of Dean.

Ageing Glos. Population: What does the data suggest about waiting lists?

NHS. Population change and stress on the NHS. ( The reality of what’s happening is in the data represented in in reflection) 

There were many other workshops hosted by contributors sharing their skills and experience of data throughout the day. All designed to inform or empower the particpants in the room. Here are a few links to some of the resources shared by our contributors.

So did it work?

The Data Day was designed to unlock the opportunity of data for individuals and communities in Gloucestershire; a chance to come together to explore how data could work better for all of us. We hoped that it would encourage people to:

  • Build confidence in understanding and working with data: exploring language, skills and approaches that take the fear out of stats and spreadsheets

  • Take a creative approach to engaging with data collection and use - moving beyond spreadsheets and stats, from storage to storytelling

  • Create connections between individuals and organisations in Gloucestershire with data to share and those with data needs

  • Generate ideas together for how data could work better for all

  • Get critical about the power of data, and how to put communities in control

The feedback

We started the day by asking people how they felt and used an interactive tool to collect the thoughts from people in the room. The ‘before’ feelings are on the left (top if you’re reading on a mobile). As you can see there was a lot of curiosity. Not surprising given this was a first for all of us. After a full day of workshops, conversations and connections we asked the same question to see if those feelings had shifted at all. These are in the word cloud on the right (at the bottom).

Feelings before the day began

Feelings at the end of the day.

We were absolutely thrilled to see that many of our ambitions for the data day had come to fruition. But this is just the start. We’re now looking forward to understand what comes next for this data community.

What’s next?

At the end of the day we asked for feedback (well, of course, it’s such useful data!)

This time we ditched the online method and reverted to the time honoured cardboard box and postcards method. We nobbled people on their way out and asked them to consider these 4 questions:

A cardboard box with a hole cutout and ready to put evaluation postcards into.

The time honoured feedback box.

  1. What does this new data community do next?

  2. What have you learnt today?

  3. What 3 words would you use when we say the word 'data'?

  4. What have you been inspired to do next?

In summary there was a desire to connect with others, to collaborate, to explore best practices and use recommended tools for data collection and mapping. Additionally, many people said they wanted to think more creatively about the data they collect and how they can make it more accessible and engaging. Hoorah.

Join a conversation

The team has been thinking about the best way to continue some of the conversations that were started at the Dataday. We decided to start by hosting some conversations around common themes that emerged at the event.  

  1. Sharing data in Gloucestershire

  2. Storytelling and being creative with data

  3. Tools and systems for collecting, analysing and evaluating data

  4. Better relationships with funders

  5. Specific areas of interest (environment, arts, disability)

You can join a group of people who are interested in the same topic by letting us know you are interested via this simple sign up form. You can also suggest ideas if your theme is not already on the list.

More

Have a look at the dataday website to see a full round up of the day and useful links and resources. You can also sign up to a mailing list to hear about future dataday events.




DataCaroline Fedashdataday, glosdataday, co-creation, funders, partnership, active glos