Metaviews

Campaign School is concluding its first season after welcoming nine political celebrities to the Academy of the Impossible — and facilitating many more online and offline discussions about how to empower participation in the process.

For a final Thursday night session before a bit of a summer break, new and returning students are invited to take part in an advanced session dedicated to looking back at the semester while setting a course for the next one.

We will also talk about plans for a special event to kick off the second season.

Participation in this session is encouraged for anyone who has attended Campaign School in the past or been enthused by the related content posted online.

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PLEASE NOTE: This event will start promptly at 7 p.m. and last for about 90 minutes.

For more information write to academy@impossible.ws

Barry Wellman, head of the NetLab research network at the University of Toronto, will visit the Academy of the Impossible to discuss the inspiration behind and concepts covered in Networked: The New Social Operating System, his new book co-written with Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project.

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Daily life is connected life, its rhythms driven by endless email pings and responses, the chimes and beeps of continually arriving text messages, tweets and retweets, Facebook updates, pictures and videos to post and discuss. Our perpetual connectedness gives us endless opportunities to be part of the give-and-take of networking.

Some worry that this new environment makes us isolated and lonely. But in Networked, Lee Rainie and Barry Wellman show how the large, loosely knit social circles of networked individuals expand opportunities for learning, problem solving, decision making, and personal interaction. The new social operating system of "networked individualism" liberates us from the restrictions of tightly knit groups; it also requires us to develop networking skills and strategies, work on maintaining ties, and balance multiple overlapping networks.

Rainie and Wellman outline the "triple revolution" that has brought on this transformation: the rise of social networking, the capacity of the Internet to empower individuals, and the always-on connectivity of mobile devices. Drawing on extensive evidence, they examine how the move to networked individualism has expanded personal relationships beyond households and neighborhoods; transformed work into less hierarchical, more team-driven enterprises; encouraged individuals to create and share content; and changed the way people obtain information.

Those elected to Toronto City Council for the first time in 2010 found themselves under the media microscope more than any of their municipal politician predecessors — while the downtown councillors were also put in a position of being on the opposite side of the mayor.

Kristyn Wong-Tam has successfully navigated these circumstances and more for the past 18 months. For the next edition of Campaign School, the Ward 27 (Toronto Centre-Rosedale) representative will share details of how she ended up in this position after years of experience in both activism and entrepreneurship along with advice on how others can potentially follow in her footsteps.

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Raising money for art, culture and technology projects will be the focus of this Sunday afternoon session, as we watch and discuss pitches that have sought attention through any crowdfunding platform, including a focus on those in Toronto who are currently looking for backers.

We will take a look at how the concept has evolved and where it might be headed next — and how it has influenced new models of creative entrepreneurship.

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Kickstarter has naturally been the focus of most of the attention for this model. But, for some, alternatives like IndieGoGo are preferable. We will touch on the similarities and differences, advantages and disadvantages, between the different approaches.

Toronto creators who have used any crowdfunding platform — whether or not the projects reached their goal — are encouraged to attend to share their experiences.

Those who have considered using Kickstarter or other such websites in future can get advance insights, too.

Locals who would like to present a live version of their pitch — and screen any accompanying images or videos — are invited to let us know in advance at academy@impossible.ws

The next Toronto politician to share his experiences at Campaign School will be government management committee chair Paul Ainslie. The city councillor for Ward 43 Scarborough East has also become known throughout the city — thanks to his executive role in the Rob Ford administration along with an active Twitter presence.

New and returning students will hear about Councillor Ainslie's progression from executive assistant to elected official, how the attention paid to City Hall has changed during his career there and what he has achieved as a representative of an often-overlooked corner of Toronto.

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Metaviews presents a participatory series dedicated to sharing insights into political participation — from running for office, to rallying around a cause, to engaging in punditry through all forms of media.

Sessions will consist of debating, dissecting and discussing best practices, strategies and the necessary steps to succeed in having a voice heard in the political arena.

Campaign School will look at the emerging issues in both government and society, evaluate what it takes for a candidate or issue to click with voters and review lessons learned from recent political history. Whether you have entertained taking a run at public office, or just want to be a more engaged observer, each session will have something different to offer.

The rapidly rising influence of the social news website — which everyone interested in media constantly hears about even if they never visit — will be explored in a salon at the Academy of the Impossible.

Reddit enthusiasts are welcome to help explain its enigmatic appeal. And those who want to learn more about how it works are welcome to share their thoughts about the current state of news consumption and production.

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Attendees who would like to incorporate screenshots, links or other images into their participation are invited to make arrangements in advance at academy@impossible.ws

Peggy Nash, the Member of Parliament for the Parkdale-High Park riding, will sit down for a chat at Campaign School about her career in and out of politics — which recently involved running for leadership of the federal NDP.

A high-profile labour official before she was first elected to Parliament in 2006 — a victory that was partly credited to being more sympathetic to the artists in the copyright debate — Nash lost her seat in the 2008 election, only to win it back in 2011. New and returning students will gain plenty of insights from all of her campaigning experience.

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The regular Sunday session dedicated to watching and talking about online video expands to a weekday evening which will revisit any and all of the themes covered so far: channels, advertising, contagion, music, news and celebrity. A recap of what was discussed at past sessions will be combined with clips screened for the first time.

Newcomers will also be welcome to introduce a video of their choosing, or will be free to make an appropriate request on the spot — as long as they have something interesting enough to say about it.

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Join our Google+ group to participate in the making of each session:
https://plus.google.com/113810566919113105097

Metaviews presents a regular series dedicated to watching, thinking about and contributing to the largest of online video platforms.

Sessions will consist of discussion and screenings of some of the popular viral clips of the moment, some personal favourites of past and future — and discovering buried treasures along the way.

YouTube School will also provide insights into how viewership is accrued, with input from producers who have leveraged its reach, along with inspiration for anyone to do the same. Consider the flavours of social media sharing between the walls of the Academy of the Impossible.

Open Government initiatives have been touted at the highest levels of elected office. But are there more imaginative ways to bring government online than politicians can understand?

The next session of Hack the Impossible will focus on ideas for going outside of the bureaucracy to connect with people.

Nick Charney, who maintains a website dedicated to discussing the renewal of Canada's public service, will join us to share his perspective from the shadow of Parliament Hill.

Anyone with an interest in where Open Government is headed — and how hacker principles could contribute to its evolution — is welcome to attend.

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