As winter arrives, many of us are drawn to the magic of making fires. Personally I love this time of year. There is something about the stark beauty of the landscape, stripped back and illuminated by winter sun, with breath taking glistening frost. It feels elemental in the way that fire, light and dark play with our senses, providing an opportunity to take stock, reflect, let go and prepare for what emerges in the new year.
The upcoming Fire Starter Festival provides an opportunity for us to share what we personally and collectively what we want to leave behind, and share some of the small fires of change we have ignited. And given that we are holding it in the last week in January (23rd – 30th) there is a strong chance of snow and ice as well as all of our fires! 
Already we have fourteen events open for registration, with the same number almost ready to be ignited. It’s wonderful to see the energy and enthusiasm of so many colleagues across public services, evidencing a paradigm shift in how we collectively share ideas, resources, and reimagine the future of public services in Scotland.
Here’s a small sample of what’s on offer but please do check out the Eventbrite Page and watch as the small fires of change emerge over the next few weeks.
- The Pathways To Prosperity event will explore how we can generate prosperity more effectively and sustainably while retaining, and indeed enhancing, our humanity.
- Co-production is very much at the heart of all we are doing, so of course it’s essential that we share stories of how we are actively working to co-design and co-produce. The 100 stories event promises to be an exciting and creative space for all those actively shaping this movement.
- This energy really connects to an amazing event co-designed by UnLtd and Wevolution where they will be exploring community resilience and considering what it takes to mobilise and enable people to take charge of their own neighbourhoods and turn them into vibrant, creative, happy and productive places to live and work.
- It’s been fantastic to have the education sector sharing how they opening share ideas, and work in imaginative ways, though their self-organising TeachMeets. There will be a number of these happening at locations across Scotland but check out this Winter Outdoor event in Mayfield.
Do you have an event you want to host? Or a theme you want to talk about in a webex or twitter chat? Let us know and light your own fire of change!