User:Pakoire/Lisa's Wikipedia Reading and Writing Book Club - Wellington

= Lisa's Wikipedia Reading and Writing Book Club - Wellington = This club was an informal creative space. The invitation is to bring a book, a notebook, your questions, a laptop, your latest poetry, dance moves, joke etc.

Run by Lisa Maule, a Wikipedian and performing arts producer and designer. Her goal of the evening was to advance a biography (she's doing one per week), 'Wikify' some great books or work on another project.


 * The group will be able to do demonstrations and answer questions.
 * Beginners welcome.
 * Open to all and drop in any time.

It was an informal reading, writing, dreaming and chatting space.

=Past= Fortnightly Tuesdays evenings over late January, February and March in Te Aro (upper Cuba Street), Wellington. Level 5, Webb Street Music Rooms. 39 Webb Street, top of Cuba Street
 * Friendly space guidelines applied (see Wikimedia Code of Conduct)

Pitopito kōrero nā Lisa
The books for tonight were Making Space about women in architecture in New Zealand by Elizabeth Cox and New Zealand Craft. I started a draft article on Raukura Turei - artist, architect and actor. Herbee Bartley who was at Wikimania Singapore 2023 with the Pasifika Arts roopu popped by. Herbee and I were able to catch up and do some gentle dreaming. We connected over recent events and potential collaborations.‎

Sophia Coghini gave her apologies.

Pitopito kōrero nā Lisa
Kasi, Hibiscus and Sophia who had all been part of Wikimania Singapore 2023 all joined the session where personal creative work was a big part of the conversations as well as Wikipedia. Luz who had been part of our group also gave her apologies, and Herbee too. The books tonight were my notebooks with creative projects and Wikipedia notes.

I learnt of a recent award Hibiscus received and acknowledged Sophia's recent university graduation.

We are all artists in our own right which I see as part of the value of adding the arts of Aotearoa to Wikipedia. I get the sense that we know what things are happening and are interested to investigate and share where they came from and who were the influences. The session was also a chance for some catching up, since we hadn't seen each other as a group for a while. We ended up going for dinner together.

Outcomes

 * Start of a convo with Lisa and Kasi about future Wikipedia projects.
 * Sophia and Lisa have made a time for next week to 'Wikify' some arts books, as a way to build practice of editing. This will start with some work edited by Lana Lopesi:
 * and,
 * Using the practice rooms for a poetry slam was sparked as a potential.
 * Using the practice rooms for a poetry slam was sparked as a potential.

Pitopito kōrero nā Lisa
Sophia and I had an extra session last week with lots of learning and goals set. The concept was to Wikify a book and Sophia used Wikidata as the starting point. This clarified for me the use of the Wikidata statement 'on focus list of Wikimedia project' and I made an item for this Q124631195 and then also it clarified the Wikimedia Commons category that I set up previously and there has been a recent discussion about.

Sophia was going to come today and bring a friend but they couldn't make it because they were at a funeral.

Outcomes


 * add some more to the Wikidata item ← Pasifika Arts Aotearoa WikiProject (Q124631195). There are currently 8 items that link, but all the items created from when the project started can also be linked.

12-03-2024
Pitopito kōrero nā Lisa

I enjoyed the focused time to think about Wikipedia and people and new editors and purpose. No one I invited was able to make it so it was rather an introverted club. I have been thinking about engagement with people not as 'offer' but as 'service'. For me writing Wikipedia is an opportunity to give, it is a koha that goes into the world and you never know where it lands or what part of the weave it forms.

Recently I heard Haare Williams talk about koha at the recent Tiriti-based Futures on-line conference. Koha is a Māori-language word that is often translated into English as 'gift', but Williams was talking about three important facets of koha - giving, receiving and also returning koha. By this nature it builds relationships, community and capacity. I found an article where Williams talks about koha in the context of land."That’s a principle of Māori land ownership. We borrow the land from our children and from nature. Like water, we can never own or sell it. We use it, and we put back what we take out. That’s reciprocity: to give, to receive, and to return. It is the principle of koha that defines manaakitanga. (Haare Williams 2019)"I want to re-frame the invite of 'learning, teaching or coaching Wikipedia' into an offer of reciprocity. I want to build community more than I want to build skills. The fun bit of Wikipedia for me is learning things through the research I do, and then seeing a published article expand and be refined as others contribute.

26-03-2024
Pitopito kōrero nā Lisa

Tonight the session ended up being about why writing in Wikipedia has value as a writers practice. Kasi Valu and shared our current writing practice and some goals. Kasi is looking to do a Wikipedia project in the future. I shared my current obsession of Zines and crosses over into a love of paper crafts and an artistic practice and my thinking about being in service. The foundation for me was highlighting Indigenous women artists and seeking out and amplifying those who are making waves and 'being notable' but are not present in Wikipedia.

Kasi came up with the phrase that Wikipedia is a 'service-based craft of story telling'. Articles are built over-time with cited facts that do give a flavour in a biography. It is not emotional but it can still be warm It is a fine balance. I like that the writing it doesn't have to be a 'perfect', the writing is paraphrased so often my first sentences and flow isn't amazing writing; it 'opens the door' for others to contribute.

There is still the question of how to build a community of practice - I find is very satisfying seeing others you know refining an article you have worked on. Wikipedia is not precious writing and that is a skill and a joy and valuable.

Part of the koha.

Give, receive, return.