The other night, James Marwood and I took a trip down a back street in the West End of London to a brand new company that is looking to do something very different in the CrowdFunding Arena. The company is called CrowdShed.
I came across them when a friend said that he was looking to run a series of free talks over the Summer based on one word and he was looking for words. I suggested Chivalry and he said that was the most different he had heard so we were roped in. (Our talk on Chivalry is going to be on the 7th August, details are here.)
Therefore, James and I decided that we would do a little reconnaissance and attend an earlier one. As we are both curious chaps, we rolled up to the Shed Talk about Curiosity. The format is quite simple: 3 people talk for 12 minutes each and then there is a short Q & A. There is also time to for a few drinks and some chit chat at the end.
The Venue is a fantastic building behind Tottenham Court Road. It is attractively open and light and, naturally, they have built some sheds for you to sit in whilst listening to the speakers.
We were treated to 3 really interesting takes on Curiosity, firstly from talented producer Roy Ackerman, who talked about Curiosity in the filmmaking and creative process. He was witty and told some very interesting tales. He was followed by Sally Burton-Graham, who talked about Curiosity in Education and how they are changing education at Royal Holloway University. Finally, we had Ian Leslie a writer and brand strategist who is the author of CURIOUS: The Desire to Know and Why Your Future Depends On It. He was very insightful into the reasons we are curious and how that long-term curiosity makes us better human beings.
As with the 18 minute TED format, 12 minutes is enough time to engage and be stimulating, but leaving you curious enough to want more.
Back to CrowdShed, what makes them interesting is that they are covering and combining all the different types of crowdfunding, they are providing a whole heap of support such as co-working space, mentors and more. We admire Henry Freeman and his team in their endeavour.
So, if you want a stimulating, free evening in London this summer, pop along on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We are looking forward to giving our Shed Talk next week – Let us hope you are all Chivalrous and support us!
PS – If you are feeling a bit confused, The Crowdfunding Centre can help make sense of crowdfunding
