Today was a particularly special day at The Agency. It was the Market of Ideas. A place for the Agents to practise their pitches and try and attract each other by the idea  they had developed over the last 5 weeks.

Everyone had an hour to prepare for the Market of Ideas during the first hour of the day, recapping all we had covered since the beginning by recourse to the maps, inventories and other brain fabric they had put down on paper. They then each made a refreshed compass, (desire, territory, form & idea) that reflected wherever they were now in the process and and that would allow them to pitch their ideas to each other.

When it got to the Market, we arranged the chairs either side a long row of tables so we could continue to move round it, speed-dating, pitching our ideas 1-1, refining our presentation skills and all the while developing a clearer vision of our project. Each agent had 4 minutes to pitch their idea to the agent opposite them, giving them a clear vision of their idea, as well as the networks they would use to implement it, who they intended to collaborate with, how it would benefit the territory, the community and themselves as well.

The pitches were super impressive. Deanna was so impressed with Charlene it seemed like she wanted to join her team! Which in fact brings me on to another key component of the Market of Ideas. It was a key moment for the Agents to really ascertain who they wanted to collaborate with, who they thought they could work with but also more importantly who they could combine forces with while also retaining the integrity of their original desire and not losing it in the excitement of a new form.

As the Market closed the party started. Each Agent had been given £5 to spend as they desired to equip us for a celebration. The coke bottle lids lifted, the balloons dropped and the cake was sliced. As they slipped back out the doors the agents were still excitedly chatting about who they could work with to make their ideas a reality.