Finally the day had arrived; the Agents were hours away from welcoming family, friends and the public to their very own Market Place of Ideas, a community event where they would showcase their projects to all. Assistant Facilitator Africa lets us know how it went.
Colouring pens out, scissors at hand, glue sticks ready and with creative hats on, The Agency officially took over the Battersea Arts Centre offices to finish off their posters and artwork, ready for the day ahead. Everyone was surprisingly relaxed as the usual banter and conversation was exchanged, though some people used the time to gather facts and statistics to make the case for their project even stronger, with Henrietta and Leon fixed at their computer screens.
As ever, the time flew before our very eyes and, before we knew it, lunch was over and it was time to prepare our stalls for the event. Cue panic!
Things suddenly got real and it was only a matter of time before this empty hall would be filled with people. After the strenuous task of moving 10 abnormally heavy tables, it turned out their weren’t enough (great!) But panic not! In only 40 minutes of ‘I haven’t got a table yet’ accompanied with running around like headless chickens, the situation was resolved and we were ready to get on with things.
The space suddenly looked amazing and it became apparent just how much of a milestone event this was for the Agents and how far they had come on their personal journeys. Colorful decorations and beautifully drawn posters by everyone filled the room. I can’t really think of enough positive words to describe the detail and effort put into everyone stall, but I’ll attempt to give a few highlights.
Kevin surprised everyone as he pulled out all the stops, bringing in a laptop with a presentation and video camera equipment to discuss his project with visitors (he was also the DJ for the day).
Paige also incorporated technology in the presentation of her stall, with a slideshow of her homemade cakes and other products on an iPad that people could flick through.
Soon, once the event began and visitors filtered in and out, conversations were flowing, music was pumping and projects were coming to life. Every agent flourished in presenting their ideas (and let’s not forgot about all the goodies and giveaways that they had arranged!). Both Paige and Saffron brought in homemade cupcakes for the masses and Stevanie designed, created and supplied everyone with Rubix badges sporting her custom logo.
It’s safe to say that the overall standard was impressive. The feedback from both the industry professionals we invited and from family members was of sheer adulation for the Agents’ ideas and the way they presented them. Ending on a high, the Agents could now prepare for their biggest challenge yet; presenting to the industry panel.
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