Kitchen Table Conversations (KTC)
What is a KTC?
Friends and neighbors, people who do and/or don’t know each other come together in someone’s home and get acquainted, or get acquainted in new ways, share stories and areas of interest or concern in our community. In a facilitated dialogue, participants speak from their personal experience as they:
What distinguishes Dialogue from other conversations?
Dialogue is a formatted conversation seeking mutual understanding. Participants are asked to utilize 'Dialogue Agreements' to make safe and open space for all, and to speak from personal experience. Dialogue includes:
Why do you call these 'Kitchen Table Conversations'?
Because so often when friends or family come to visit, the 'kitchen' is the favorite natural gathering place, the place people want to be. You can host a KTC in any casual welcoming place in your home.
Who hosts KTCs?
Anyone can host a KTC. Do you like to . . .
How do I get started? What do I do as a host?
Decide you'd like to host people in your home, generally 4 - 8 people. Think about what community topic is of personal interest to you.
Pick a date. Think through who you would like to invite - friends and neighbors you know, and also hopefully some you don't know. Then contact Gloucester Conversations (GC). We'll help you, including designing the questions to seed the dialogue and finding a neutral facilitator. It’s that easy.
What happens after a KTC?
Participants choose what they wish to share with the community and how they will proceed. They may discover simple ways to help each other, or want to lead a project for positive change in our community.
By sharing what's important to your group you might discover other people who are interested in the same or similar topic. You might choose to work together, and/or invite more conversation on the topic. Everyone can initiate positive change. GC can help you have conversations that foster mutual understanding and shared insights. You decide the action you want to take.
How else can I participate in Gloucester Conversations?
Friends and neighbors, people who do and/or don’t know each other come together in someone’s home and get acquainted, or get acquainted in new ways, share stories and areas of interest or concern in our community. In a facilitated dialogue, participants speak from their personal experience as they:
- Explore a topic of mutual interest seeded by an open-ended question, and in the process of doing so
- Get acquainted, develop mutual understanding, discover areas where they might help each other or join talents to help our community
- Experience dialogue and consider how it can be useful at home, work, school and in our community
What distinguishes Dialogue from other conversations?
Dialogue is a formatted conversation seeking mutual understanding. Participants are asked to utilize 'Dialogue Agreements' to make safe and open space for all, and to speak from personal experience. Dialogue includes:
- Open-ended questions to explore a topic
- Time to reflect silently before speaking
- Space for each participant to speak without interruption or comment for a specified amount of time (typically 5 - 8 minutes)
- Open conversation for participants to ask genuine questions of each other or share new insights prompted by others' sharing
- A neutral facilitator
Why do you call these 'Kitchen Table Conversations'?
Because so often when friends or family come to visit, the 'kitchen' is the favorite natural gathering place, the place people want to be. You can host a KTC in any casual welcoming place in your home.
Who hosts KTCs?
Anyone can host a KTC. Do you like to . . .
- Welcome people to your home?
- Make a simple, comfortable place for people to get to know each other and talk about heartfelt topics impacting our community?
How do I get started? What do I do as a host?
Decide you'd like to host people in your home, generally 4 - 8 people. Think about what community topic is of personal interest to you.
Pick a date. Think through who you would like to invite - friends and neighbors you know, and also hopefully some you don't know. Then contact Gloucester Conversations (GC). We'll help you, including designing the questions to seed the dialogue and finding a neutral facilitator. It’s that easy.
What happens after a KTC?
Participants choose what they wish to share with the community and how they will proceed. They may discover simple ways to help each other, or want to lead a project for positive change in our community.
By sharing what's important to your group you might discover other people who are interested in the same or similar topic. You might choose to work together, and/or invite more conversation on the topic. Everyone can initiate positive change. GC can help you have conversations that foster mutual understanding and shared insights. You decide the action you want to take.
How else can I participate in Gloucester Conversations?
- Host your own KTC
- Help something positive happen that came from the KTC you experienced
- Utilize the dialogue framework you experienced to foster new kinds of conversations at home, work, school or in the community
- Train to become a stronger dialogue facilitator in your organization, or to facilitate small group dialogue in larger community meetings
- Ask GC for help in having safe and open conversations on challenging public issues
- Reach out to better understand others
- Act with others for the betterment of our community
- Spread the word that dialogue resources and support are available
- Like us on Facebook!