An XXL format Fresk
Eight Freskers from Puy-de-Dôme came up with this slightly crazy idea. Outcome: more than 500 people were fresked on October 9th in Clermont-Ferrand!
A successful bet: 500 participants out of 550 registered
This very small number of no-shows for a free event is rather exceptional! It is a fair return for this team of Freskers who have struggled to turn this operation into a success. The feedback from the participants is most wonderful and unanimous: everyone learned a lot and appreciated the workshops!
Of course, this would not have been possible without the 70 facilitators who responded. The day before the event, many of them gathered to share a Fresker drink, an essential step to favor a good atmosphere on the next day, especially in a rather spread-out territory, where Freskers have few opportunities to meet.
We were starry-eyed at night when we went to bed!
Behind this success, a meticulous organisation
A workshop of such a magnitude is prepared well in advance, knowing that it is organised by a team of volunteers who have their personal lives to manage at the same time. It certainly took place on October 9, but the preparatory meetings started at the beginning of February! Others followed along joyfully as well. We thank them for their commitment!
For Florian Da Silva, Anne Sophie Menand and Maryse Brossat, who took part in the organisation, two points were key: the choice of the room and communication.
A good room can make all the difference. The Puy-de-Dôme team has chosen to rent the main hall in Clermont-Ferrand, where the city’s major events are held, thus offering visibility and credibility to the Giant Fresk.
But how do you find and mobilise enough participants to fill this room? This is where communication comes in! All the Freskers pitched in: distribution of leaflets in the city, especially in the markets, presence at various events throughout the month of September, interviews on the radio and in the press, publications on Facebook and LinkedIn… the inhabitants of Clermont-Ferrand were even able to see billboards promoting this day on bus stops!
And later on?
This beautiful adventure confirms that it is possible if we didn’t already know this! Let’s see the big picture of the challenge, let’s think outside the box!
Other local coordinators want to organise similar events in their own departments and take advantage of the advice of Auvergnats. Perhaps, we’ll be sharing other adventures soon… 🙂 If you feel like launching a Fresk at home, don’t hesitate to get closer to your coordinator and get started!
A hearty congratulations to all those who got involved, and a very special thank you to the organisers: Jennifer Simonet, Florian Da Silva, Anne Sophie Menand, Sophie Chaux, Elsa Fougerouse, Maryse Brossat, Richard Martz, Stéphane Routtier, Sophie Senaux and Alexandre Cauvin!
