Note: This Event was part of my “Secret Experimental Event Series” for Big Weekend Calendars and The Austin Events Wall Calendar. You can read more about the event series in this post.
The Idea
I needed a simple yet absurd reason for people to get together for an event. Something that would be inherently socializing, but not ask them to be too vulnerable.
One of my ideas consisted of an image in my head of people lining up in a line from shortest to tallest. I play in a large band in town and we’ve done some group photos like this and it’s always fun to figure out your place in line. You’re all trying to find your place, debating who is taller and not really being able to see your own height perfectly you have to sort of rely on other people to judge when you and someone else are close in height. It also can make for a cool photo.
I liked this idea for a few reasons. Obviously it’s a dumb and (for the tribe) fun reason to drive across town. Anyone who has a measurable stature can participate, so almost no one is left out.
I liked that it is inherently socializing since you have to organize with other people. The vulnerability risk is low and the rules are clear. But you’ll probably get to interact with a lot of people.
There’s also this element of co-creation and also the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. People feel like they’re part of something because they are. And when it’s done it will be visible and awesome.
But then I thought: what about people who maybe are self-conscious about their height? They might be turned off by having an event that might draw attention to them in ways they might not want.
Solution: be whatever height you want. Shorter people can bring things to stand on. Taller people can sit if they want. My hope was that people would get creative and show up with either ideas or creative things to show off. Chairs, stools, ladders, blankets, maybe head or neck extensions. I would find a place that was hilly so that people with physical limitations might be afforded some more vertical options.
Perhaps we could even reverse the order if we needed to mix it up. Or people could change their height for the “second round”. A lot of it would be improvised because I think the event would attract the type of people that want to co-create, shout out ideas and make it their own.
For takeaways, I pictured a walking video going down the line of participants and some really long pieced together panoramic images.
Sadly, due to various reasons including the pandemic, this event had to be postponed.
The Event Posting
Below are the details and promotional video for the “Who’s Your Height?” event as posted to the public. See more detail here on the Big Weekend Calendars website.
Who’s Your Height?
This event is part of the Austin Events 2020 wall calendar’s Secret Unpublished Event Series.
Ever wondered who in Austin is about as tall as you? Let’s all stand next to each other in order of height and find out.
Things to know:
- This is for real.
- You can bring something to stand on if you want to be taller.
- You can bring something to sit or lie down on if you want to be shorter.