Flow Arts Life Hacks: Organizing a Spin Jam

Let’s face it. Practicing the flow arts is much more fun in a group. Sometimes we have difficulties finding others to spin with or finding active groups. Facebook or Meetup.com is the best way to organize people in our community.

1. Search for surrounding area spin groups on facebook. Look for your local circus centers or studios to see whether or not they host open jams. Things like aerial studios, yoga studios, and rock climbing gyms make for good partnerships.
2. Search for local performance groups with search tags like “fire performance”, “juggling”, and “cirque”
3. If you do not find any other groups getting together, then this is where the work begins. A community can’t run without a leader, so it might as well be you.
4. Create a facebook group and invite spinners.
5. Decide on a location. During good weather, it is perfectly acceptable to meet at local parks, but check with your local fire marshall before doing any sort of fire.
6. Decide your music source. It will need to amplify decently. The best device is a block rocker
7. Ask for a donation of at least $2 or $3 to cover the cost of you organizing and bringing the music. Also any liability insurance if you have a building location.
8. Try to find a partnership to host something indoors with mirrors so you can excel faster. Look at your local Girl’s Inc, Yoga Studios, Gymnastics Studios, Community Centers, Rock Climbing gyms, Roller Derby girls, etc.. In many cases, they might be willing to do a skill or performance trade for space.
9. Get people there! Make flyers, make facebook events for EVERY spin jam! It’s hard to get people there otherwise. You could also use Meetup.
10. Focus on the community growth first, then find dedicated people to perform if that’s what you want to do. Remember not everyone is a performer, many eople are just in it for the hobby aspect, so don’t put pressure on those who don’t want to take on extra responsibility. Respect everyone’s differences.
11. Remember to have fun and don’t work for free. Stay the course! Running a spin jam is hard work, but you make many friends and watch yourself and your community grow.

Please let us know where your spin jams are! We would love to host a list of places people can get together and spin and play! #faispinjams #flowartslifehacks #faihacks