Last time we talked about spin jams and why they’re so great at nurturing community. But what if you don’t live in a place that has a regular spin jam? This week, we’ll talk about how you can host one of these wonderful events to your area.

Venues

When hosting a spin jam, your first and biggest consideration has to be where and when. You’ll need a large area that can hold a lot of people without them getting too much in each other’s way. Some popular options include:

1. Public Parks: They’re usually easy to get to and have lots of open space. More often than not, using them is free so hosting a spin jam won’t hit you in the pocket book. The downsides are: you’re at the mercy of the elements--if it rains, that may mean your spin jam is kaput. Also: if you want to spin fire many public parks have a permitting system that may be difficult to navigate. We’ll be discussing permitting in a later video. Because public parks rely on natural lighting, an unlit spin jam will almost certainly have to happen on the weekend day when it’s light out and people aren’t working.
2. Dance studios: Being as how these are spaces that are meant for moving around, you’ll surely find that they make you feel right at home with mirrors to check your work in, floors that are great for moving and rolling around, and built-in sound systems for music. Dance studios are almost never free, however, and you might have to charge people or ask for donations in order to cover your overhead. You also won’t be able to spin fire indoors at one, so unless they have an adjacent parking lot they’re willing to let you use, this one is going to be an unlit jam. Because they’re indoors, you don’t have to worry about the weather or having them at night, so you can be a lot more flexible in your scheduling.
3. Gymnasiums: You might find a local school or recreation center has a gymnasium they wouldn’t mind letting you use at night or over a weekend. If it’s in a school, you might even be able to have some of their students join in as an extracurricular activity. Like the dance studio, this is a space that’s indoors and controlled, so you don’t have to worry about weather or daylight. Also like the dance studio, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to spin fire unless there’s a large adjacent outdoor area.
4. Other: Spaces good for spin jams can pop up in the most unusual of places. In many cities, you can find buildings that include subsidized artist housing that may have spaces conducive to a spin jam. You might find a local business that has a parking lot or outdoor plaza that would be a perfect place to host a fire spin jam. Get creative! Meet people. Have conversations. See what options you can dig up.

Scheduling

Now that you’ve got a place to host your spin jam, when should you host it? Monthly or weekly spin jams get people into a regular schedule and encourage drop-in participation due to their consistency. Hosting a spin jam on a weeknight can be a great way for people to come unwind after a long day of work, but they can also result in long commutes and potentially many scheduling conflicts. Hosting a spin jam on a weekend day can offer fewer scheduling conflicts but also be up against family time or time for running errands. There’s no right answer on this one--usually the best practice is to work the spin jam around your own schedule--after all, if you’re the host it should be catering to your time and availability.

Advertising

Now that you’ve got a place and you’ve got a time, how do you get people to come? If you already know a few local artists, it’s easy enough to reach out to them and ask them to attend.

Other options include:

• Post an event to Facebook or Meetup
• Advertise locally by posting fliers in local coffee shops, yoga studios, and other public places
• Word of mouth

One of the greatest ways that you can advertise yourself? Go to a public place that gets a lot of foot traffic with extra props and start spinning. People are bound to stop and ask you want you’re doing. Have them try the props out and invite them to come join you. There’s no better advertisement than showing off your own enthusiasm!

Additional Considerations (Props, Music, etc)

At the spin jam, it never hurts to have extra props for people to use. See if you can pick up a few different types of props to bring with you to cater to many different styles of spinning. Lots of people love listening to music at spin jams. If you’re hosting your jam somewhere that doesn’t have a sound system, you can bring bluetooth speakers or see if you know any local musicians that would love to come play for you. Be careful of being too noisy, however. Your goal is to have a regular jam. Running afoul of the neighbors will not help your case for that.

Fire Spin Jams

If you’re hosting fire spinning at your event, be safe! Make sure you have the permission of the local authorities and a full safety setup that includes a sealable fuel depot, multiple safety blankets, and fire extinguisher. Also, brush up on proper safety protocols by watching the Fire Safety Program series from Flow Arts Institute. If you’re bringing new people into the world of fire, make sure you’re doing so safely!

Above all else, have fun! Spin jams are meant to be a place where people come together and forge friendships. Starting one up will bound to be a huge boon to developing your local community. Do you host a spin jam? What are your favorite tips and tricks? Let me know in the comments!