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So the election is over, the horse-trading has begun and the Votepods team are piecing together the evidence we collected about public participation through our Ten Big Lottery and BT sponsored debates.
- Did music make a difference by attracting non-anoraks and relaxing the meeting so exchange was more full and frank ?
- Did we attract people who'd never been to political hustings events before?
- Did postings audio on itunes and video highlights on YouTube extend proceedings to an online audience?
- Did we fill halls or attract a minimum of 200 people every time ?
- Were audiences generated by voluntary agencies and pressure groups representative of the general public?
- How well did politicians perform?
We hope to have an analysis online next week. But if you attended a votepod debate and want to give some feedback which doesn't have to be complimentary but should try to be constructive! please email us here.
Meantime, many thanks to the ten event organisers who marched out of their comfort zones to hire big venues, dispelling their own fears about public apathy and thinking big to place their issues at the heart of the Holyrood election campaign. Thanks to the video students at Napier and Abertay who stood filming for hours through each debate and then sat up into the wee small hours -- voluntarily -- to excise the juiciest moments from masses of video and put the highlights online. Thanks to the musicians who helped us professionalise every event with brilliantly chosen songs and tracks and in the case of the Big Student Debate and our sole comedienne Janey Godley, pinpoint accurate jibes.
Thanks to politicians who travelled sometimes for miles and hours beyond their constituency boundaries and therefore well beyond the limits of their own self interest. Thanks to our media partners the Herald, our main sponsors the Big Lottery and BT, to the Joseph Rowntree Trust who funded our use of electronic votepads, the Chartered Institute of Housing who funded the Big Neighbourhood Debate in Leith and the Federation of Small Businesses who sponsored the Big Islands Debate on Skye.
And finally, thanks to Chris Smith, Neil Fraser and Jim Piggott who formed the core of the Votepods team together with myself. We've been planning, travelling, up-loading, posting, blogging and talking for the best part of four months to find out one thing.
Is the public is fed up with politics or just with un-entertaining events? Did we succeed? I'm sure you'll let us know.
The last Votepod event took place at Abertay University, Dundee with a stormy discussion on a range of work related topics. With the election campaign in the final stage, an audience of around 120 tackled the panel of politicians about low pay and carers, public service jobs, training and education. 
Last Thursday's debate in Leith is reviewed on the website of You Scotland. The author Alan Smart clearly enjoyed the evening saying
There was a full house at the Aros Centre in Portree on Skye for the Big Island Debate. The issues under discussion included energy, wind farms, political leadership and the future of the Gaelic language.
Ocean Terminal, a symbol of the ongoing regeneration of Leith, was the venue for the Big Neighbourhood Debate. The issues under discussion affect many similar parts of Scotland and included affordable housing, regeneration of communities, youth unemployment and training.
The Big Island Debate taking place in Skye this Thursday will also be broadcast live on Cuillin FM and Two Lochs Radio. The community stations will join Scottish Votepods at the Aros Centre, Portree on Thursday 26th April. And, of course, there'll be audio and video highlights available on this website.
We have now completed 6 Big Debates and everyone has been kind enough to thank us for our efforts. That's great and we appreciate it. However, we would like to hear your personal story. If you were an organiser, a participant, a member of the audience or even a panelist, what did you think ? If you have watched the video clips on YouTube or listened via iTunes, what was it like for you ? Did the event work for you ? Are you feeling more connected to the issues ? Do you think this method of engagement works ? Lots of people have expressed opinions - let's have a debate about the Big Debates. After we all need to connect. Right.
