Auricle is a tool for communities to listen “from the ground-up” and better understand what wellbeing, belonging and connection look like to people in a neighbourhood or public space. So often, the voices of residents and neighbours get overshadowed by stories in the media, or simplistic narratives about good and bad, right and wrong. Decision makers are bombarded with crime statistics and other objective measures considered indicators of wellbeing, but rarely have insight into what locals themselves experience as influencing their sense of connection to place, community, and culture.” Auricle is trying to change that. When we listen to the moments that really matter to people, moments about belonging, connection (or disconnection) to land, community or culture, we find a huge range of rich stories and human experiences that have power to change how a community is understood.

Auricle is also a prototype, which means we’re constantly learning and trying new ways. We value learning over perfection, and being adaptable over “being right.” Since Auricle was first designed in 2021, it has been tested three different times, in both a neighbourhood context and in a transit system!

We need to ensure that redevelopment in the Downtown Eastside is led by the community, not displacing it. The DTES is facing crises in health, housing & affordability. Negative public perception fuels top-down action. Proposed city policy will likely increase land and gentrification. This community is ready for change that they directly shape. Central City Foundation’s listening & visioning process is about surfacing what matters most.

Auricle is not a survey. Nor is it researchers that parachute in to ask questions that matter to outsiders, and take the information away to analyze. It’s a listening process, in which neighbours ask neighbours to share a moment of their choosing, on a broad theme, and then interpret its significance through some follow up questions. The anonymous stories are shared with community through an online dashboard and live story-sharing festival.

• Work in pairs or small groups to either set up a “listening booth” inside an organization, lobby, or public space, or to walk around engaging with people where they spend time

• Say hi to strangers and ask if they’d like to share about a moment from their lives [add picture]

• Use a tool called Sensemaker (there’s a digital version and a paper version) to record a moment they’ve experienced, and ask people some follow up questions to understand the moment’s significance [add picture]

• Reflect on your experience as a Listener and share your observations, thoughts and learning during our team debriefs [add picture]

• Keep track of the stories you’ve collected and hand them in at the end of each day.

• Invite people to Knowsy Fest, our community story-sharing festival happening on March 20!

Right off the bat, you should know, we’re looking for people not professionals: if you have curiosity about others and the bravery to strike up conversations with neighbours, please do apply! Maybe you’ve lost your job, you’re underemployed as a newcomer to Canada, or just trying to survive day to day. We welcome all applicants with lots to very little work experience! No resume required!

Here are some things that we imagine will make you a great fit for the role:

• You’re curious about the people around you, how they see the world, and what wellbeing means to them

• You live and/or work within the Downtown Eastside, and you’d like to deepen your own understanding and sense of connection to others

• You’re great at drawing people out in conversation with, warm, nonjudgemental questions and an ability to put others at ease

• You’re brave, able to strike up conversations with strangers and passerby, even those who are different from you

• You’re a lifelong learner, interested in reflecting on your own life and the effects of your interactions on others

• You’ll be reliable, able to show up on time, stay in communication, and keep track of materials.

• You’re comfortable learning to use some technology like a voice recorder and possibly a phone app (training and equipment provided)

• You have a flexible schedule or lots of free time during March 11-20