Agency

How people move beyond participation to shape the shared space

Within the Community Learning Ecosystem (CLE), agency is understood not as a fixed individual trait, but as something that develops through participation in supportive and relational contexts. Rather than being assumed or pre-existing, agency is approached as a capacity that can be cultivated through the design of spaces, structures, and interactions.

Insights from initiatives such as Cultural Exchange, an evolving community-based initiative where participants share their lived experiences, cultures, and stories, highlight a notable shift in participant roles. Some individuals transitioned from audience members to active contributors within the space.

This transition was supported through informal preparation and reflective conversations, which created opportunities for participants to shape their own sessions and gradually develop confidence in taking on more active roles.

These processes suggest that agency emerges through supportive and relational conditions. Participants appeared more willing to take on active roles when the environment enabled dialogue, flexibility, and a sense of shared ownership.