An Open Fishbowl Panel Discussion
Most panels put speakers up front and everyone else in the audience. For the Sydney Engagement Community launch, we’re doing something different: an Open Fishbowl.
What is an Open Fishbowl?
A small circle of chairs sits in the middle of the room, this is the “fishbowl.” A few speakers and a facilitator sit there and start the conversation, with a chair or two left empty. Everyone else sits in concentric circles around them, close enough to see and hear the conversation clearly.
In a traditional fishbowl, this outer group stays seated for the whole session. They witness the conversation and may be invited to reflect on it afterwards, but they don’t join the inner circle themselves.
An Open Fishbowl changes that. Participants are invited in. Once the conversation gets going, anyone can join the fishbowl, either by taking an empty seat or swapping in for someone already there. People move in and out for the whole session, so the conversation is led by participants.
It works well for bigger groups, and it’s especially good for topics where people hold strong, different views.
Our Adaptation
We don’t just open the fishbowl cold. Ours follows a few mingle activities, so people have already met someone new and swapped a few ideas before the panel even starts. We’ve also changed the layout: rather than a full circle, our fishbowl sits as a semi-circle facing the observers, so participants and panellists can see each other’s faces.
How It Runs
- Setting the stage — the panellists take their seats, and the facilitator explains how the format works and how to join in.
- A seeded conversation — a short, unscripted discussion between the host and panellists, prompted by a few open questions to get things moving.
- Opening the circle — the fishbowl opens fully. Anyone can come forward, ask a question, or share their own story, with co-facilitators helping bring people in.
Why it Matters
Communities like this are meant to be led by their members, not run from the front. A fishbowl reflects that: everyone in the room has something to contribute, not just the people with microphones.
