Long Table
The Long Table is a public conversation format staged as a dinner party in which conversation is the only course. It was created by the artist and academic Lois Weaver of Split Britches in the early 2000s, inspired by Marleen Gorris's film Antonia's Line. A long table with a limited number of chairs stands in the middle of the room; only people seated at it may speak, anyone may take or leave a seat at any time, and a written etiquette replaces a moderator.
Facilitation script
- 1
Before doors open: lay the table, place pens, arrange the outer seating and post the etiquette.
10 min - 2
Welcome, state the topic or opening question and the end time, and read the etiquette aloud.
5 min - 3
Open the table: the host and any briefed starters take seats and begin; others join as they wish.
10 min - 4
Open conversation. The host stays out of a steering role and only helps with practicalities such as seats and hearing.
55 min - 5
Give a short notice that the end is near, so people who have been waiting can still come to the table.
5 min - 6
End at the announced time without summing up. Thank people and invite them to read the tablecloth.
5 min
Tips
Take a seat at the table yourself at the start along with one or two people you have briefed, so the first minutes are not an empty table and a silent room.
Read the etiquette slowly and resist stepping in afterwards; the format works because the group learns that nobody will rescue it.
Check acoustics beforehand, since the outer ring must be able to hear people who are speaking to each other across a table.
Common pitfalls
Moderating after all, by calling on speakers or summarising, which tells the room that the host owns the conversation and stops people taking responsibility for it
Skipping or rushing the etiquette, so listeners call out from the outer ring or do not realise they are allowed to ask for a seat
Too many chairs at the table, which removes the turnover that brings in new voices and turns the format into an ordinary round table
A few confident speakers occupying seats for the whole session; if nobody in the room challenges it, large parts of the audience remain spectators
Promising sponsors or managers a set of recommendations, which the format is not designed to deliver and which leads to disappointment afterwards
Variations
The number of seats is not fixed; around a dozen is common practice, with fewer for small rooms. Remote: a video call in which only those 'at the table' keep cameras and microphones on, and others turn theirs on to join and off to leave. The tablecloth can be kept and displayed afterwards as a record. Some hosts open with two or three invited guests who start the conversation and then give up their seats like anyone else.
Where it fits
When to use it
A public or organisation-wide conversation on a contested subject where a panel would give the stage to a few experts
A group of twenty or more that needs to explore a question without having to reach a decision
An event where people with lived experience and people with formal expertise should speak on equal terms
A conference slot that needs an open format with very little set-up and no slides
A community that distrusts managed consultation and would respond better to a format without a chair
When not to use it
A decision, plan or list of actions must come out of the session; the format deliberately ends without a conclusion, so use a structured workshop or Open Space with action planning
Fewer than about ten people are present; a simple circle conversation works better than a table with an audience
The topic involves active conflict between identifiable parties or risk of personal attacks; without a moderator nobody is mandated to intervene, so use a facilitated dialogue
Everyone needs to contribute within a short time; World Café or 1-2-4-All gives each person airtime, whereas here many will only listen
The room cannot be arranged so that listeners hear the table, or participants with access needs cannot easily move to and from the seats
Related methods
Frequently asked questions
What is Long Table?▾
The Long Table is an open conversation format set up like a dinner party, with a long table, a paper tablecloth and a limited number of chairs. Only people sitting at the table speak, and anyone can join or leave the table at any time. A written etiquette takes the place of a moderator. It was created by Lois Weaver of Split Britches.
What are the rules of a Long Table?▾
The core rules are that you must sit at the table to speak, that you can come and go freely, and that you may ask for a seat when the table is full. There is no moderator, though a host may assist. Silence and awkward moments are accepted, and the session has an end time but no conclusion.
How is a Long Table different from a Fishbowl?▾
Both have an inner group that talks and an outer group that listens, with movement between the two. A Fishbowl is usually run by a facilitator with prepared questions and often a planned rotation. A Long Table has no moderator, uses the staging of a shared meal, and relies on an etiquette that hands responsibility for the conversation to everyone in the room.
How many people can take part in a Long Table?▾
It works from roughly ten people up to a hundred or more, as long as everyone can hear the table. The number of seats at the table stays small, often around twelve, however large the audience is. With very large audiences use microphones on the table.
How long should a Long Table last?▾
Plan at least an hour so the conversation has time to move beyond the first speakers; public events often run two to three hours. Announce the end time at the start and keep to it.
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Try it freeMethod descriptions on Workshop Weaver are original content written by our team, based on established facilitation practices. This method was inspired by work from Lois Weaver / Split Britches.