How can we harness imagination, collective wisdom & power to assist cultural transformation & social change?
Why now?
Our complex world is undergoing a monumental transformation. As social polarisation, inequality, and environmental degradation increase, more people, communities, organisations, and businesses are becoming aware of their power and the need to create positive impact, placing the common good at the heart of their actions.
Dialogue and healthy power dynamics are crucial for the cultural transformation needed at this critical time. Regardless of political beliefs or interpretations of current events, it’s time to reconnect, feel, dialogue, set aside blame and judgement, and shift power dynamics. We must make these dynamics visible and take responsibility for our role in creating communities that foster individual and collective transformation.
Join us in a creative space where you will learn through practical experience. This event blends the Art of Hosting & Harvesting Conversations That Matter with elements from Community Organising, breaking taboos and bringing power dynamics to the forefront.
This combination of knowledge and practices will take us beyond dialogue, concepts, and cognition, into the less explored realm of play, body and emotion, to experience new power alchemy and activate our dormant potentials.
Who is it for?
This training is for anyone interested in new ways to understand and lead change by broadening their perspective.
For those who wish to explore theories and practices that navigate complexity; for educators, social leaders, community organisers, business leaders, change facilitators, organisational consultants, public servants, politicians, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, activists, and anyone interested in exploring power from different perspectives and learning practical tools for dialogue, transformation, and change.
What will you learn, explore & practice?
What Will You Learn, Explore & Practice?
The art of convening, facilitating, sustaining, and harvesting spaces for courageous and meaningful conversations in volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous environments.
Practical tools for facilitating participatory processes with groups of any size. Such as Circle Practice, Open Space, World Cafe, Design Lab, A Problem Posing Approach, Collective Story Harvest and more.
Models for understanding and working with change, complexity, emergence, conflict, deep reflection and self- organisation
Techniques to stay centred, especially in high-tension or conflict situations.
New vocabulary, concepts, and tools to address and transform power dynamics in communities and organisations.
Discovering the potential of the arts to heal and transform, breaking false dichotomies and divisions. Realising that we are all artists.
A sense of belonging to a community where you can share experiences, hopes, fears, stories, and ideas.
Access to a global network actively creating new ecosystems of collaboration, life, and work.
Over the 3 days, we will also explore:
How to focus on what works, not just what’s wrong.
The relationship between system change and personal change.
Power and power dynamics at the personal, societal and systemic level through codes, theatre, dialogue, reflection and games.
Art of Hosting and Community Organising models and practices.
The training will include a structured project Design Lab for participants to explore together how to practically apply their learning to their organisations or communities.
This intensive workshop will allow you to:
- Experience new tools which can support community building and organising in communities of interest and organisations.
- Develop facilitation skills so that you can practically use these tools in your work.
- Develop skills in asking the right questions to have deeper conversations and bring about new ideas and practical solutions in our areas of work.
- Engage in a deep exploration of power, power dynamics, our individual relationship to power and how to build it collectively.
- Feel confident and have the skills and knowledge to host conversations around inequalities and power.
- Connect with other organisations, progressive businesses, community organisers, community development workers, NGO’s activists and active residents to move from isolated action to a movement of people and organisations collaborating to bring about effective change
Where and When?
June 20-22nd, 2024
The training will take place 9:00am – 5pm
St Werburghs Community Centre Horley Road, St Werburghs, Bristol BS29TJ
Investment
We aim to create a microcosm that honours diversity in race, gender, origin, education, and economic levels, activating our maximum individual and collective power in balance. This experience should inspire us to transform our contexts. Therefore, we invite generosity to allow access to people with different economic capacities, enriching our learning environment.
Any surplus funds raised after covering all costs, will be put to the group to finance any collective initiatives that arise from the group itself during the training’s Project Design Lab on the last day.
Pay as you feel
(If your company pays for the training, you must pay the fee + VAT)
Standard fee plus £450 + VAT p/p
Select this option if you are from an organisation/ consultancy and paid well to do your work. This reward covers the full cost of the training and a little bit more to support people who couldn’t otherwise afford this opportunity to participate.
Standard fee £275 + VAT p/p
Select this option if you are an individual from an organisation/ consultancy, paid to do your work or otherwise able to pay the full fee. This fee fully covers your own cost of participating
Team discount fee £250 + VAT p/p
Select this option if you are part of a team of 3 or more people from the same organisation, and your organisation is paying for you to attend the training
Solidarity discounted fee £175 p/p
Select this option if you are unable to pay any of the above fees yet yo feel this opportunity would have great impact in your voluntary work within communities
Consession Ashley Ward (Offer what you can)
Select this option if you Live in The Ashley Ward & you are NOT a paid engagement worker, community or social worker - Are unemployed
*** The fee does not include transport, accomodation or main meals. Any transaction fees and VAT where applicable will be paid by the participant***
*** We can issue payment links to pay by credit card at a 3% extra charge on top of VAT***
The Registration & Payment Process
The registration and payment process is as follows:
- Please click on this link to complete the registration form.
- After you register, you will receive an email and a payment link with your chosen fee + VAT
- Please proof of payment to: create@colabinternational.co.uk
CoLab International’s Refund Policy.
If for any reason you can no longer participate after making your payment we will offer:
- Full refund before the 5th of June
- Half refund after the 5th of June and before the 12th of June
- After the 12th of June we cannot offer a refund, unless we are able to sell your space to someone on the waiting list or you find someone else to take your space
The Team
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We are a complementary team with one foot in Colombia and the other in the world, using (and offering training in) techniques and practices from Art of Hosting (participatory leadership) and Community Organising for over 12 years with community groups, public sector organisations and NGO’s across the world online and in person.
Paulette Singer
Seasoned community organiser, Art of Hosting practitioner/ trainer, community development research facilitator, and permaculture gardener and trainer.
Known for her deep listening skills and system change thinking, Paulette co-founded and directs Our Yard and the Clitterhouse Farm. She revitalised a derelict building into a thriving creative community hub, driven by local visions and needs. The hub features food growing, cooking and sharing opportunities, as well as art studios and workshop spaces for crafts.
José Barco
Experienced (Colombian) community organiser, movement builder, Art of Hosting practitioner/ trainer, musician, and founder of CoLab International. He co-founded Community Organisers (UK), Inside Hub, Barichara Regenerativa and La Barichara Que Soñamos.
José’s work focuses on transforming power dynamics in communities and organisations, leveraging his skills in hosting meaningful conversations, music, and play as tools for learning and transformation with organisations across the world.
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